Joseph "Joe" H. Schumacher

Byron, Illinois

Joseph Harold Schumacher, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, friend, and lifelong farmer, passed away on April 8th, 2025, at the age of 73, after a long courageous battle with his illness. Though our hearts are heavy, we are grateful for our time with Joe. He fought bravely against his illness, and we are proud of the strength and resilience he showed. We find comfort in knowing he is no longer suffering. He will be dearly missed by all that knew him. He was born on September 4, 1951; the son of Harold Paul and Myrla Ione (Delavergne) Schumacher. He was preceded in death by his father, Harold in 1995, mother, Myrla in 2015 and his sister, Emily Nutt in 2005. He is survived by his wife, Amy (Schirmer) Schumacher; daughter, Jennifer (Tom) Chalmers of Minnesota; son, Matthew Schumacher of Rockford, Illinois and stepsons Raymond (Marchel) Diddens of Indonesia; Mark (Jeannette) Diddens of Nashville, Tennessee. One Granddaughter, Terra Beckman and step-grandsons, Jacob Diddens, Carson (Alli) Diddens and Omar Diddens. Joe graduated from Byron High School in 1969, he attended Highland Community College in Freeport, IL. Joe and Amy were married on July 29, 1995, on his Stillman Valley farm. He was a 3rd generation farmer who also owned and operated Schumacher Trucking. He grew up with a deep appreciation for country life and, from a young age, understood the value of early mornings, hard work, and the satisfaction of a job well done. Joe reluctantly retired from farming in 2019 due to his progressing illness. When time allowed, Joe and Amy enjoyed their time on the water in their boats, trail riding in the ATV, convertible rides, car shows, full moon bonfires and spending time in Arizona and Tennessee. Joe felt fortunate when sharing these activities with family and friends. His smile and laughter, sense of humor and stories will be deeply missed and not forgotten. We are deeply grateful to Dr Theodore Ingrassia of OSF in Rockford, IL for 15 years of compassionate care. We would also like to thank Joe’s nurse, Sue Olson, of OSF Hospice for her understanding and empathy, and cousin, Janice Olson, for her daily phone calls. A Visitation will be held Friday, April 18, 2025 from 5-7 PM at the Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, 506 West Merchant Street in Byron, Illinois. A Celebration of Joe’s life will be held Saturday, May 10th, 2025 from 1-5 PM at the Jarrett Prairie Center, 7993 North River Road in Byron, Illinois. A memorial fund is established in Joe’s name for the Stillman Valley and Byron High School FFA Programs.