Hyrum Shumway

On March 26, 2011 Hyrum Smith Shumway, loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and World War 2 hero, returned home to his heavenly Father and his beloved bride, Sarah Bagley, who passed away in 1992 from breast cancer.

Born on November 27, 1921 in Salt Lake City, to Charles Nephi Shumway and Zitelle Hellstrom and raised in Lovell, Wyoming, Hyrum graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1943 and joined the U.S. Army.

He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division as a 2nd Lieutenant. He landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944 and led an infantry platoon in the Big Red One across Normand, France. On July 27, 1944, the explosion of an antitank mine riddled his body with shrapnel and cost his eyes.

Following three years of hospitalization and rehabilitation, he secured employment in Baltimore, MD., as a rehabilitation counselor for other blind people. In the ensuing eight years, he placed more blind people into gainful employment than any other rehabilitation counselor in the nation.

Once he proved to himself that he could support a family, Hyrum proposed to his college sweetheart, Sarah Bagley with "if you read the mail, drive the car, and sort the socks, I will do the rest." They were married for the eternities on September 1, 1948 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Over the next 10 years they welcomed eight children: Ruth, Susan, Sondra, Gloria, Joan, Mary and twins, Joseph and Elizabeth.

In 1954 the family moved to Cheyenne, where Hyrum served as State Director of Education for the Deaf and the Blind for 32 years. During this time he also served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints as bishop of the Cheyenne First Wad for seven years and later as stake patriarch for 17 years.

Following his retirement in 1986, Hyrum and Sarah served as full-time missionaries in the London South Mission.

During his retirement years he organized several small bands to visit rest homes to cheer up the residents with his harmonica and violin skills. He also thrilled two generations of school classmates of his children and grandchildren with surprisingly professional magic shows.

In recent years, Hyrum returned several times to Normandy, France and has been instantly embraced by the local French people, who have greeted him with media interviews, and autograph requests. He became to them in a living memorial of the sacrifices of so many Americans for their freedom. In 2006 a grateful nation awarded him the French legion of Honor medal, originally created by Napoleon, and the highest honor France can bestow.

Hyrum's courage, faith, optimism and love have inspired all who knew him. He always displayed a cheerful disposition and expressed sincere gratitude for the blessing of life in spite of severe limitations.

Hyrum is survived by his brother, Charles Shumway of Vernal, Utah; sister, Beth More of St. George; seven of his eight children; 40 of his 41 grandchildren and all 29 of his great grandchildren.

Interment took place at the Lakeview Cemetery with full military honors on Friday, April 1, 2011. A celebration of his life followed at the Cheyenne LDS Stake Center.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Perpetual Education Fund of the Humanitarian Fun of the LDS Church, the H. Smith Shumway Family Seminary scholarship thru the LCCC Foundation of the Sarah Bagley Shumway Scholarship at the BYU School of Family Life.