Reinhold Schumacher

Eureka: Reinhold Schumacher, 98, Eureka, died on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, at the Avera Eureka Healthcare Center from cancer.

Services will be held at the Zion American Lutheran Church, Eureka, 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, with Rev. Erik Swanson leading the service. Organist will be Kim Gruebele and vocalists will be Dennis and Margie Walker.

Visitation will be at Lien-Straub Funeral Chapel 5-9 p.m. Friday, with family present 6:30-8:00.

Reinhold was born on Jan. 18, 1912, in the original homestead located south of Long Lake, S.D. His mother, Christine, and his father, Christian, were the proud parents of 10 children, four of them still alive. Reinhold attended Long Lake No. 2, which was one of four schools within the Long Lake Township.

Once he completed the eigth grade his farming career began. He established his yearning for independence in his late 20s and married Evangeline Rath on Nov. 28, 1940, at Salem Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Long Lake.

With few cattle and little machinery, Reinie and Vangie began their married life on the Brandner farmstead with 160 acres. The work was taxing and often the crops were poor in quality, but both persisted and beat the odds of conquering South Dakota agriculture practices. Their four children, Richard, Luther, Jim and Nina, all played a vital part in the business and all learned to work every phase of the farming operation. Family gatherings with his children and grandchildren were always one of his happiest moments.

As a proud contributor to the Long Lake and Eureka communities, Reinhold served on school boards in the Long Lake Township and in the Eureka School District. He served on the NW GF Mutual Insurance Company Board of Directors, where he served and was an insurance agent for the company as well as a claims adjuster.

Reinhold was a devout Lutheran and served on various committees in the Salem Emanuel Lutheran Church in Long Lake and in the Zion Lutheran Church in Eureka.

Championing agriculture his entire life Reinie, at the age of 94, still had the physical presence to run the combine on the farm now owned by Jim, his youngest son.

Reinhold is survived by his wife of 69 years, Vangie; sons: Dr. Richard (Gloria) Schumacher, Platteville, Wis., Luther (Diane) Schumacher, Aberdeen, S.D., James (Cindy) Schumacher, Eureka, S.D., and one daughter, Nina (Kenneth) Kunz, Eureka, S.D.; 10 grandchildren: Dr. Gregory (Dr. Amy) Schumacher, Anchorage, Alaska, Dr. Kori Barry, Platteville, Wis., Jennifer (Terry) Pfeiffer, Pyallup, Wash., JP (Signe) Schumacher, Sioux Falls, S.D., Nancy (Lou) Stadler, Wichita, Kan., Thaddeus (Nicole) Kunz, Eureka, S.D., Anthony (Patricia) Kunz, Eureka, S.D., Dr. Jonathon Kunz, Sioux Falls, S.D., Ahren (Michael) Dosch, Fargo, N.D., Sam Schumacher, Eureka, S.D.; and 13 great-grandchildren: August, Rudolph and Heidi Schumacher, Andrew Barry, Abby and Preston Pfieffer, Griffin and Tate Stadler, Evangeline (Evie) Schumacher, Jackson and Carson Kunz, Mason Kunz and Alaina Dosch; brothers: Christ Schumacher, Aberdeen, S.D., and Ervin (Gertrude) Schumacher, Watertown, S.D.; and sisters: Eleanora Heinrich, Hayward, Calif., and Erma Schumacher, Alexandria, Va.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Christian and Christine; brothers: Edward (Richard), Arnold, William and Rev. Albert Schumacher; sister, Anna Becker; and four infant brothers and sisters.

To leave an online condolence or to view the tribute video, visit MillerLienFH.com.

Lien-Straub Funeral Chapel, Eureka, is in charge of arrangements.

This obituary was originally published in the Aberdeen American News.