HARRISONBURG, Va. 鈥� 91短视频 and Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community announced Monday, May 11, a strategic partnership that strengthens and expands their long-standing relationship, allowing VMRC to plan for future growth while providing 91短视频 with the resources to advance its educational mission.

As part of the agreement, VMRC will acquire Park Woods, a 13-acre oak-hickory forest it shares with 91短视频, with a commitment to continue stewarding and preserving the urban green space as an enduring asset to the community. The partnership also includes a five-year plan for VMRC鈥檚 potential expansion through its purchase of the land upon which the 91短视频 baseball field now sits, along with the construction of a new ballfield at another location on the university campus.

The partnership, which has been approved by each institution鈥檚 board of trustees, supports their long-term strategic goals by strengthening financial sustainability, expanding opportunities for intergenerational engagement, and reinforcing their shared presence as mission-driven organizations serving the public good.

Leaders of the neighboring Harrisonburg institutions describe the partnership as a 鈥渨in-win,鈥� supporting both VMRC鈥檚 capacity to serve current and future residents and 91短视频鈥檚 ability to invest in academic excellence, student access, and community engagement.

鈥淭his partnership honors our history while giving us the flexibility and capacity to plan for long-term vitality,鈥� VMRC President and CEO Jake Bell said. 鈥淚t allows us to continue providing high-quality care and community while strengthening our connection to 91短视频 and the region we both serve.鈥�

鈥淭his partnership reflects who we are and how we want to lead,鈥� 91短视频 Interim President Shannon W. Dycus said. 鈥淚t builds on decades of relationship, shared geography, and common values, while positioning both institutions to respond thoughtfully and responsibly to the future.鈥�

91短视频 and VMRC share a foundation of Anabaptist-Mennonite values and a commitment to community, service, and care for the whole person. The two institutions have long been neighbors and partners, and this agreement positions them to collaborate more intentionally on academic, cultural, and community initiatives that benefit students, residents, employees, and the greater Harrisonburg region.

Media Contact:
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Senior Writer & Communications Manager
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(540) 432-4059

SFI, who seeks to expand local sustainability and social responsibility in food production, began in 2010 when a concerned group of students witnessed large amounts of unused cafeteria food being thrown away. This led to a food donation program, a campus composting program, the planting of campus vegetable gardens and even a student-run Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which sold produce grown on campus to local buyers. However, when this core group of students graduated, SFI was left a ship with no captain, and its programs quickly fell into disarray.

Eshleman鈥檚 vision for the group focuses on longevity. 鈥淲e are a student club,鈥� the rising senior pointed out, 鈥渂ut have started to work towards being more of a coalition of local organizations and persons, to encourage better practices within our food systems, as well as helping groups fully utilize their own spaces to achieve healthier and more sustainable systems.鈥�

Partnering on and off campus

One key to achieving this longevity is partnering with other campus organizations, such as , the and (ESW), to draw interest and forge common connections. Already this summer ESW helped the SFI crew install solar panels on the campus chicken shed to power the heat lamps that burn throughout the winter months.

鈥淥ne of our visions for the next year is to share a meal made of locally grown food with as many campus groups as we can,鈥� said Eshleman. 鈥淲hat better way to show people what we do, than through the food itself?鈥�

The group also strives to promote 91短视频鈥檚 mission of sustainability outside and . 鈥淲e want to live the way we talk,鈥� said Malachi Bontrager, an major. 鈥淪FI is tangible and easy to access. We can fill a need and do so conscientiously.鈥� Such an ethos demonstrates the group鈥檚 commitment to building sustainable local communities through dedicated service.

One of SFI鈥檚 key partnerships has been with the Farm at Willow Run. The farm, located on Willow Run Road just minutes from campus, is owned by the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC), and was once the property of former 91短视频 president Myron Augsburger and his wife, Esther. Tom Brenneman, the market garden coordinator at VMRC, has been working with VMRC鈥檚 dining services director Tobie Bow on a farm-to-table renaissance with the help of SFI students.

Forging real connections

Brenneman, a 1992 graduate with a degree in social work, lives at Willow Run and manages the gardens, in addition to his work with court-involved youth in the 26th District court service unit in Harrisonburg. Despite the enormity of the Willow Run project, which is now delivering produce directly to VMRC kitchens from 1.5 acres of cultivated land, Brenneman laughed when thinking back to its humble beginnings.

