Steven J. Schumacher, 77, of Branson, Missouri, formerly of Wayne, died Sunday, July 11, 2021 at Cox South Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri.
Services will be held Saturday, July 31 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne. The Rev. Jerry Connealy will officiate. Visitation will be held Friday, July 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church with family present. Burial with military rites will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Wayne.
Memorials may be made to Mid-American Woodcarver’s Association, P.O. Box 540314, Omaha, Neb. 68154.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home in Wayne.
Steven J. Schumacher was born Oct. 8, 1943, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to William J. Schumacher and Marian L. (Cranston) Schumacher. He graduated from Logan High School in 1962, attended college in Norfolk, Neb. and the University of South Dakota in Vermillion before receiving his Mortuary Science Degree from the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in Dallas, Texas in 1966. He served his nation in the United States Army for two years, including serving as a medic during the Vietnam War. Steve's career in funeral service was also shared by his father, brother, and both grandfathers. He completed his funeral service apprenticeship at Cutler Funeral Home in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and later was employed as a funeral director at Lattin-Dugan-Chambers Funeral Home in Fremont. Steve married Donna J. (Nieman) Triggs Dec. 1, 1972 at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Logan, Iowa. In 1973 the couple moved to Wayne where they owned and operated Schumacher Funeral Homes until retiring in 1998. Steve was an avid wood carver and active in the Rotary Club and various volunteer roles in the community. Most notably, he served during Sioux City’s Flight 232 tragic plane crash in 1989.
Steve married Ruth (Behr) Puls June 11, 2004 in Pierre, South Dakota. The couple resided in Wayne for two years before moving to Branson, Missouri in 2006 to fulfill Steve’s dream of retiring in Branson. A highpoint of his time there was serving as house manager for Andy Williams at the Moon River Theatre. He enjoyed serving Andy and meeting the stars and guest artists. He continued his woodcarving hobby while volunteering at Silver Dollar City, Peter Engler Designs, and teaching carving classes for 20 years for the Mid-America Woodcarvers “Doane Experience” in the summer in Crete, Neb.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth; their children, Sheri (Mick) Kemp of Wayne, Jeff (Peggy) Triggs of Wayne, Jennifer (Shannon) Feuerbach of Keystone, Iowa and Dustin Puls of Seward; six grandchildren, Kyle Triggs, Owen Rickner, Jacob Triggs, Stacie Palmer, Kara Warnke and Preston Feuerbach; seven great-grandchildren, Benjamin Rickner, Sawyer Triggs, Parker Triggs, Evelyn Palmer, Katherine Palmer, Jax Warnke, and Blake Warnke; and a sister, Sue Schenk of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Donna J. Schumacher in 2003; a brother, Scott Schumacher; a brother-in-law, Robert Schenk and parents-in-law.
