Vinnie L Penner

Vinnie Loretta Depler Penner, 90, Halstead, died February 13, 1996 at Friendly Acres Retirement Community, Newton. She was born September 11, 1905 at Peabody, the daughter of William Henry and Margaret Alice Rowland Depler. She grew up on a farm northwest of Peabody and graduated from District 29 Bond Grade School, rural Peabody in 1919. She then graduated from Peabody High School in 1923. She took the teachers exam following graduation from high school and taught at the Bond School for the 1923-1924 term. She then attended summer school in 1924 at Bethel College, North Newton, and in the fall of that year, she taught at District No. 65 Pleasant Plains rural school, northwest of Halstead. She was a student at Bethel College from 1925 to 1926. In the fall of 1926, she came to teach at District No. 22 Prairie Flower rural school northwest of Halstead, where she taught for three years.

She married Will C. Penner on August 8, 1928 at Halstead. She and her husband moved to a farm northeast of Halstead where she became a homemaker and lived there until shortly after her husband's death on December 9, 1976. She moved into Halstad in 1977 and resided in her home until 1992, when she moved to Regency Health Care Center. In January of 1996, she moved to Friendly Acres.

She was a member of the First Mennonite Church, Halstead, where she taught Sunday school and was a member of the Mission Society. She was also a member of the Winodausis Club, rural Halstaad.

Survivors: daughter, Norma Wendling and her husband, Thomas, rural Halstead; granddaughter, Linda Heidebecht, Newton; grandson, Patrick Wendling and his wife Bonnie, rural Halstad; great granddaughter, Shelly Heidebecht, Newton. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Floyd Depler and Emery Depler.

Services will be Friday, February 16 at the First Mennonite Church with the Rev. John Waltner presiding. Burial will be in the Halstead Cemetery.