STOCKTON, CALIF. — A U.S. Post Office in this Northern California city now bears the name of a man with a long history of public and Church service.
Formerly the Hammer Ranch Station, it is now officially the Norman D. Shumway Station of the U.S. Post Office. It was so renamed during a ceremony Feb. 19, during which a plaque was unveiled with the new name of the facility which handles two zip codes.
Brother Shumway and his wife, Luana, are serving as VIP hosts for the Church in Salt Lake City. Previously, he served as president of the Japan Hiroshima Mission and later he and his wife returned to Japan on a public affairs mission in the Asia North Area.
But it was his career as a public servant in elected and appointed offices that earned him the respect that led to the honor in Stockton. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978 and was re-elected by wide margins every two years until his retirement as a Republican lawmaker in 1991.
The "Norman Shumway Post Office Building Designation Act" was introduced in the House by California Rep. Richard Pombo with the state's entire delegation signing on as co-sponsors. It passed the House and Senate by unanimous vote and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on July 14, 2003.
Brother and Sister Shumway drove to California for the ceremony at which several speakers paid tribute to him, including Rep. Pombo.
"It was nice to hear from so many old friends and it's always nice to be remembered," Brother Shumway said during a Church News interview in his Joseph Smith Memorial Building office after returning to Salt Lake City. "People said a lot of good things. I think they've forgotten the bad things about my representing them. They warmed our hearts.
"Afterwards, the postal authorities took us on a little tour and said, 'Now this is your building.' I said, 'Where do we get the free stamps?' and they said, 'There aren't any,' " he recalled with a laugh.
The event was complemented with refreshments and music for the Shumways, who are members of the Bountiful 25th Ward, Bountiful Utah South Stake.
Brother Shumway, who earned his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, was a partner in a law firm when he first got into politics. He had considered running for a spot on the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, but was spending his spare time in Church service as a bishop. When a mid-term opening came up, he was appointed by then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan to the board in 1974. While he didn't know Gov. Reagan personally at the time, many of his law clients did and delivered recommendations for Brother Shumway's appointment. After he was elected to two more terms on the board, he moved on to run for a U.S. House seat.
While in Congress, he led many delegations of his colleagues to Japan because he spoke the language fluently after serving a mission there as a young man.
After retiring from Congress, Brother Shumway was appointed to the Public Utilities Commission for California and later as a parole board member.
His life changed directions with his call as a mission president in 1996. Released in 1999, he and his wife were back in Japan as public affairs missionaries in 2000. Not long after their return home, they began their service in hosting, taking advantage of their experience in government as they host leaders and officials from around the world.
Though he could profitably capitalize on his legal and government experience, Brother Shumway said, "I've always felt that serving in the Church is an important thing to do." He remembers that he has made a covenant to build up the kingdom of God on the earth and said, "I don't see any other way to do it than the way I'm doing it."
Brother and Sister Shumway have six children and 31 grandchildren. — Greg Hill
