Eleanor Thompson Schumacher

Eleanor Thompson Schumacher, 95, of West Des Moines, formerly of Casey, Iowa, died Monday, June 27, 2022. Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 5, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1627 Grand Avenue in West Des Moines, with visitation from 9 a.m. until service time at the church. Interment will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Casey.

Born July 19, 1926, in Casey, Iowa, the daughter of Price (Brownie) and Alice Thompson, she had an idyllic small-town childhood. After graduating from Casey High School, she trained as a registered nurse at the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. Eleanor married Peter Schumacher in 1949. After residing in Des Moines and Chicago, they moved to LeMars, where she was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, the Linger Longer Ladies Club, and worked at Brentwood Good Samaritan Center.

After moving to Des Moines in the early 1980s she worked as a nurse at Broadlawns Hospital, Iowa Jewish Senior Life Center and Crossroads Park Elementary School. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in West Des Moines and served many years with the funeral lunch ladies group. She was a 6 1/2 year resident of Walnut Ridge, where she treasured all her newfound friends among the residents and staff.

Survivors include daughter, Mary Alice Schumacher (Ron Ostrow) of Minneapolis; son, James Schumacher of Udon Thani, Thailand; granddaughter, Sue (Kevin) Kalahiki and great grandchildren, Nik Conder, Kahlel Dake, Kaia and Katana Kalahiki of Ankeny and granddaughter, Diana of Minneapolis. Also surviving Eleanor are nephews and nieces, Price (Mylin) Miller, Alice Willett, Tom, Brian, Joe, Mike and Mark Miller, and Mary (Ron) Sunderman, along with many great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; daughter-in-law, Somwang; sisters, Mary Alice Ryan and Josephine Miller and nieces, Mary Jo Schleisman and Jane Baldus.