鈥淚 just had all this extra produce,鈥� he said, which he then passed along to his friend and 鈥渃o-conspirator鈥� Cal Redekop, who in turn shared the produce gratis with fellow residents in Park Village from a stand at the end of his driveway. The fresh produce has been a huge hit over the past four years. Soon a formal conversation began at the invitation of the executive team of VMRC about how local produce might be brought directly into dining services with sourcing from its own land and resources.

The Farm was quickly identified as a viable location, but who would do the work of growing it? Brenneman rallied volunteer support , some with the local network, which encourages community-building through creative skills-sharing. But the project gained steam when the partnership with SFI was formed. With five to six students working three to four days a week for two to three hours a day, Willow Run is now staffed with a consistent and dedicated workforce.

Mentors help with ag-business skills

鈥淲ithout the labor from SFI, this really couldn鈥檛 have happened,鈥� said Redekop, who often works side by side with the students. 鈥淭he Farm at Willow Run really provides almost unlimited opportunity to bring different generations together around common concerns, like how we raise our food or how we might show better reverence toward the earth.鈥�

鈥淭he farm-to-table initiative makes good sense for VMRC,鈥� said Judith Trumbo, VMRC president and CEO. 鈥淎s an advocate for aging well, VMRC continues to identify ways to help people live healthier lifestyles. We are pleased to have the support of 91短视频 students to make the farm a success.鈥�

Along the way, the members of SFI have learned valuable lessons, not only about large-scale gardening, but also about how to keep their vision afloat. The opportunity to learn from local farmers such as Radell Schrock, a 2001 graduate who operates in Harrisonburg, has given SFI members a clearer sense of the realities of what they are attempting to accomplish.

鈥淓ffectively we鈥檙e running a small business,鈥� said SFI treasurer and nursing major Abe Thorn. It鈥檚 an experience the group will carry with them long after they have left 91短视频, and a legacy they hope to leave behind for future generations of students.

The summer when Mary Emma Showalter鈥檚 now classic “” was released in 1950, various college students sold听the cookbook as a way to make money for their college expenses.

Eugene Souder was one such entrepreneur who had about 15 young women and men selling cookbooks under his loosely organized effort.

He says the John C. Winston Company (publishers in conjunction with the early 鈥淢ennonite Community Association鈥� in Scottdale, Pennsylvania) put out a notice that they were looking for someone to round up students who could sell the cookbook to acquaintances, church members, friends or neighbors鈥攁nd perhaps door-to-door.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I saw听that initial notice put out for sales reps, but someone recommended me. So they came recruiting me,鈥� recalled Eugene in a phone interview recently.

鈥淚t was simple鈥擨 had one or two meetings of interested persons at听Eastern Mennonite College, inviting them to earn some extra money that summer,鈥� said Eugene, who at the time was between his junior and senior years of college.听 鈥淚t was fun to recruit. That was basically all I had to do. I got a commission off of each sale, and the total that year was enough to cover my expenses for my final year of college.鈥� Eugene added that he didn鈥檛 sell more than five himself,听and that there were more women than men selling the cookbook.

Dan Hertzler, a classmate of Eugene鈥檚 and former editor of Gospel Herald, recalls that a year at EMC at the time cost $550, with a $100 discount for Bible majors. While Dan was later connected with the Mennonite Community Association and has long been associated with听Scottdale, Dan didn鈥檛 help sell the cookbooks.

Eugene confesses he didn鈥檛 sell many himself because he was heavily involved in a budding men鈥檚 quartet at EMC that went on to help launch the long running radio program in 1952, which led to the whole international Mennonite Broadcasts, Inc. 听organization鈥�(which eventually became Mennonite Media, which joined with Mennonite Publishing Network to form MennoMedia in 2011.)

鈥淪o that summer of 1950, I didn鈥檛 really have that much time to actually sell; I was surprised at the good return for my time,鈥� Eugene says. The cookbook initially cost $3.50 for the plain edition; a deluxe 鈥渃hapter tab鈥� edition was $4.50. 鈥淭hey were very fair in the commission they paid me.鈥�

Eugene went on to a long career as a pastor, graphic designer, and founder/editor of at least three church magazines: Our Faith, Together, and [the only magazine still in publication, under the editorship of article author Melodie Davis].

