Today, we gather to celebrate the life of Emma Louise Schoonmaker, who passed from this world on February 7, 2025, at the age of 92.
Born on July 12, 1932, in Dewey County, near Putnam, Oklahoma, Emma was the seventh of nine children born to Nathaniel (Nat) Farris and Mary Hettie (Digby) Farris. She lived a life filled with service, love, dedication, and perseverance, and her legacy will forever resonate in the hearts of all who knew her.
Emma’s journey began in Dewey County, where she attended Seiling and Taloga schools, graduating from Taloga High School in 1950. From an early age, Emma displayed a natural curiosity and commitment to learning, which led her to pursue a career in nursing at Western Oklahoma State Hospital in Clinton. She balanced her rigorous training with hands-on work on the hospital floors, a testament to her hard work and dedication to the well-being of others.
In 1951, Emma married Wayne Schoonmaker while he served in the U.S.
Army. Their love and partnership were evident, even when separated by his deployment to Korea. Together, they built a life centered around family, faith, and community. After living in Taloga for three years, they moved to Sentinel in 1955, where they began a 40-year adventure in the newspaper business. They not only ran their own six newspapers but also printed publications for other owners, including two Air Force newspapers for Altus and Clinton Sherman Air Force bases.
Emma’s nursing career may have taken a backseat during this time, but she remained committed to serving others. She learned every aspect of publishing, editing, and printing while raising four sons.
Emma also became deeply involved in her church, teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir, and performing in various musical groups. Her love for her community extended beyond her family, as she embraced the role of volunteer EMT for Sentinel’s city ambulance service. She was the director of the service for 17 years, dedicating her time and energy to helping others in their most urgent moments of need. She also taught CPR and continued to educate and train other volunteers, ensuring that the service would always be there when the community needed it most.
Emma and Wayne moved to Clinton in 1995, where they continued their work in publishing by starting the Penny News.
What began as a small endeavor grew into a beloved local publication, and Emma’s passion for sharing stories and keeping the community informed remained as strong as ever.
Throughout her life, Emma was a devoted wife, a loving mother, a cherished grandmother, and a proud great-grandmother.
Her family was everything to her, and she poured her heart into raising her sons and nurturing her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Emma’s legacy will live on in her sons Kenneth, Mark (and wife Teresa), Dan (and wife Kim), and Brian (and wife Connie), as well as her grandchildren Shana Schoonmaker, Shea Meget (and husband Nathan), Brant Schoonmaker (and wife Amber), Lauren Burger (and husband TJ), Adrienne Stone (and husband Alex), Kael Schoonmaker, and Kiley Schoonmaker. Her greatgrandchildren, Ricky, Dexter, DJ, Conner, Hadley, Greyson, Atley, Reese, Joanna, Willa, Artemis and Astrea, will carry forward her spirit of love, resilience, and kindness.
Emma was preceded in death by her parents, all of her siblings—Raymond (Ray), Jim (Dub), Morris, Bob, Loyd, Larry, Elizabeth Holzapple, and Madeleine Titus—and one nephew. Though she is no longer with us, her memory will live on in the stories we share, the lessons she taught, and the example she set.
In remembering Emma Louise Schoonmaker, we celebrate a life that was lived fully with purpose. Her hands touched so many lives—whether through her work, her dedication to her family, or her service to her community. We take comfort in knowing that she now rests in the arms of our Savior, surrounded by the love of those who have gone before her.
Rest in peace, Emma. You were a gift to us all, and we will carry your memory in our hearts forever.
Emma’s service will be held 10:00 A.M.
Thursday, February 13, in the Hyman Memorial Chapel, with Pastor Kelly Smith officiating, and under the direction of the Lee Hometown Funeral Home.