Aletha Anne Schumacher

Aletha (Allie) Anne Schumacher, age 91, died in her home on November 7, 2024, completing a life of love and service. Born in St. Louis on January 25, 1933, Allie was blessed from the start with a beloved twin sister, Dollie. Together, they attended Concordia Lutheran High School and Valparaiso University (Indiana) before Allie returned to St. Louis to become a nurse at Deaconess Hospital. There she met Paul, a seminary student who was coaching the Deaconess women’s basketball team, and they married on August 6, 1955. As a young woman, Allie chose a life of service. She was an exemplary nurse and pastor’s wife – in the highest sense of the term – because of her caring spirit, resilience, and tireless dedication, motivated by love. She and Paul started life together in Dallas, where they spent nine happy years and welcomed daughters Jenny and Julie. They returned to St. Louis, where Jim was born, then Muncie, where Andrea was born, before settling in Carmel, Indiana. In 1997, Allie retired from Visiting Nurse Service, where she ministered to the bodies and souls of terminal patients and their families. In addition to duty, Allie lived life with joy. Always in motion, she taught her four children how to do chores, cook, learn, treat others, and live a life of faith. A natural story-teller, she enthralled her young children with Oscar-worthy renditions of bedtime stories, changing her voice with each character. She and Dollie were known for sharing side-splitting stories at family gatherings about the wisdom and antics of the Reinhardt family of southern Illinois. Allie adored hosting dinner parties with friends and family that sparkled with food, candles, and conversation. A light in the world for 91 years, she has gone home to the Lord, and is walking with Paul and Dollie sharing joy, stories, and laughter. Allie leaves behind her children Jenny Schumacher (Steeve), Julie Gran (Keli), Jim Schumacher (Amy), and Andrea Lairson (Ed); nine beloved grandchildren: Julie and Isabelle Lindsay; Soren and Elsa Gran; Bella and Lola Schumacher; Joe, Jake and Emma Lairson; her brother-in-law, Martin Marty and wife Harriet; and many dearly-loved nieces and nephews. The family is forever grateful to the team of dedicated nurses who provided extraordinary care, especially Cathy, Annie, and Mandy. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, November 24, 2024, at 2 p.m. at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Carmel, Indiana. Memorial contributions may be made to Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis. Online condolences available at www.leppertmortuary.com