Merle D. Brenneman

Merle Dean Brenneman, 76, died Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at Greencroft Goshen Health Care from metastatic melanoma.  He was born January 26, 1940, to Ezra and Sylvia Yoder Brenneman near Kalona, Iowa.

On June 27, 1964, he married Eunice Beyeler, and they recently celebrated their fifty second wedding anniversary.  Merle and Eunice lived in Iowa for six years, in Denver for forty five years and at Greencroft Goshen for a little over a year.

Eunice survives along with his sisters Lorena (Charles) Swantz of Kalona, Iowa, Mary (Merlin) Grieser of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, Dortha (William) Marshall of Kansas City, Missouri, and many Brenneman and Beyeler family nieces and nephews.  Merle was preceded in death by his parents.

Merle graduated from Iowa Mennonite School in 1957.  After two years at Hesston College he worked from 1960-1962 in Austria with the Mennonite Central Committee's PAX program, helping build homes for refugees.  His Austrian experience was life changing and resulted in the formation of life-long friendships.

After his return from PAX Merle completed a BA in education from the University of Iowa and taught social studies at Iowa Mennonite School from 1965 to 1969.  He received an MA degree in school counseling from the University of Iowa in 1970, and Merle and Eunice moved to Denver in August of that year.  He was a counselor in a public school there for the rest of his career.

Merle loved working with high school students and remained connected with some of them until his death.  He had many interests, including woodworking, hiking, bird watching, gardening, collecting toys, reading, volunteering, and travel.

Merle's humor, his dry wit, and his mischievous playfulness were well known by all who knew him.  He was a careful listener and a thoughtful, caring person, evident even in his last days.

Memorial services for Merle will be held both in Goshen and in Denver.  The Goshen service will be at Assembly Mennonite Church at 4 PM on July 30.   Dawn Yoder Harms and Brenda Paetkau will officiate.   The Denver service will be held at First Mennonite Church in Denver at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made online to Mennonite Central Committee and online condolences may be shared at www.yoderculpfuneralhome.com