Pam Breiner Schumacher

                                  

I have no specific memories of Pam Breiner (Schumacher) in high school.  Just a general remembrance of a happy person, always smiling and always full of encouraging words.  Through the miracle of Facebook and reunions, I have been able to reconnect with Pam, and follow her many adventures.

On March 28, 1969, Pam and Frank Schumacher eloped in Lansing, Michigan after a brief whirlwind courtship.  Back then Iowa law prevented Frank from marrying without parental permission as he was only 20.  Pam was over the age of 18 and so didn’t need permission.  Michigan’s laws allowed the two of them to marry without parental consent.

Pam and Frank lived in the Dubuque area until 1989, and during those formative years of their relationship, the foundation for their future began to emerge. In the early 70s they had two sons.  And they also began taking in birthright girls, young women who became pregnant, refused abortion but were unwelcome in their own homes.  They received no pay, and only asked the girls to pay for their long-distance bills.

Not long after, two significant everts transpired which ultimately became their missions in life; they dedicated their lives to Christ, and the Iowa Department of Human Services approached them about becoming foster parents.  They received their license to become foster parents.  Those two events changed their lives forever.

Pam and Frank became very active in their churches, wherever their careers and lives took them.  From Dubuque to Marshalltown to Des Moines, they were always active in their church, and even helped to establish churches where ever they lived.

Pam was also very involved in education.  She received her degree in Elementary Education and Social Work degree in 1978 from the University of Dubuque.  Then, realizing her calling to work with disadvantaged children, she went on to receiver her Master’s degree in School and Community Counseling form the University of Wisconsin, Platteville.  Her life’s work was working in counseling at Audubon Elementary and Holy Ghost in Dubuque, in the Tama / Toledo district working with the Mesquaki tribe, and finally at King Elementary in Des Moines where she retired.  She still subs part time.

But what amazes me was Pam and Frank’s mission to help those less fortunate than they.  Through the years after receiving their foster care license from Iowa, Pam and Frank were foster parents to over 80 children, ranging from birth to an 18-year-old who had a child.  Every year they would take 3 vacations, with as many as six children.  Eventually they adopted a boy and a girl with special needs, or as Pam puts it, “they adopted us, so we made it legal.” Today they enjoy seven grandchildren from their 4 children, and as Pam puts it, “They are the love of our lives.”

Despite Frank’s recent bout with cancer (he’s cancer free right now), Pam and Frank are still as active as ever.  They winter in Fort Meyers, FL.  Pam has been a volunteer to the Dubuque Rock and Roll rewind every year since it first started (until last year) and has volunteered for Dubuque fest, despite living in Des Moines.  Their activities are not totally secular as they have been involved in mission trips with their church, including New Orleans and most recently (2014) to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  And that trip led to why I chose to select her for this chronicle.

They fell in love with Rio on their 2014 trip, and then were accepted as guides for the 2016 Olympics.  The photos accompanying this article are from the 2016 Olympics.  And then they caught the bug.  They have applied to be volunteers at the 2017 Gold Coast Games in Australia, and are intent on applying as volunteers for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.  And not only that, Pam recently told me that when they get back from Fort Meyers, they are heading back to Rio on another mission trip for several weeks.  Reminds me of the saying, “There are three kinds of people is this world: those how make things happen; those who watch what happens; and those who wonder what happened.”  Pam and Frank make things happen.

I want to close with some quotes from Pam’s emails to me about this article. “Our faith is strong, we know the Lord is in charge and we rely on Him to meet our needs.”  “Being positive and appreciative is our attitude.”  “Life is good and God is great.”  And finally, my favorite, “As doors open, we enter.”

Des Moines Register Article - Rio Olympics