Father Anthony “Tony” Schumacher, age 92, longtime 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.