Schumacher, George Edward 1930-2011

SCHUMACHER, RHODES, HUENEKE, SAWYER, COOK, ARROWSMITH, BELL, DAVIS

Posted By: Jill McCarville (email)
Date: 9/4/2013 at 11:29:25

George Schumacher, 80

STORY CITY- Funeral services for George E. Schumacher of Story City were held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at Hachmann Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Bellevue.

Visitation was from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday morning at the funeral home prior to the service.

George, 80, died Monday, May 30, 2011 at Bethany Manor in Story City.

George Edward Schumacher was born July 9, 1930 in Dubuque, the oldest of four children born to George Emil and Helen Blanch (Rhodes) Schumacher. He grew up in Dubuque where he graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1948. He attended Iowa State University for two years and returned to Dubuque to work.

On June 14, 1953 he married Irma Lillian Hueneke at St. John's Lutheran Church at St. Donatus, Iowa.

In 1954 they moved to Waukon where he operated a dairy and swine farm owned by his father. When his father decided to sell the farm in 1957, they moved to Cresco. George and Irma had an opportunity to purchase a farm near Cresco in 1962 where they lived until the fall of 2010. It was George's goal to raise registered Angus cattle and he was proud to have sold breeding and commercial cattle into seven states. He was an active member of the Northeast Iowa Angus Association and managed their annual sale in Elkader and served on the board of directors. In 1983 he was honored for his 26 years of service to that association. During the years they lived on the farm, George also worked as a contract crop adjuster and as a technician for the Soil Conservation Services.

In 1971 they purchased the Farm Discount Store in Cresco where they sold feed, seed, and animal health supplies for twenty years. After he sold the store, he went to work for Rain & Hail Insurance Service, Inc. out of Des Moines, where he worked for over 25 years as a crop adjuster. In 1996, Rain & Hail recognized him as "Adjuster of the Year" for the state of Iowa.

Goerge was a life-time member of the Masonic Lodge and was recognized as a 50 year member in 2001. He also served on the Howard County Fair Board where he was the Beef Cattle Superintendent for 20 years. His life"s passion was hunting and fishing. He spent his spare time fly tying, jig making, and building custom fishing rods. George made many trips to Ft. Smith, Montana for his annual fly fishing trip and caught lots of trout in the Little Big Horn River. He liked fishing and enjoyed teaching his grandchildren, nieces and nephews how to be fly fishermen. He also made several trips to Wyoming for antelope and deer hunting. He was an avid pheasant and deer hunter, and raised and trained Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Brittany Spaniels for hunting purposes.

George is survived by his wife, Irma; four children, daughter: Becky and husband Arlen Sawyer of Bassett, Neb., son: Mark and wife Susan of Wolsey, S.D., daughter: Mitzi Schumacher of Lexington, Ky., and daughter Jo Schumacher and friend Chad Cook of Ames; five grandchildren: Jessica and Adam Sawyer, Nathan and Kelli Jo Schumacher, and Jake Arrowsmith; one sister: Jean and husband Jim Bell of Hartford, Wis.; one brother: Bob Schumacher and wife Linda of Medina, Ohio; sister-in-law: Marilyn Schumacher of Beloit, Wis.; brother-in-law Aaron and wife Jean Hueneke of Bellevue; sister-in-law: Mildred and husband Cletus Davis of Dubuque; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother Bill Schumacher.

Times Plain Dealer June 6, 2011 Page 16A
Transcribed by Jill McCarville from the files of Janice Sowers