Erma Lou Yoder

Erma Lou Yoder, 95, passed away on Tues., Oct. 1, at her residence.

Erma Lou was born in Thurman, Colorado on July 10, 1929, to Joseph and Belva (Stutzman) Yoder.

The family moved to a farm near Wellman, Iowa, in 1935. Erma attended a one-room school for first through eighth grades and graduated from Wellman High School in 1947. She was in the last class to take “Normal Training” during her junior and senior years of high school, which qualified her to teach 2 years in country schools following graduation. She was an active member of a group of young women from her church, several of whom also took the “Normal Training” classes and taught in rural one-room schools at the same time as Erma. Those years of teaching helped these women form lifelong friendships.

Erma loved being a teacher and wanted to have more teacher education, so left Iowa and graduated from Goshen College in Indiana in 1954 with BS degree in education. When the state of Indiana required teachers to earn a master’s degree, Erma enrolled at the University of Colorado at Greeley where she earned her master’s in education. Her teaching career in the Wa-Nee Community Schools in elementary and middle school spanned more than forty years.

Erma was an avid reader until her failing eyesight forced her to begin listening to books. She enjoyed traveling and visited numerous foreign countries, often in the company of her teacher friends. After her retirement from teaching, a group of fellow teachers began weekly lunches each Wednesday. They explored local restaurants, and when Erma’s health required her to stay in her Greencroft apartment, her friends brought lunch in to her. Those Wednesday visits were the highlight of her week, and they continued after her broken hip and surgery that necessitated her move to health care.

Erma and her sister Florence lived together and cared for their parents until their deaths. During those years, they often invited college students into their home. They enjoyed backyard picnics, games, and dinners together. Often there was a student laundry being done at the same time. Erma was a loyal friend, and when her friends from a distance sent their children to Goshen College, Erma and Flo became their home away from home. Erma enjoyed laughter, a good joke, and exploring unknown areas. Her lasting friendships extended to the children and even grandchildren of friends and family from her earlier life.

Erma was a member of Wellman Mennonite Church in Iowa and College Mennonite Church in Goshen.

Erma was the last in a close-knit family of thirty-three cousins, eighteen of whom were double cousins. Erma was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Florence in 2021, and four siblings, Blanche, Vera, Robert, and Ray, all of whom were killed in a in the August 10, 1924 tornado in Thurman, Colorado.

A private inurnment will take place on October 16, in Violett Cemetery, followed by a memorial service at College Mennonite Church beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Goshen College or to College Mennonite Church.