Jay B. Landis, a former professor in the English language and literature department at EMC, also sold the cookbooks. But neither Jay nor Eugene remember it being through Eugene鈥檚 circle of sellers. 鈥淚 sold a few鈥攎aybe to my mother and a few others,鈥� Jay confesses. Jay was just out of high school and working a full-time job to make money for college, so his involvement was definitely limited.

Jay and his wife Peggy now live in the home where Mary Emma and her eventual husband, Ira Eby, lived in Harrisonburg. When Peggy was an officer of the Auxiliary, she offered a dinner for their annual auction: a meal at their home with recipes cooked from Mary Emma Showalter鈥檚 cookbook, including the famous seven sweets and seven sours.

鈥淪ome of Mary Emma鈥檚 nieces and nephews were the eventual recipients of the dinner, and during the course of the evening, we read several of the essays Mary Emma included at the beginning of each chapter of the book,鈥� Jay recalls.

Eugene summarized his experience of earning enough money for a whole year of college as 鈥渢he easiest money I ever made. Sometimes it is surprising what good things come your way.鈥� Like other students of his time, he graduated debt free.

Republished from the website with permission from the author, who says she would love to hear from any other cookbook sellers. Visit the cookbook’s website for contact information.

When the preparatory music department wanted to expand its course offerings, Nguyen began looking for grants. The eventually awarded two digital pianos to launch the weekly lessons for adults. 91短视频 bought two more to outfit a full classroom.

Most of Nguyen’s students are over 50 years old, and join the class because such an activity is 鈥渙n my bucket list.鈥� Nine students enrolled in the first session, with more on the roster for upcoming terms. Many have some instrumental experience from earlier in life, and want to build on previous skills for personal recreation or church participation.

For Barbara Feichtinger, from nearby New Market, the class is 鈥渏ust fabulous.鈥� Like all students, Feichtinger is free to drop the course or take session breaks every seven weeks, but she can鈥檛 imagine doing that.

鈥淚’m just inspired to move on,鈥� she says.

director says that part of the department鈥檚 mission is 鈥渢o provide music education for everyone.鈥� For adults who want to learn an instrument, but may be intimidated by one-on-one instruction or prefer more social interaction, group lessons are 鈥渁 low-key way of doing that鈥� and also less expensive than private lessons, she says.

Each weekly class begins with stretching to classical music.

鈥淭hat’s one of the reasons why they come and take piano,鈥� says Nguyen. 鈥淭hey want to be relaxed.鈥�

After reviewing techniques taught in previous sessions, the group progresses to playing songs together.

鈥淭he group class really meets a need for adults,鈥� says Miller.

Feichtinger agrees. 鈥淲e all started with music when we were young,鈥� she explains. 鈥淲e know the value of music, and how therapeutic it is 鈥� I really need therapy this year, so I came back to the piano!鈥� Outside of the class, Feichtinger practices her mother’s old 鈥淒eep Purple鈥� sheet music for entertainment.

Eventually, the preparatory music department would like to partner with local institutions, such as , that 鈥減rovide opportunities for development of the person,鈥� says Miller.

Music can provide healing and a constructive mode of expression, she adds.

鈥淚 love it!鈥� says Nguyen, who hopes to attract 91短视频 students and more local adults to the program. 鈥淎fter classes, I am still full of that teaching energy.鈥�

Among the family鈥檚 favorites were the autobiographical children鈥檚 books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 鈥淚t was delightful,鈥� Lois recalls. 鈥淭hree generations together. 鈥� I still like to read to others.鈥�

Books. Lois Bowman has been immersed in them for 50 years at 91短视频.

In 1963, Lois began working in 91短视频鈥檚 , plus doing some language teaching. She鈥檚 remained in the library ever since, now directing it. At 77, she is the most senior member of the school鈥檚 faculty and staff 鈥� in length of service and in age.

Library visitors might guess that Lois belongs to a branch of the Mennonites that is more conservative, less modern, than most of the Mennonites employed at 91短视频. She is never seen at work in slacks 鈥� or without sleeves covering her upper arms and a prayer veil over her pinned-back hair.

