Grace Brenneman

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 4, at Salem Mennonite Church, Elida, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Salem Cemetery. A memorial service in Goshen will take place at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Mennonite Central Committee.    Grace Brenneman, 96, died on Saturday evening, February 27, 2010, at the home of her daughter in Goshen, Indiana. She was born on April 12, 1913 near Archbold, Ohio, to Simon J. and Emma (Kutzli) Short. She was the second of 5 children and was 10 years old when her mother died. Her father then married Elsie Nofzinger and they had 6 children. Grace married Edwin Brenneman on June 6, 1943 and they lived together on their farm near Elida, Ohio until his death in 1983. She remained on the farm until 2001 when she moved to Goshen. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received her teaching certificate. She taught for 12 years prior to her marriage, first in one room schools and then in Archbold where she taught fifth grade. She was a member of Salem Mennonite Church, Elida and after moving to Goshen she attended Faith Mennonite Church. She was active in many aspects of the church including making many blankets, hats and school kit bags for relief. She is survived by her son, Allen (Sheryl) Brenneman and daughter Margaret (Timothy) Thut both of Goshen; grandchildren, Stephanie Brenneman Ramer, Michelle Ester-bode, Tanya Brenneman Fast, Daniel Thut, Rebecca Thut Witmer, Amy Thut, Luis Francisco and eleven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters, Ada Short, Herma Gnagey, Helen Holsopple and brothers Walter (Shirley) Short, Herbert (Arlene) Short, Roger ( Doris) Short. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Art and Harold, and two sisters, Bessie Emch and Doris Ebersole. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Chamberlain-Huckeriede Funeral Home, Lima, Ohio.