Grace Bergey Brenneman, age 98, died Feb. 14, 2023 at the Souderton Mennonite Home where she lived for the past eight years.
Born March 28, 1924, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Oliver and Elizabeth (Ruth) Bergey.
Grace graduated from Doylestown High School in 1941, attended Hesston College (Hesston, Kan.) and taught in a one-room school in Arkansas for one year.
Grace married Paul G. Brenneman on Jan. 11, 1945. Grace was a lifelong member of Doylestown Mennonite Church where she taught Sunday School, Summer Bible School, Women’s Bible Studies, and was an active member of the Woman’s Sewing Circle.
During the summer, Grace hosted many Fresh Air children at their farm. Her community involvement included the Bucks County Christian Women’s Club and the Women’s Auxiliary of the Bucks County Medical Society. She was a faithful volunteer for Care and Share Thrift Store, Mennonite Heritage Center, Mennonite Resource Center, and feeding the elderly at Souderton Mennonite Homes.
Grace and her husband Paul served two years in Puerto Rico with Mennonite Mission Board (19511953), as well as six months in Monrovia, Liberia (1991) with Church World Service. Grace and Paul traveled extensively and made sure to visit their children, extended family, friends and acquaintances during their travels.
Her interests included swimming, skiing, reading, golfing, quilting and traveling. She was proud to say she visited every continent. She was always ready to play games, especially Scrabble and Rummikub. Grace was known for her kindness and hospitality and served many delicious meals to family and friends. She was known for her delicious cinnamon buns and shoo fly pies. She lived a full extraordinary life; she loved the Lord and had so much love and care for everyone around her. She delighted in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Grace is survived by four children: William Brenneman (Marsha Robertson), Beth Styer (James), Susan Brenneman (Archie Vomachka), Joanne Speigle (Wayne), and daughter-in-law (Ann Detwiler Brenneman); eight grandchildren: Ben Brenneman, Michael Styer, Andrew Styer, Mary Hope Brenneman, Jacob Brenneman, Peter Derstine, Elizabeth Speigle, and Rachel Speigle Dunnigan; great-grandchildren Daphne, Woody, Henry, Arthur, Georgina, Karfala, Timothy, Margaret, Irene, Harriet, Nolan, Emilie, and Wilden; and siblings: Chester Bergey, Eunice Hess, Lois Swartzendruber, and Ted Bergey. She was predeceased by her parents, husband Paul, sons Donald and Timothy, grandson Joshua Brenneman and brothers John Bergey and Richard Bergey.
A memorial service will be held at Souderton Mennonite Home Auditorium on Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. at 207 Summit St., Souderton, PA 18964. Family will be available at 1 p.m. before the service and after the service.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in Grace’s name may be made to either Mennonite Central Committee at https://donate.mcc.org or mail to: MCC, PO Box 500, Akron, PA 17501-0500 or Care and Share Thrift Shop, https://www.careandshareshoppes.org or mail to: 783 PA-113, Souderton, PA 18964.
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