Gerald Swinton Shumway JR.

P. Dean Homer Funeral Home A. Kay Welles Homer, Supervisor Gerald Swinton Shumway Jr., 92, passed away on Sunday, July 6, at the home of his son, David Shumway, in Mesa, AZ, where he had been living for the past two years. Jerry was the son of Gerald S. Shumway, Sr. and Lucy Davis Carter Shumway. He was born March 5, 1916 in the home his father built on the farm his great-great-grandfather took out in 1805 on Spring Hill, Bradford County, PA. Born on his father’s birthday, his mother insisted he be named after his father. Spring Hill was a beautiful place to live and grow up, and Jerry loved farm life, dairying and all the hard work that went with it. He began his education in a one-room schoolhouse near home, the same one his father had attended. When that school closed, he attended a two-room school, the same one his oldest daughter, Judy, attended twenty-two years later. He graduated from Camptown high school and later took dairy husbandry courses at Penn State. In 1937 Jerry married Louise Mathis and they raised a family of eight children. Four were born before Jerry and Louise moved to Mesa, AZ in 1946. Though lifelong Methodists, they had by then embraced the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and felt moving west would afford greater opportunities for participation and association with other members of the Church. Jerry worked as a milker for several dairies in the following years, as well as managing a herd of his own for a period of time. Four more children were added to the family. Jerry and Louise were divorced in 1971. Jerry returned to the family farm on Spring Hill and partnered with his sister and brother-in-law. He had been away from that farm for 35 years and away from Spring Hill for 25. He resided with his aging parents until their passing. When he retired from farming, he continued living on the farm until 2006 when health issues necessitated moving back to Mesa where most of the family lived. Jerry will be remembered by his many descendants for his example of hard work, integrity, and dedication to family and church; his willingness to sacrifice, his sense of humor, and years of birthday cards with thoughtful and clever messages. He did a daily crossword puzzle. An excellent speller, he had the quirky ability to spell words backward as well as forward, even very long words. He had a hopeless sweet tooth, especially for chocolate and an aversion to vegetables in almost any form. He was a skillful Scrabble player until the very last. He was known for his amazingly clever, original poetry recitations, and he left years of faithfully kept daily journals. He is survived by his children: Judy Wilkins, Nancy Rahm, Tony (Dian) Shumway, Richard (Lidia) Shumway, Scott (Vicki) Shumway, David (Iris) Shumway, Lucy (Clark) Hullinger, and Laura (Blaine) Isaacs. He leaves 35 grandchildren, 73 great grandchildren, and 8 great great grandchildren. Surviving siblings: Thurston (Marguerite) Shumway and Barbara Gary. He was predeceased by the mother of his children, Louise, in 2000. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 1:00 P.M. at the Church of Latter Day Saints Towanda Ward, Ann St., Towanda, PA. Interment will follow in the Lyons Cemetery, Spring Hill. The family will provide the flowers and ask that memorials be directed to the Wyalusing Public Library, PO Box 98, Wyalusing, PA 18853-0098 Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the P. Dean Homer Funeral Home, 1 Grovedale Lane, Wyalusing, PA. 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 Gerald Swinton Shumway JR., please visit our flower store.