Stefana Shoemaker

P. DEAN HOMER FUNERAL HOME 206 WATER STREET PO BOX 1 DUSHORE, PA 18614 TEL 570 928-8163 FAX 570 928-8116 Email pdh@epix.net February 6, 2012 Stefana Hoyniak Shoemaker 1924-2012 Stefana “Stevie” Shoemaker, Dushore, married for nearly 67 years to veterinarian Dr. T.W. “Doc” Shoemaker, passed away on February 6, 2012, at the age of 88, at the Highlands Care Center in Laporte. The Shoemakers came to Dushore in 1952, raised six children here, and began co-publishing the weekly Sullivan Review in 1966. Stevie was born on January 9, 1924, in Blakely, Lackawanna County to Elias Kuzma Hoyniak, originally of Losie, Galicia, Austria, and Stefania Shopay Hoyniak of Olyphant. She attended elementary and junior high school in Blakely, skipping several grades and graduating from Blakely High School in 1939. The next year she entered Bucknell Junior College (now Wilkes University) in Wilkes-Barre, graduating with a two-year degree in 1942. She met Doc while working at her first job, with Ansco Film Corporation, in Binghamton, NY. They danced and canoed their way through courtship and were married in the Washington Memorial Chapel at Valley Forge in June 1945 while he was serving in the U.S. Navy in Philadelphia. The Shoemakers lived in Luzerne County after Doc completed veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania. They came to Sullivan County in 1952, when the Dolly Madison ice cream plant in Dushore needed a veterinarian to tend to its local suppliers’ herds. They raised their family of six children - Tom, Mike, Steve, John, Jim, and Sally - on Headley Avenue, actively participating in school and community activities. In 1966 the Shoemakers purchased The Sullivan Review and built it to a circulation of over 6,500, with signature front-page images of local scenes and reporting exclusively on Sullivan County. Stevie was an extremely disciplined and organized person. With six children under the age of 12 she returned to college, completing a B.S. in Library Education at Mansfield State College in 1963 and an M.S. in Library Science at Marywood College in 1968. She was the librarian at the Sullivan County High School in Laporte from its opening in 1963 until retiring in 1987. While teaching at SCHS she was involved in the Drama Club and the Highland Herald, the student newspaper. She also served many years as scorekeeper for the Sullivan County boys basketball team. Upon retirement from SCHS she immediately started her second fulltime career at The Sullivan Review. Stevie was in charge of the news desk, summarizing news reports, researching and writing many articles and interviewing politicians and other visitors to the area. She and Doc worked side by side in all areas of the newspaper to build it into one of Pennsylvania’s finest weekly papers. In addition to her family she had interests in theater, acting in Laporte Little Theatre and in historical pageants in the 1950s with family friend Jim Schoch, and attending and working at community events such as the PA Bowhunters Festival. She was also active with June Dairy Month, the Sullivan County Historical Society and Dushore Founder’s Day. Stevie was instrumental in founding the Sullivan County Council on the Arts. She was involved for many years with the Bradford/Sullivan Outstanding Young Woman pageant. She was a member of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. Stevie had a fondness for Layla, the family’s white boxer, and other family dogs, Mandy, Duke, Ralph, BJ and Crunch. She was a member of the Dushore Lions Club, Eagles Mere Country Club, and women educators society Delta Kappa Gamma. Stevie is survived by her loving and devoted husband, T.W. “Doc” Shoemaker; six children and their spouses: Capt. Thomas W. Shoemaker (Jan), Muncy Valley; Dr. Michael E. Shoemaker (Debby), North Rose, NY; Dr. Stephen N. Shoemaker (Lizanne), Sugarloaf; John A. Shoemaker (Chris), Dushore; James S. Shoemaker (Anne), Houston, TX; Sarah Shoemaker Jensen (Rich), Dushore; 14 grandchildren, Tom, Peter, Meghan, Zach, Nichole, Stephen, Ian, Evan, Christian, John, Katie, Emily, Susannah, and Mark; and two great-grandsons, Cameron and Tyler. She was predeceased by a sister, Olga Hoyniak Beavan of St. Simon’s Island, GA. A funeral service was held Friday, February 10th at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Dushore with her pastor Rev. Robert G. Kaltenbaugh presiding. Grandchildren Peter J. Shoemaker, Nichole S. McNair and John A. Shoemaker gave the readings. A private graveside service at Zion Lutheran Cemetery was held following the church service. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Sullivan County Library, PO Box 309, Dushore, PA 18614 or the Sullivan County Historical Society, PO Box 252, Laporte, PA 18626. Arrangements were under the direction of the P. Dean Homer Funeral Home, Dushore. To send condolences or sign the e-guestbook please go to homerfuneralhome.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Stefana Shoemaker, please visit our flower store.