Martha Phillips Schumacher

Martha Vernon Phillips Schumacher passed away March 26th, 2023. Born on August 17, 1936, she was the only child of her kind and devoted parents, Hamby Vernon Phillips and Lillie Trogdon Phillips. She considered herself truly blessed to have parents and grandparents that showered her with love and were such strong examples of Christ until God called them home.

Martha graduated from Mars Hill College and Cum Laud from Appalachian State Teacher College, now Appalachian State University. She taught school for 32 years at Winston Salem Forsyth County and Asheboro City Schools. Her heart and passion was teaching little ones and she truly loved the kids.  She was a member of the National Education Association and North Carolina Retired Teachers.

Of the Baptist faith, she has served through the years as a choir member, youth choir director, vacation bible school director, intermediate opening assembly and Sunday School teacher.

She loved animals unconditionally from her beloved childhood pet Beau through to Marley and Gray Belle. All of her grand dogs live in Texas. She was an avid reader and spent many happy hours with a book in her hands.

She looked forward to each summer having all the family together at North Myrtle Beach. She loved her morning coffee watching waves roll in. She spent many other days enjoying the intercostal waterway with her dear friends Joy Hoover, Becky and Cecil Barnes. She had numerous lifelong friends. Lois Hinshaw, taught right beside her room at Donna Lee Loflin. Linda Barker, her hairdresser, had a direct line to God and faithfully prayed for her whenever she asked. Martha Webb was her dear college friend and Joy Hoover lived with and cared for her faithfully for many years.

Martha said “When you have the dearest of children and the most wonderful grandchildren and great-grandchildren, you have everything you need to bring you happiness.”

Martha is survived by her son, David Hamby Schumacher and wife Tammy of Lantana, Texas and their children Christian Davis Schumacher and Carson Hamby Schumacher, her daughter, Diane Schumacher Wooldridge and husband David (Bubba) of Arlington, Texas and their children Charles Phillips Wooldridge and Bragen Turner Wooldridge, Alicia Noe and great-grandchildren Brixton David Wooldridge and Poppy Carolina Wooldridge.

Preceded in death are her parents, Mr. & Mrs. H.V. Phillips, wonderful grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. S.C. Trogdon, and Mr. & Mrs. J.C. Phillips as well as her dear college friend, Martha Webb and family friend, Beth Hall.

Her daddy always played “Oh, Come All You Faithful” at the end of many family members funeral services, a tradition she requests to carry on.

Visitation will be at Pugh Funeral Home on Friday, March 31, 2023 from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm. The service will begin at 1:00 pm, and the burial will be at Randolph Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to First Baptist Church of Franklinville Cemetery Fund where her four grandparents are buried, the Humane Society of Randolph County or the Randolph County Retired School Personnel Scholarship Fund.