Samantha D. Shumaker, age 37, of North Liberty, and formerly of Mount Pleasant, passed away on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at the University of Iowa Healthcare.
Born on January 18, 1989 at the Henry County Health Center, Samantha was the daughter of Randy and Cheryl (Craig) Christensen. She graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 2007. Samantha studied phlebotomy at Southeast Community College.
Samantha thrived in retail roles, where her fun, bubbly personality and genuine enthusiasm made connecting with people come naturally. While she truly enjoyed working with the public, her real passion has always been phlebotomy. Samantha worked at Great River Medical Center and later at Impact Life in Burlington as a phlebotomist. She was united in marriage to Jake Shumaker on October 15, 2007 at the First United Methodist Church in Mount Pleasant. Together, they had three children: Jamison, Jaylen, and Jemma. The couple later divorced.
Samantha’s children were her whole world, and she found immense joy in watching them take part in their activities and grow. She had a creative spirit and loved crafting, always eager to start a new project. Samantha also had a passion for collecting—especially Coca-Cola memorabilia, miniatures, Mickey and Minnie Mouse items, and many other unique treasures that brought her happiness.
Samantha’s family includes her children: Jamison, Jaylen, and Jemma Shumaker; her mother, Cheryl Christensen of Mount Pleasant; a sister, Nicole (Joe) Syfert of Mount Pleasant; and nieces, Emerson, Peyton, and Kyndall Syfert.
She was preceded in death by her father, Randy Christensen; and her grandparents.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 1 to 3 PM on Saturday, April 18 in the Fellowship Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 309 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant. Memorials may be directed to All God’s Creatures of Mt. Pleasant. Online condolences may be directed to gayandciha.com. The Gay & Ciha Funeral Home, 2720 Muscatine Ave., Iowa City, IA, is assisting Samantha’s family.
