Mary "Penny" Schumacher

Mary “Penny” Schumacher, 74, East Grand Forks, MN, died surrounded by family September 1, 2025, in Valley Senior Living on Columbia, Grand Forks, ND. Penny was born August 30, 1951, in Ortonville, MN, to Dr. David and Marilyn (Bernauer) Morstad. She attended kindergarten through fifth grade in Crosby, MN, during what she described as an idyllic childhood, living on the shores of Serpent Lake. Penny graduated from Minot, ND, High School in 1969, active in concert band, pep club, French club, and Honor Society, but mostly she was an avid reader, as she was her entire life. She completed her pharmacy degree at North Dakota State University in 1973. Penny was a registered pharmacist at the University of North Dakota Student Health Services for many years, and later was the manager at the Grand Forks Clinic Pharmacy.

Penny met Dean Schumacher in grade school, but sparks didn’t fly until college days. They were married November 24, 1973, and have two children, Heather and Dirk. Penny and Dean celebrated their fiftieth anniversary two years ago in Hiton Head, SC, with all their children and grandchildren. They shared nearly 52 years of marriage.

In the eighth grade, Penny entered a national cooking contest sponsored by Crisco. She won first place for North Dakota with her chicken and rice casserole (there wasn’t really any Crisco in her recipe, so she used Crisco to grease the pan). The prize was an all-expense-paid trip to Dover, DE, for Penny and her mother so Penny could compete in the national cook-off. Always an excellent cook, she had to evenly divide cookies and bars between her son and daughter, lest any sibling rivalry overheated. When Penny’s parents moved to Grand Forks in 2005, she and Dean invited them to Thursday night dinners for home cooked meals, also attended by their children and grandchildren. This tradition continued weekly for over eighteen years. Penny made spectacular caramel rolls, and annually she and Dean hosted a caramel roll breakfast for friends and neighbors while wintering in Mesa, AZ.

Being civic-minded, Penny served as an elder in her church and was part of a prayer shawl ministry, knitting many shawls which were donated to those in need. She was a whiz with numbers and took a keen interest in personal finances and financial management. After completing training, she taught community courses about personal finances, assisting people to better handle their money. Penny enjoyed helping people learn strategies to get out of and avoid debt. When Penny frequently volunteered to be on boards for public organizations, she was usually elected treasurer.

Penny relished the time she and Dean spent at their cabin on Silver Lake, especially when they were hosting friends and relatives. Lately, their condo in Mesa had become their second home where they enjoyed winter months and welcomed visitors. Penny also loved visiting various Disney theme parks and cruises (her car’s license plate is MKY MSE). These parks can overwhelm first-time visitors, but Penny became an expert at navigating the crowds and learning the secrets, so she and Dean hosted relatives there to show them the ropes. While in Grand Forks, for over forty years, Penny attended her Stitch group (although they didn’t stitch much anymore) and her cards group (although they didn’t play cards much anymore). These were close friends she cherished. Also, since before they were married, Penny and Dean liked going to car shows, showing their custom painted van or other street rods Dean had over the years. Going to the “Back to the Fifties” car show in Minneapolis with friends was one of their favorites.

Penny is survived by her husband Dean; daughter, Heather (Brandon) Vandervort, East Grand Forks, MN; son, Dirk Schumacher, Moorhead, MN; grandchildren: Jonah, Cole, and Hudson; brother, David (Karla) Morstad, Moorhead, MN; sister, Janelle (Dave) Hedlin, Aptos, CA; brother-in-law, Wayne (Lou) Schumacher, Wahpeton, ND; sister-in-law, Laure (Fritz) Zirbel, Detroit Lakes, MN; and sister-in-law Julie Fadness, Moorhead, MN. Penny was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. David Morstad and Marilyn (Bernauer) Morstad; and father- and mother-in-law Merle and Joyce Schumacher.

In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials are preferred to the First Presbyterian Church of Grand Forks or the Valley Senior Living Foundation.

To watch Penny’s memorial service, either live or recorded, go to churchontheedge.net, click on “watch on YouTube,” then click on Live, and scroll down if necessary to find Celebration of Life for Penny Schumacher.

A Memorial Service will take place at 2:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church on Saturday, September 6, 2025. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service.