THIRD GENERATION

15. George Charles SCHUMACHER ⁽⁴⁾ was born on 15 Aug 1910 in Altamont, IL. He died on 10 Oct 2000 in Shelbyville, IL.
Written March, 1991
George was born in Altamont and attended the German Methodist Church until he was six years old and that church merged with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He and his only sister Edna sang a duet "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" at the German Methodist Church. He attended grade and High School at Altamont and played violin in the school orchestra and the church orchestra. This violin had belonged to his uncle John Ehlers (who died about 1914) and was used by George's mother's cousin Miriam Ehlers Mery. It now belongs to and is played by George's grandson, Matthew Cary Lively.

George attended McKendree College at Lebanon, IL, Eastern Illinois State Teachers College at Charleston, when Dr. Lord was president, after graduating from High School in 1928. He certificated and taught at Grant School in Fayette County. He and his brother-in-law Ernie Ballard established the Schumacher-Ballard Dairy in 1934--first using their own herd for milk production-bottling raw milk, then pasteurizing and later homogenizing and adding cottage cheese, buttermilk, coffee cream, chocolate milk, whipping cream and orange and grape drink. George was in charge of the herd, milking and farming. He and Gretchen were married in 1940. He showed cattle at the Effingham County Fair, Black and White Show at Effingham and the Fayette County Fair. Horses were used for house to house delivery during World War II. Due to the scarcity of help during this time the herd was sold and milk was bought from farmers. They also made house to house delivery and store delivery in St. Elmo. George was elected to the Altamont school board and was active in community activities. In 1954 he sold his share of the dairy to Ernie and moved to the farm east of Shelbyville. In 1980 he and Gretchen moved to 1201 North Long in Shelbyville.

Presently George and Gretchen are active members of the First United Methodist Church, Shelbyville where George has been a teacher of the Kum-Dubble Class for many years; has been a member of the official church board in many capacities including chairman of the board. In 1940 George joined the Altamont Lions Club of which he is a past president during his 15 years of membership. IN 1965 he became a charter member of the Shelbyville Lions Club of which he is past secretary for many year and past president (total of 41 years of membership). George was the first recipient of the "Lion of the Year" award of the Shelbyville Lions Club.

George enjoys travel and has visited all fifty states. He and Gretchen planned 32 tours of one, two and three days from "scratch" for Shelby County Homemakers Extension over a ten year period taking over 2,600 passengers using from one to three buses. They have taken 13 Presley Tours, a Capitol Tour to Yellostone, one to Oklahoma, one to Florida, two trips to Europe (one Retired Teachers) besides a trip by train to New Orleans during the holidays of 1964 including Barb and Jane as did previous trips to the Black Hills, Wisconsin, and Smoky Mountains.

From 1983 to 1990 George and Gretchen hosted tours for RFD Travel Corporation now of Mission, Kansas: two trips to Hawaii; two trips to Alaska; Western Europe, Southern Europe; Caribbean Cruise; British Isles; Scandinavia; Panama Canal Cruise; Pacific Northwest; and Canadian Rockies. They have enjoyed all these tours but one of the most memorable was to Frankenmuth, Michigan when Barb and her friend Emily, Jane, Matt and Jill accompanied them.

George enjoys photography and sharing programs with senior citizens, church groups, clubs, etc. He also enjoys shuffle board, pinochle, morning coffee "klatch" at the Sale Barn with former neighbors, etc. (In the '40's George won a bull calf given by Foster Walk, Neoga at the Black and White Show. They put it in a "gunny" sack, took it home in the car trunk, raised it for breeding purposes, sold it to the State for $600. George bought a movie camera and thus began his photography.) (Updated 1999)

He was married to Gretchen LaVone DUNCAN (daughter of Edward Pearl DUNCAN and Grace Ethel BARKER) on 5 Apr 1940 in (near) Windsor, IL. Gretchen LaVone DUNCAN was born on 12 Apr 1917 in Strasburg, IL. Gretchen LaVone Duncan received an Associate Degree in Arts and Sciences from Blackburn College, Carlinville, IL. in 1936 - a 2 year college at that time. She received her B.A. degree from Eastern Illinois State Teachers College, Charleston, IL., in 1938.

Gretchen taught Home Economics and established the Art Department in Altamont High School - 1938-40. (Updated 1999) George Charles SCHUMACHER and Gretchen LaVone DUNCAN had the following children:

44 i. Barbara Ann SCHUMACHER was born on 11 Aug 1941 in Effingham, IL. Lived in Altamont until age thirteen. Attended Altamont Grade School through eighth grade.
Moved to Shelbyville, IL. in 1955. Graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1959.

During summers while in college, worked in food service at Shelby Memorial Hospital.
Graduated from University of Illinois Degree from U of I was BA in Child and Family Development.- Champaign/Urbana in June, 1963.

Worked as Assistant Home Adviser in Shelby County during summer, 1963, with 4-H as major responsibility.

Received Masters degree in Hearing Impaired from University of Kansas in 1975.
Spent 36 years with the Quincy Public Schools teaching the hearing impaired, teaching preschoolers with multiple disabilities, coordinating Family involvement/education, and Coordinating Early Childhood Screening Program.

Retired from Quincy Public Schools June 4, 1999. (Updated 1999)
+45 ii. Mary Jane SCHUMACHER.