Gus Schuhmann
This resident of the week is not a stranger to Atlanta, Texas. Gus Schuhmann made his teaching career at Atlanta ISD where he was principal at both the middle and primary schools.
“I was born in Bloomburg. It was bigger back then than it is now,” he recalled. “My granddaddy was Dr. Allen. He had an office on the second floor of the bank building, but he made house calls all over the place.”
Gus and his wife, Donna, have lived at Wesley House for the past year with their dog, Bella. They have three grown children: Karen Cable, Stephen, and Keri Lee; six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and two more on the way.
“I’m fine, healthy - just 80 something years old,” he said, chuckling. “I still have my wits, but not nearly what it was when I was teaching.”
Teaching wasn’t his first career choice. Gus started working on an oil rig “where you can make a whole lot of money.” It was only after an injury that he decided to go back to school to become a teacher.
After a year or so of teaching a drafting class at Atlanta High School, he became the principal at the junior high (now middle school) in the 1970’s, before taking same position at the primary school, where he was known for making breakfast every year for Grandparent’s Day.
“I really enjoyed that,” he said. “I loved dealing with the little kids because the older kids think they’re pretty smart and you’ve got to set them straight. I spanked a few kids. They let us do that back then - it was legal.”
These days he and Donna work puzzles and watch television in their suite, and attend the many activities down the hall. Gus says his “favorite thing to do is play Bingo. They really keep you involved here.”
They are still members of First Baptist Church, even though they haven’t been able to attend in several years.
“They sent me a nice card,” he said. “I’d love to go back and get involved again. I grew up in church.”
Although Gus has trouble remembering details, there is one thing he is sure of: “Just about everything I’ve done, I’ve enjoyed.”