December 19, 2005

by Larry Becker
Executive Director, University Relations

He can remember the conversation like it happened yesterday, even though it took place decades ago. Weldon Schumacher was standing outside the La Sierra University Seventh-day Adventist church after services one Saturday. A woman approached the family, and during the course of the conversation, she asked Weldon, then about 10 years old, what he wanted to be when he grew up.

"I wanted to be a bus driver," he recalls. "But for some reason when that woman asked me, I told her 'I want to be a doctor.' I remember she laughed right then, and told me that I'd never be able to be a doctor."

She was wrong.

"I thought 'I'll show her,' " Weldon remembers. "Eventually several people ended up telling me I wouldn't be able to become a doctor," Weldon says. But those comments brought a focus to his life. After graduating from La Sierra Academy, Weldon enrolled at La Sierra College, where he continued his march to medical school. And, while he concentrated on the sciences and pre-medical preparation, he also remembers one particular day in a class in La Sierra Hall.

"I was waiting for Dr. Airey's history class to begin," Weldon says. "I was sitting toward the back, when this girl walked in the door. 'There's your wife' came to me, almost like an audible voice."

Bonnie Joan Skinner was the girl walking into Dr. Airey's class. She had transferred to La Sierra College in the fall of 1955. She sat down a couple seats away from Weldon.

"I liked him immediately," Joan remembers. "He was 6' 6" tall, and I noticed him right away."

"I got her name from a clipboard that was passed around the room," Weldon admits. "I've never looked at another girl since that day. For the rest of that year I made sure I was good friends with Mrs. McKee, the dean of women, so she'd let Joan go out with me." The two were married in August 1957 in her hometown of Galt, California.

After graduation from La Sierra—Joan in 1956 and Weldon in 1958—it was off to the College of Medical Evangelists in Loma Linda, where Weldon completed his studies in 1962. After service in Vietnam, where he received two Bronze Stars, Weldon established a well-respected family practice in Lodi, California.

"I delivered a lot of babies and did a lot of surgeries," Weldon says. But along with the medical practice, the Schumachers also became involved in a number of community activities. Weldon chaired the local hospital board, and both became active in their local English Oaks Adventist church and church school. The two also became interested in cherry farming. Eventually they had some 16,000 cherry trees, making the Schumachers the largest cherry grower in the Lodi area. In fact, because of the expertise she developed in the industry, Joan was eventually asked to serve on the California State Cherry Board.

Then their lives changed.

"I was getting ready one morning to go to the hospital to see patients," Weldon remembers. "But I had a sudden abdominal pain. I told Joan to call an ambulance, but then decided we didn't have time to wait, and had her take me to the hospital." It was June 3, 2003.

"I only ran two red lights rushing to the hospital," Joan recalls now. "But I did check to make sure there wasn't anyone coming before I went through."

At the hospital, Weldon was raced through emergency and into surgery. He had a ruptured bowel, which led to diffused peritonitis. You don't have to be a doctor to understand that this is really bad.

"I was told later that the surgeon who was on the case didn't even want to operate," Weldon says. "He thought I had no chance of making it. Apparently the anesthesiologist in the room said, 'Look, if you don't at least try, he won't make it. Go ahead. He deserves a chance.' I really have no memory of what happened to me for about the next year."

Ultimately Weldon underwent six major surgeries and 10 minor procedures during the next two years. Weldon was in a coma for four months. Twice physicians suggested to Joan that she remove life support. But she refused.

"Thousands of people around the world were praying for us," Joan remembers. "Thanks to the internet, news about our situation went everywhere. We heard from Catholics, Muslims and many others."

"The Lord healed me at least a dozen times," Weldon says. "It was all Him," Joan adds.

Today Weldon continues his recuperation from that crisis. Amazingly, none of his major body systems were permanently damaged through the ordeal. What minimal nerve impairment remains is ultimately expected to clear up, according to his physicians. And although Joan had to sell the medical practice, the couple remains committed to service.

"God has blessed us tremendously over the years," Weldon says. And the Schumachers see Weldon's second chance at life as an opportunity to share those blessings through their strong financial support of Christian education, from elementary school through the graduate level. "Both of us were poor growing up, so we have a tender spot in our hearts for students," he says.

Recently Weldon and Joan Schumacher committed $5 million to La Sierra University to support the construction of the new Thaine B. Price Science Complex. Their gift is the largest contribution received by La Sierra since its founding in 1922. In recognition of this significant gift, the university will name the three-building cluster housing the physics, chemistry, biology, and math and computer science academic departments the Weldon D. and Joan Schumacher Science Park. Along with the Price Science Complex, the park will include Cossentine Hall (lecture facility) and Palmer Hall (current science building).

"Schools are one of the most important mission fields we have," Weldon says. "The undergraduate students at La Sierra deserve the best opportunities to study in their fields. They are the future of our church. Eventually they'll become our church's leaders and missionaries.

"We also hope that this gift will stimulate others to give, too," Weldon adds. "It's important to give back when we can,"

"We have lots of respect for Dr. Geraty's leadership of the university," Joan adds. "We hope this gift, which comes from the blessings from God to our family, will help move our school ahead."