Nov 2012 Church Newsletter - St. Paul's Lutheran Church & School

Member Spotlight
Loren & Lou Schomacker
Loren and Mary Lou (Lou) Schomacker are our members of the month. They have 3 daughters. Angela Williams (43)
and her husband Mike live in Marysville, Kansas. They have 4 children; Madison (16), Avery (12), and twin boys Rhett and Rook
(7). Malissa (40) has Down’s Syndrome and lives in Northwest Wichita in a group home with 3 other girls. She works at the
Goodwill Industries Plant in Northeast Wichita. Jennifer Wilson (36) has a son, Gage and they live in Hesston.
Loren grew up on a farm west of Cheney and attended his first 4 years of school at Murdock Elementary. Grades 5-8
he attended St. Paul’s Lutheran School on the hill. He attended Cheney High School and graduated in 1958. After graduation,
he attended Wichita State University on a football scholarship. Lou grew up in Monchester, Oklahoma on a farm her Grandpa
Feist homesteaded. She attended Monchester school through her junior year when the high school closed. She graduated from
Wakita High School. Loren and Lou were married in Wakita, Oklahoma in 1966. After living in Wichita for 2 years, they bought
their first home in Goddard, Kansas where they lived for 8 years. Loren was a member at Ascension Lutheran Church which is
where their 2 oldest girls were baptized. In 1975 they built their home Northwest of Cheney where they presently reside. Loren
and the girls became members of St. Paul’s when they moved to Cheney and Lou joined in 1978. Angela and Jennifer attended
St. Paul’s Lutheran School and Garden Plain High School. They felt it was very important their girls received a Christian education.
Malissa was bused to many different schools in the Special Education Co-op. Malissa’s best achievement was being confirmed
by Pastor Kaufmann and being questioned one on one in front of the congregation.
Loren has been retired from Garden Plain High School since 1995 where he taught and coached for 28 years. He began
his teaching and coaching career at Norwich High School from 1964-1967. Lou went to Beauty College in Wichita and worked
in a salon until they started their family. With God’s blessing, she was able to stay home and care for their family. She became
involved with special education and served on the Sedgwick County Special Education Advisory Council Board.
Loren enjoys singing in the choir and building faith chests for baptized infants. He enjoys gardening and building projects. Lou
enjoys the Tuesday Turtles bible study group and every committee she has served on. They both enjoy their grandchildren,
spending time watching them in sports and other activities and they both enjoy sporting events. Lou enjoys working in her flower
garden and reading. Their favorite bible verse is Matthew 19:26b – “With God all things are possible.”
During Loren’s college years, he had the opportunity to participate in the Sun Bowl game in 1961 for WSU and played
with some talented athletes including Bill Parcells (who was coach for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants). Lou coached
Special Olympics track and field for most of the years Malissa was in school. One year she had the opportunity to take a
basketball team to Hays, Kansas for the State Special Olympics tournament. Their team all won a gold metal. This was a very
special moment in her life.
They have a family tradition that takes place the Saturday before Easter. Lou’s 4 sisters and families and her 2 brothers
and families all come together at the family farm in Oklahoma for the day. They have 60 family members in all and they have
a great time.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Newsletter November 2012 Page 7