Elsie VanPelt

Elsie VanPelt of Columbiana, Ohio passed away peacefully on July 2, 2019 at Covington Skilled Nursing where she had resided the past eight months.

Elsie was born November 11, 1933 to Frank and Ida (Witmer) VanPelt and lived in the Columbiana area most of her life. She attended the Germantown Country School for the first four years of school.  She attended North Lima School until age 16.  After school she helped many people in the area with numerous tasks.  She served two years at a children’s home in West Liberty, Ohio where she was a house mother to eighteen boys.  Elsie was encouraged to attend college so after taking her GED, she attended Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Va.  She then served under the Eastern Mennonite Mission Board for eight years teaching English in Somalia, Africa.

When she returned from Africa, she attended Kent State University and received her teaching certificate.  She then taught 7th and 8th grade English at South Range Middle School for 25 years and was a much beloved teacher to many.

Elsie was known as a great seamstress and made and donated hundreds of quilts in her lifetime to relief organizations.  Elsie always had a heart for the less fortunate and was especially fond of children.

Elsie is survived by four brothers and two sisters:  Arthur VanPelt, Columbiana, OH, Willard (Charlene) VanPelt, Lancaster, PA, Jacob (Marilyn) VanPelt, Lincoln City, OR, Albert (Lana) VanPelt, Columbiana, OH, Alice Helmuth, Sarasota, FL, Mary Good, Columbiana, OH, and a sister-in-law, MaryAnn (Perry) VanPelt, Goshen, IN.  She is preceded in death by her brother, Perry VanPelt, sisters-in-law Anna Ruth (Showalter) VanPelt, Viola (Snyder) VanPelt, brother-in law Elvon Helmuth, three nephews, Marc VanPelt, Darrel Good, Ron Helmuth and a great, great nephew Michael Byers.  Elsie has 24 nieces and nephews and many great nieces and nephews.

Elsie was a member of Midway Mennonite Church where earlier in her life she taught Sunday School, Bible School and served on the Sewing Circle of the church.

A private family burial was held July 4, 2019 at Midway Cemetery.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Midway Mennonite Church in Columbiana on Sunday, July 28, 2019 at 2:30pm.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Mennonite Central Committee, 21S 12th Street, PO Box 500, Akron, PA 17501-9989.

The family has entrusted Seederly-Mong & Beck Funeral Home in Columbiana, Ohio with the arrangements for their loved one.

Family and friends are invited to visit www.seederly-mongandbeck.com to sign the guestbook or send private condolences.

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