Father Anthony "Tony" Schumacher
June 15, 1927 - September 09, 2019
Obituary
FITCHBURG/OREGON-Father Anthony “Tony” Schumacher, age 92, long time pastor of Holy Mother of Consolation Church, Oregon, Wis.; and Chaplain at Edgewood College and St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, died Monday, Sept. 9, 2019, at Agrace Hospice and Palliative Care Center.
Fr. Tony was the sole surviving member of the Nick and Mary (Meyers) Schumacher family of five boys and one girl, whose parents were immigrants from Luxembourg. Fr. Tony was born in Alton, Iowa on June 15, 1927, and graduated from St. Mary’s Academy grade and high school in Alton. Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army where he served as an Army medic. All four of his older brothers served in the Army during World War II.
Fr. Tony graduated from Marquette University and worked for many years as a journalist with The Stoughton Courier Hub, The Janesville Gazette, and the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. He attended St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, Wis. and was ordained a priest for the Catholic diocese of Madison in 1960.
Fr. Tony served as an associate pastor at several parishes in the Madison diocese: Divine Mercy (St. Aloysius), Sauk City; St. Bernard, Madison; St. Paul University Catholic Center, Madison; St. Cecilia’s, Wisconsin Dells; and Our Lady Queen of Peace, Madison. He was the first pastor of St. Patrick parish, Cottage Grove, and served as pastor of Holy Mother of Consolation parish, Oregon, for 27 years. He served two terms on the Priest Senate (Presbyteral Council) in the 1970’s. In retirement, Fr. Tony also served as Chaplain at Edgewood College, St. Mary’s Hospital and St. Mary’s Adult Daycare Center.
Fr. Tony is survived by seven nieces and nephews, Dennis, Mark and Jim Schumacher, Connie McKnight, Mary Alice Schumacher Ostrow, Joan Leyden and Lisa Stankovich; and his great and great-great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Madeline; his brothers, Leo, George, Oscar and Peter; and his niece Barbara Leffel.
A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at HOLY MOTHER OF CONSOLATION CATHOLIC CHURCH, 651 N. Main Street, Oregon, at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. The Most Reverend Donald Hying, Bishop of Madison, will be the main celebrant with Father Gary Wankerl and fellow priests of the diocese concelebrating and Fr. Pat Norris O.P. as homilist. Visitation will be held at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the Mass on Saturday. Burial will be at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Oregon at a later date.
Fr. Tony wanted to express thanks to all the many kind people he was privileged to serve over almost 60 years and would like to express special gratitude to the ordained and lay colleagues who served in ministry with him. Memorials in his name to the Catholic Multicultural Center and Edgewood College would be appreciated. Fr. Tony has donated his body to the UW Medical School for future knowledge and benefit of medical students. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com
Gunderson Fitchburg
Funeral & Cremation Care
2950 Chapel Valley Rd.
(608) 442-5002
Events
Visitation
Sat Sep 14, 2019 @ 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM CDT
Holy Mother of Consolation Catholic Church (Oregon) • 651 N. Main St., Oregon, WI 53575
Mass of Christian Burial
Sat Sep 14, 2019 @ 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CDT
Holy Mother of Consolation Catholic Church (Oregon) • 651 N. Main St., Oregon, WI 53575
Photos
Memories
JC
Julie Churchill
Other •
Fr. Schumacher officiated our wedding at Holy Mother of Consolation in 1981. My favorite memory of Fr. Tony was our dance together at the reception. The world is a better place because he was here. RIP Fr. Tony.
FD
Father Raymond J. Dischler
Other •
Dear Loved Ones of Fr. Tony - please accept my heartfelt sympathy over the death of Fr. Tony. I feel blessed to have known him. He and you are being remembered at Mass and in my other prayers. With regret I am unable to concelebrate the Funeral Mass because of a previously scheduled graveside service on Saturday morning. In prayerful sympathy, Father Raymond J. Dischler
DH
Dee Hall
Other •
Father Tony was a wonderful man who understood his flock so well because he lived among us before his calling to the priesthood. May he rest in eternal peace.
LW
Lisa Walton
Other •
I knew Father Schumacher when growing up in Oregon, as a member of HMC. My favorite memory of him has to be when I helped put on a small play for the Sunday School kids - I don't remember the theme anymore, but basically he was out there dancing with the kids, in running shorts, a Mickey Mouse t-shirt, ballerina tutu and a toilet plunger. He was the hit of the show. May you rest in peace. Lisa (Heiking) Walton
SS
Sharon Staniforth
Other •
We (Jim and Sharon) have lived in the Oregon area for 46 years and remember well Father Tony and all of his years here at Holy Mother of Consolation Church. We will never forget his compassion and love shown to us when our daughter Jill died at the age of 17. He came to our home, sat with us, comforted us, hugged us, prayed with us, and gave us the deepest, heartfelt love that remains in our hearts today. It was compassion that let us know and feel that he cared as much for us at that time as if this loss were his own. We remember too, that through the years he never forgot our loss. Father Tony, may you rest in eternal peace.
CP
Charles Plummer
Other •
Fr. Tony was a beautiful gentle soul that made our world a better place to live. He was a joy to know and will be missed dearly.