Nan VanMatre Shafer was born August 25, 1930, to Ralph and Elizabeth (Boone) VanMatre in Olney. She attended Belhaven College in Jackson, Miss., and graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1954.

She married John D. Shafer in 1954. She was a talented musician and artist and received many awards for her work. Nan and John spent 20 years in the Rocky Mountain states, Oklahoma and Mississippi, pursuing careers in the oil industry. She was employed at times by Sohio, Phillips, Conoco and Texico. They made many wonderful friends in Denver and Casper, Wyo.

Nan and John returned to Olney in 1973, where Nan worked at Olney Central College (OCC) as an Administrative Assistant in the Nursing Department. In 1995, she retired after 17 years of service and enjoyed playing in OCC's String Ensemble and at church.

She is survived by her husband, John, and two sons, Richard and his wife, Kathy, of Muncie, Ind., and Steven, of Olney; one sister, Louise (Jim Turpin), of Champaign; brother, Frank (Patricia) VanMatre, of Olney; brother, Joe VanMatre, of Olney; two grandsons, Sam and David Shafer, of Muncie, Ind.; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Nan was preceded in death by a sister, Mrs. Merle (Helen) Holtz.

Published in Olney Daily Mail (IL)