Mervin J. Swartzentruber

Mervin Joseph Swartzentruber, 94, of Goshen, passed away peacefully Wednesday morning, December 7, at Greencroft Healthcare.

He was born March 29, 1928, in LaGrange County, to John and Ruth (Esch) Swartzentruber. On December 31, 1954 he married Marilyn Stutzman of Goshen. She predeceased him in 2015.

He is survived by his brother Paul (Jan) of Delaware, Ohio; children Julia Swartzentruber and Jo Rogers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Jean (Rick) Murray, Spring Hill, Tennessee; and John (Lauren McKinney) Swartzentruber, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; grandchildren Samantha (Jiles Wanna), Ben, and McKenna Reilly, and Mika and Will Swartzentruber, and one great-grandchild (Jiles Jr). He was predeceased by his parents and two siblings, Harold and Edna (Dean Hochstetler).

Mervin graduated with a BA from Goshen College in 1950 and a THB from Goshen Biblical Seminary in 1951. During and after college, he worked as an electrician, then developed his renowned cooking skills while leading a 1-W service unit in Plymouth, Michigan. He met the love of his life, Marilyn, when they volunteered together on the executive committee of the Indiana Michigan MYF in their twenties.

Mervin worked for 38 years at the Mennonite Publishing House in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, first in the Editorial Department, then as Maintenance Manager. He and Marilyn raised their children in a country house they built themselves. They were active members of Kingview Mennonite Church until 1995, when they retired to Greencroft and joined Benton Mennonite.

Mervin was a “Renaissance man,” seemingly able to fix and do anything. His mind was constantly working to solve some mechanical, technical, or design challenge. “The best thing my parents did for me was to let me play, let me try things, and let me fail,” Mervin once said.  Whether he was building a dining room hutch as a wedding present, an elaborate marble roller for Greencroft residents, parquetry tables for the MCC Relief Sale, or a butternut squash casserole for a church potluck, Mervin’s skill, patience, brilliant mind, creativity, and most of all his generosity, were evident to all who knew him.

Mervin will be greatly missed by his family and community. He will be interred with Marilyn at Gracelawn Cemetery in Middlebury. Family visitation will begin Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. followed by a memorial celebration at 6:30 p.m. at Greencroft’s Evergreen Place. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Greencroft Foundation (Woodshop Fund) or Benton Mennonite Church.