Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Givan Schumacher

Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Givan Schumacher passed away on Thursday, March 27, 2014 at age 93 from natural causes at The Meadowlands Assisted Living facility in O'Fallon, MO after a long and meaningful life. She lived on her own until October, 2013 when her health began to significantly decline.Betty was born in Shelbyville, IL in 1920 to Ruth (Allen) and Roy Givan and was one of five siblings. Betty attended schools in Overland, Missouri, graduating from Ritenour High School. She was the beloved wife of Gilbert Schumacher for 64 years (deceased in 2006). They were married in 1941 while he was home on leave from the US Army for two weeks during World War II. He spent the next four years of the war in the South Pacific, mostly New Guinea. His fond nickname for her was 'Stuff'.Betty and Gil had three children after the war, Mary Gielow (Curt) Milwaukee, WI, Steven Schumacher (Jackie), Lake St. Louis, MO and Carol Wallace (Scott), Durango, CO. Grandmother of Jennifer Vineyard (Joe), Matthew Schumacher (Kelly), Christopher Gielow (Sarrah), Benjamin Gielow (Kristine), Courtney Wallace and Kelly Wallace. Great grandmother of Sara, Isabelle, Brady, Claire and Luke.Betty was much admired as a wonderful friend and hostess, known for her beauty, her fashion sense and shoe collection. A fun grandmother, a card shark who excelled at pinochle, poker and gin rummy as well as board games with her grandchildren. She loved to dance and was a prankster with the help of their permanent 'crowd', a fun group of 13 couples, lifelong friends she and Gil socialized with through the years. Their parties were legendary. Roaring Twenties Parties, Come As You Are Parties (pajamas welcome), square dance parties, card parties, barbeques, picnics, New Year's Eve parties, swim parties and frequent dinner/cocktail parties.After working at Stix Baer and Fuller for several years, including doing informal modeling, she became a stay at home mother raising her three children, a vegetable garden, fruit trees and beautiful roses. She was a wonderful cook and famous for her pies, especially lemon meringue. After the children were in school full time she began working part time for an optometrist and later as a full time surgical dental assistant.Betty always loved physical exercise and later in life began walking 6 miles a day in a nearby enclosed shopping mall until she was in her late seventies. She also loved to travel, especially annual family beach vacations to Florida. Trips to Hawaii, Seattle, New York, a Caribbean cruise and London trips were travel highlights. The family honored her with a boisterous 90th birthday party on July 3, 2011. More than fifty friends, relatives and neighbors attended this wonderful celebration and she had a ball. Fiercely independent, Betty lived alone in her large beautiful condo until October, 2013 when her health began to fail. She then moved to The Meadowlands Assisted Living facility just a mile from her home, where she had frequent visits from family, friends and neighbors.The family wants to sincerely thank the wonderful hospice care and loving personal care she was shown by the staff at The Meadowlands.After cremation, Betty will be laid to rest at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery next to beloved husband Gilbert. There will be a memorial service to celebrate her life at Dardenne Presbyterian Church in late spring.In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Heart Association in memory of Betty and the Alzheimer's Association in memory of Gilbert.