William "Willie" Keith Schumann

William “Willie” Keith Schumann was born to Charles and Rhonda(Lutz) Schumann on March 7th, 1973 in Moberly, MO. Contrary to what his older siblings may have tried telling him while he was growing up, Willie was not adopted. Rather, he was the fourth out of five remarkable Schumann children. He was also the self-professed “best-looking Schumann sibling”, though his siblings maybe would have contested that.

Right from the start, Willie was quite the handful! Whether it was climbing out of his baby bed and instead choosing to sleep beneath the baby bed, only to scare the daylights out of his poor mother Rhonda; or whether it was the time he whacked his father with a broom; or even the time he chucked a D battery at his brother Chuck (though, in his defense, Willie would argue that Chuck had it coming); or better yet, jumping out of a tractor in order to escape a scolding from Charles Henry, Sr... it is quite safe to say that Willie was a loveable trouble maker from the cradle!

Willie attended elementary and middle school at St. Pius X in Moberly, MO, where he would move on to graduate from Moberly High School. However, Willie found his true passion and niche while attending the Moberly Area Technical Center. There, he developed a love for auto body work and mechanics, with a knack for making old things look brand new. He was an inventor of sorts (some inventions worked and some did not) and a jack of all trades.

Sparks would eventually fly for Willie, though these would not be sparks from a welding machine on a broken vehicle. No, as most good stories go (and Willie was unrivaled in telling good stories), Willie’s story involves a woman. Willie met Mercia Kamplain while she was attending Moberly Area Community College and the two began a lifetime of love. They were wed in Holy Matrimony on December 5th, 1992 at St. Pius X - his home parish, where he received all of his sacraments: Baptism, Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. Settling in Jacksonville, MO, together they had four beloved children: Tyler, Kimmie, Cassie, and Darik. Willie and Mercia faced many trials together, but the bond of their love, founded in faith and family, grew stronger through every up and down.

Willie was truly a strong-willed, fierce lover of Jesus, family, and friends. He had a laugh and charisma that were contagious. He knew how to make everyone laugh...and cry (from laughter) because he had an uncanny ability to embellish any and every story. He knew how to fix every broken car and had an unmatched skill with a meat smoker. He was known among family for his skill in running “fashionably late”. He had an impeccable ability to make the Annual Family Float Trip one for the ages (just ask Hannah, and all of his siblings, nieces, and nephews!). He would drop anything and everything to help his nephews travel far and wide in search of vehicles to buy (and had the keen business sense of sweet-talking certain car dealers down maybe a couple thousand dollars, too!).

Willie may have had a stubbornness that probably made Mercia aggravated just a time or two...but he was a devoted son, brother, husband, father, uncle, grandpa, and friend. During the final years of his life on earth, Willie worked to build Mercia a new home, a home fit for spoiling all of his beautiful grandchildren.

On Thursday, January 15th, 2026, the Lord decided it was time for Willie to make his journey Home, where he would be reunited with the loved ones he cherished so dearly. Surrounded by his beloved wife Mercia, his son Tyler, his daughters Cassie and Cindy, future son-in-law Daniel, and countless other loved ones, Willie was serenaded with prayers and hymns, commending him into the loving embrace of his Savior, Jesus Christ. It was in this loving company where Willie entered into his eternal rest. If there is a 5.3 in Heaven, Willie is sure going to turbo-charge it.

The family would like to offer a heartfelt thanks to Willie’s dear friend Rob Canaday, whose life-saving efforts allowed them to gather with Willie in his final days.

Willie will be missed tremendously by so many, but he leaves behind a legacy of love. He is survived by his wife, Mercia, his children: Tyler (Cindy) Schumann, Cassie (Daniel) Koenecke; his siblings, Theresa and Tim Armentrout (Salisbury); Chuck and Andrea Schumann (Moberly); Michael and Johnna Schumann (Jacksonville); and Sarah and Kyley Mefford (Moberly). Willie is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews: Lindsey (Troy) Skinner, Alaina Armentrout, Fr. Benjamin Armentrout, and Luke (Katie) Armentrout, Mitch (Camille) Schumann, Austin Schumann, Evan Schumann, Jackson (Betsy) Schumann, and Lane Schumann (Lilly Westhues), Matthew (Skylar) Schumann, Dillon Schumann, and Brandon Schumann, Hannah (Ramón “Rico”) Hernandez, Rebekah (Kyler) Brucker, and Aliciah Mefford (Carter Ross). Also surviving are his treasured grandchildren: Koda Schumann, Henry Schumann and Lilly Schumann.

Willie is preceded in death by his father, Charles, Sr., his mother, Rhonda, his son, Darik, and his daughter, Kimmie.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church on Friday, January 23rd, 2026 at 10:00am. A funeral dinner at the Knights of Columbus Paradise Park will follow after the burial at St. Mary's Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 22, 2026 from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service beginning at 7:00 p.m at Pathway Millard Family Funeral Chapel, Moberly. MO.

Memorial contributions in Willie’s honor are appreciated to: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 1972 Innerbolt Business Center, St. Louis, MO 63114 or to: Give Kids the World, 210 S. Bass Rd., Kissimmee, FL 34746, or to simply donate blood at your local Red Cross Blood Drive.

Arrangements are under the direction of Pathway-Millard Family Funeral Chapel, 411 Union Avenue, Moberly, MO 65270 (660)263-7284. Condolences may be left online for the family at www. pathwaymemorial. com..