Jean Bennett Schumaker

Jean Bennett Schumaker, 98, the daughter of the late Dr. Asel James and Alma Allen Morse Bennett of Auburn, passed away on Saturday, January 2, 2021, at Auburn Community Hospital. In addition to her parents, Jean was predeceased by her husband, John Flock Schumaker, and her eldest son, John Flock Schumaker II. She is survived by her other children; Mark Bennett Schumaker (Cynthia), Anne Schumaker Orloski (Jim), 4 grandchildren; Jacob Schumaker, Mark Schumaker, Kevin Orloski, and Jamie Schumaker, and 2 great grandchildren.
Jean was born in and grew up in Auburn, moving away following her marriage to “Jack” in 1945, and returning in 1994 for her retirement years. She attended Middlebury College for 2 years then enrolled in nursing school, earning her RN degree during WWII. She always said that her greatest wish was to be a wife and mother, and at both she succeeded admirably! She was also a strong, accomplished woman both during her marriage and following Jack’s death in 1972. At that time she returned to school and became a Nurse Clinician, followed by earning her Physicians Assistant certification, one of the first women in NYS to do so. She worked for many years at Hutchings Psychiatric Center in Syracuse as a PA.
Following her (third?) retirement from Hutchings, she moved back to Auburn and began her next life as a volunteer at the Cayuga County Historians office, providing a valuable service indexing many records and files making it easier for people to find names of ancestors and past records. Thursday, March 12, 2015 was proclaimed “Jean Bennett Schumaker Day in Cayuga County” by the Cayuga County Legislature for her over 25 years of volunteering. She also pursued her passion, mapping the genealogy of the Bennett and Schumaker families. This involved much travel and research, collaboration with other family members, and hours of painstaking work.

Jean was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian church, and an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church since 1994. She served in many roles within the church, providing her valuable expertise in organization and budgeting skills.
Jean will be remembered as a wonderful mother, grandmother, and friend, and will be missed by all who knew her well.

Services will be held at the convenience of the family, and burial will be in Fort Hill Cemetery, Auburn. 

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