Wayne Schumacher

Wayne M. Schumacher of Elizabeth, Illinois, was well-known for being a good mechanic. He worked on farm machinery for many years, and could fix anything. Wayne died at the age of 87 on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at Finley Hospital, Dubuque, Iowa. A funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 10, 2015 at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Elizabeth with Pastor Willis Schwichtenberg officiating. Burial will take place in Elizabeth Cemetery, Elizabeth. A visitation will be held from 3:00-7:00 p.m., Friday, January 9, 2015 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Elizabeth. Friends and family are invited to share in Wayne’s life at www.lawjonesfuneralhome.com .
Wayne was born on April 14, 1927, the son of Louis and Marie (Winter) Schumacher on the family farm in Elizabeth Township. He attended Hickory Grove Country School. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy as a Seaman First Class aboard the U.S.S. Hoggatt Bay, during WWII from 1945-46. After his time in the military, Wayne married Monica Ehredt on May 15, 1947 in Elizabeth.
Wayne worked for the Hanover Woolen Mill and Lumber Yard, as well as Jack Schwartz Implement and Cobine Implement in Elizabeth. He also worked for the State of Illinois doing highway maintenance for 20 years, until his retirement in 1989. Wayne loved woodworking, trapping, being outdoors and spending time with his family. He was a volunteer member of the Elizabeth Fire Department for many years, and also a member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Elizabeth. He recently went on an Honor Flight trip to Washington D.C. in 2011.
Wayne will be dearly missed by his wife, Monica; five children, Donald (Patricia Ehrler) Schumacher of Dubuque, Sue Schumacher of Iowa City, Iowa, Sally Gilligan of Dubuque, Shirley (John) Rosenthal of Galena, Illinois, and Sharon Wand of Elizabeth; 10 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; one brother, Carlyle (Mae) Schumacher of Rockford; two sisters, Ruth (Marion) Schmidt of Galena, and Beverly (Ivan) Fransen of Freeport, Illinois, one sister-in-law, Rita Schumacher of Rockford; and several nieces and nephews. Wayne is preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Marie; one brother, Dale Schumacher in 2004; a son-in-law William Wand in 1998, and one great-grandson in infancy, Cole Spoerl.