James Joseph Schlafly

Asheville – James Joseph Schlafly Jr., 89, died Wednesday, May 28, 2008. Mr. Schlafly was born on May 3, 1919 to the late Dorothy Frauenheim and James Joseph Schlafly, Sr. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Antoinette McKenna and two brothers, August "Gus" Schlafly and Edward Schlafly. Mr. Schlafly recieved his BA and MA degree from St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. He served in the priesthood of the diocese in Kansas City, Missouri for 27 years. As a pastor of St. Patrick's in Kansas City North, a suburb of Kansas City, he built a Church school and rectory. As pastor of Guardian Angels Church in Kansas City he supervised the renovation of the interior sanctuary and body of Church. The Bishop appointed him Diocesan Archivist. In this capacity he wrote a history of Kansas City, MO, Diocese for "Register", a national Catholic newspaper, and a weekly article "Out of the Past" for the Diocesan newspaper. As a result of one of these articles, Benziger Brothers Book publishers asked him to write a book about Francis Chouteau and family, early settlers in Kansas City. The book is entitled "Light in the Early West." Mr. Schlafly also served as Chaplain of the VA Hospital and the Kansas City Fire Department. With the Bishop's blessing, he resigned from the priesthood in 1970 due to health reasons, which involved lung cancer, and moved to Vero Beach, Florida. In Vero Beach he served as Eucharistic Minister at both St. Helen and Holy Cross Churches. He was an active member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Vero Beach and St. Barnabas in Asheville. He is survived by a daughter, Jean Marie Schlafly of Denver, Colorado and a sister Dorothy S. Brown of Fletcher, NC. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2008, 10:30 AM at St. Barnabas Catholic Church with Father John Snyder officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that memorial donations be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, P.O. Box 38, Arden, NC 28704.