Funeral service for Jerry Eason Shumake, age 82, of Decatur, will be Tuesday, February 1, 2022, 2:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Decatur with Shelton Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the church. Interment will follow.
Mr. Shumake passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 28, 2022. A Decatur native, he was born November 30, 1939, to Mattie Mae Kelly Shumake and Eason Shumake. Jerry was President of Shumake Furniture Company in Decatur, AL and was a fixture at the store for almost 70 years. He was an active member of First Baptist Church, Decatur, where he was an active deacon and served in the Children’s Department from 2007 – present. Jerry was also the Youth Minister at First Baptist Decatur from 1974 – 1984. In addition to serving at First Baptist, he also served as the Youth Minister at Parkway Baptist and Vestavia Hills Baptist, both in Decatur. Teaching kids and teenagers about Jesus was one of Jerry’s passions.
Jerry not only served in the church, but he was also a member of the Daybreak Rotary Club, he was a charter member of the Rotary Club, and he served on the board of FACES. Jerry’s pet project was to work with the NCC each Christmas to provide gifts for several kids in the community. He always involved the children at church who would assist him in shopping and wrapping the presents. He would then have a Christmas party for the kids from the NCC at the church. The party was not only about providing the kids presents, but it was to make sure each one of them heard the story of Jesus’ birth and resurrection.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother, David Shumake.
Jerry is survived by his wife of 61 years, Terry; two sons, Chris (Kristen) and Doug (Karen); five grandchildren, who were his pride and joy: Ashleigh Scott (Brandon), John Shumake, Zoe Brackin (Daniel), Noah Shumake (Abi), and Jonah Shumake; and several nephews and nieces.
Pallbearers will be John Shumake, Noah Shumake, Jonah Shumake, Brandon Scott, Daniel Brackin, and Ralph Sutton.
The Shumake family would like to thank Charlotte Lawson and Michelle Smith who assisted in his care during the previous two years.
In lieu of flowers, the Shumake family respectfully requests memorial donations be made to First Baptist Church, NCC Christmas Party, P. O. Box 1667, Decatur, AL 35602, or the American Cancer Society, P. O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718.
