Elsie Ann Guengerich

ELSIE ANN GUENGERICH

Wellman

Elsie Ann Guengerich was born Feb, 17, 1921, in Elkhart, Ind., the daughter of Julius and Anna (Desing) Miller. She graduated from Wellman High School in 1939. She also completed Normal Training to become a teacher, and taught at White Hall and Bunker Hill rural schools.

On June 21, 1942, Elsie was united in marriage to Glenn Guengerich in a double wedding with her sister, Lydia, and his brother, Harold, at the Wellman Mennonite Church. She later joined Glenn on one of his Civilian Public Service assignments in Ypsilanti, Mich., where she worked on a hospital ward for patients with tuberculosis. They made their home in the Wellman community, where Elsie was the librarian for the Wellman-Scofield Public Library from 1968 to 1986. She was a charter member of the Wellman Mennonite Church and taught summer Bible school there. She also was a member of the Wellman Garden Club.

Elsie made many quilts over her life and even more ivory-colored crocheted afghans, which she gave as wedding gifts. She enjoyed hosting coffees for her Sunday school class and the neighborhood women for many years. Her greatest joy was time with her family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Elsie passed away on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018, in Wellman at the age of 96.

Elsie is survived by three daughters, Millicent Hershey of Lancaster, Pa., Becky (Dean) Rhodes of Goshen, Ind., and Anna Marie Guengerich (Jim Yoder) of Wellman; five grandchildren, Matthew (Tamar Bernfeld) Rhodes, Steven (Liz) Rhodes, David (Jessica Zieg) Rhodes, Jenelle (Keith) Hoover and Julie Hershey; and five great-grandchildren, Amaya and Simone Rhodes and Levi, Sophia and Jacob Hoover.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 75 years, Glenn, who passed away in October 2017; brothers, Everett, Stanley, Clarence, Paul, Clark and Robert; and her sister, Lydia Guengerich.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15, at the Wellman Mennonite Church. Pastor Nathan Ramer will officiate. Burial will be held in the Wellman Mennonite Cemetery at 9:30 a.m. prior to the service. Visitation will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14, at Powell Funeral Home in Wellman. Memorial funds have been established for the Wellman-Scofield Public Library and Iowa Mennonite School.

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