Joan M. Texter Schaum

Joan M. Texter Schaum, of Berks County, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2026, at Berks Heim. She was the devoted wife of Harry Johnson Schaum, with whom she shared 71 years of marriage.

Born in Reading, Joan was the daughter of the late Irwin W. Texter and Mary Elizabeth (Lutz) Texter. A graduate of Robesonia High School, she built a career in banking and financial services as a teller and in customer and loan services, where her kindness and genuine desire to help others left a lasting impression.

Together with her family, Joan owned and operated Ernst Flower Shop for 18 years, becoming a warm and familiar presence in the community. She later worked at the West Lawn Library, where her ready smile brightened the days of all who visited. A lifelong and active member of St. Daniel’s Lutheran Church in Robesonia, Joan taught Sunday school for 35 years, sharing her deep faith with generations of children.

Music brought Joan great joy. She played clarinet with the Ringgold Band for ten years and gave private lessons to students in the community. She also loved to sing, often leaving cheerful voicemail messages filled with little tunes for her family and friends.

Joan is survived by her husband, Harry; her two sons, John J. Schaum and his husband, Angel Daniel Hernandez, of Los Angeles, and James Schaum, of Womelsdorf; three grandchildren, Nathan Schaum and his wife, Kimberley, and their children, Aurora and Jack, of Norfolk, Virginia, Jacob Schaum and his wife, Macy, and their daughter, Faylee, of Carlisle, and Catherine Schaum of Womelsdorf; three great-grandchildren; and her beloved sister, Ann E. Faust, of Wernersville. She will be remembered with great affection by many extended family members, friends, and former students. Her generous, kind, and loving spirit touched everyone she met and will continue to live on in those whose lives she so gently brightened.