Our Staff

Brenda (Quick) Shumaker

Owner, Funeral Director

Brenda Quick is a native of Punxsutawney and a 1982 graduate of Punxsutawney Area High School. Following high school, she was employed at the Punxsutawney Area Hospital where she worked in various administrative positions during her eighteen years with them. While working at the hospital, she attended the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, where she graduated Cum Laude in 2000 in Funeral Service Management with an Associate in Specialized Business Degree. She also holds a diploma in Embalming and Funeral Directing. In 2002, Brenda successfully completed her Funeral Director Internship subsequently becoming a licensed funeral director in the state of Pennsylvania. She also holds a state license as an Insurance Producer, specializing in both life and fixed annuities. 

In 2003 while pursuing her passion for helping others, she opened her first location, “The Brenda D. Shumaker Funeral Home, Inc.” in Big Run. In 2007, she expanded her outreach to include a Brookville location; and then in 2011, “The Shumaker Funeral Home, Inc.” in Punxsutawney (formerly Pifer Funeral Home) opened its doors making it her third location now providing high quality, compassionate service to three communities. Her businesses are affiliated as members of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association and the local Jefferson-Clearfield Funeral Directors Association. 

Brenda is an active member of her community and attends the Solid Rock Methodist Church in Big Run; is a social member of the Big Run Volunteer Fire Company; a committee member of the Big Run Beautification Project; and holds memberships with the Martha V. Conrad Study Group. Brenda has also co-sponsored benevolent endeavors to help grieving families such as the “Moving Forward Support Group” in Brookville and the “Walking Through Grief Support Group” in Punxsutawney. 

In keeping with her active lifestyle, Brenda is the mother of two children, Derik and Erin Young. Derik is a seven year US Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Crew Chief on the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and now resides in Danville, PA where he is employed by Geisinger Medical Center as a helicopter Mechanic. Her daughter Erin proudly served in the US Air Force for one term. During her time in the USAF, she deployed to Kuwait serving as a third country national escort. She now resides in Big Run and is a graduate of Mount Aloysius College in Cresson PA. Erin is a registered life flight nurse employed at the Geisinger Life Flight in State College.  She is the grandmother of two adorable grandchildren, Henry and Morgan.

Brenda resides in Big Run where she enjoys spending time with her family, antiquing, decorating, painting, and gardening. Brenda’s greatest hallmark is her passion for helping families during their time of need.