Raised in a conservative Mennonite family

Her appearance does offer clues to her background. Lois was raised in a conservative Mennonite family. Lois鈥檚 beloved mother wore a cape dress until she died in 1991. Wade, whom Lois married in 1962, liked for Lois to maintain the tradition of wearing the covering, though he himself dispensed with wearing the traditional 鈥減lain coat鈥� as a young adult.听

Since affiliating with (a rural church west of 91短视频) as a teenager, Lois has kept her membership with that congregation over the decades, though she has not been in its pews for many years. In 2002 Morning View withdrew from 鈥� with which 91短视频 has close connections 颅鈥� and helped form a network of conservative churches called .

Yet it would be misleading to draw conclusions based on Lois鈥檚 church background and clothing. Lois actually worships at the Oak Lea chapel within . 鈥淚 started going to Oak Lea when Father was living there 鈥� he died in 1987 鈥� and I just kept on.鈥� The services at Oak Lea are led ecumenically by two Mennonite pastors, who regularly invite ministers from other denominations to preach.

It’s a place where instrumental music is welcomed each Sunday 鈥� Lois plays the organ there twice a month 鈥撯�� in contrast to Morning View, where Sunday morning worship typically features a cappella singing in four-part harmony.

It鈥檚 also a place where Lois is likely the only worshiper on a typical Sunday morning to be wearing a prayer covering. She鈥檚 also likely the only worshiper who spends her off hours engaged in vigorous exercising, doing her own lawn and garden work, plus bicycling for miles at a time almost every day.

Avid bicyclist, defying stereotypes

This year, for the second year in a row, , for which she鈥檚 logged 776 miles since May 1, the first day of the contest (it ends Sept. 30). Until 2011, when she had back surgery, she often hiked and camped in Shenandoah National Park.

Lois has always belied stereotypes 颅鈥撀� or defied them.

She grew up with her hair in pigtails, wearing home-sewn dresses and jumpers. But she wasn鈥檛 living in a conservative Mennonite enclave for much of her childhood. She had this appearance while attending a public school in a Maryland suburb of Washington D.C. until she was 12 鈥� her father was working in that area, first in construction and then in a paint store.

When he moved the family back to Harrisonburg in the late 1940s, they settled in a white-frame house with a large front porch on an acre fronting Chicago Ave., two blocks from what was then Eastern Mennonite College. (The house still stands, though the large garden area in the back is now occupied by the Red Bud apartment complex.)

Lois鈥檚 mother initially earned pocket money selling Stanley Home Products and then, back in Harrisonburg, working for a Christian book distributor. From these earnings she paid for Lois鈥檚 piano lessons. (Lois鈥檚 father drove a milk-delivery truck after they settled near EMC.)

In her late teens, Lois started taking violin lessons with James Harman, owner of Harman School of Music, who taught music at area colleges and did public performances, such as playing violin with the orchestra that accompanied local silent movies in the 1920s.

By the time Lois entered EMC to study modern language education in 1956, she had added the violin to her musical repertoire. In recent years, Lois began playing fiddle in local jams of old-time music.

Off to Harvard on full scholarship!

After graduating from EMC in 1960 with a German major and education minor, Lois worked half time in the historical library and half time in the president鈥檚 office, where President John Mumaw encouraged her to apply for a scholarship to Harvard through the Council for the Advancement of Small Colleges in which he was active.

On her application, she said she wanted to study German 颅鈥� it was part of her Mennonite heritage, after all (her mother grew up speaking Pennsylvania Dutch). Lois didn鈥檛 expect to garner one of the five scholarships offered that year for women graduates of small colleges across the nation. 鈥淚 was dating Wade at the time and graduate school was not a top priority.鈥� But when she got the scholarship, 鈥淚 had to go.鈥� After her first year at Harvard, she and Wade married and he joined her in Cambridge, Mass.

With a master鈥檚 degree in hand, Lois returned to EMC in 1963, where she taught German and Latin and worked in the historical library, which was then in the area where the dining hall now sits in Northlawn. Until the mid-1960s, as Lois recalls, EMC female faculty members were required to wear cape dresses, obliging Lois to forgo the skirts and blouses she sported at Harvard.

In the spring of 1964, when she was visibly pregnant, Lois looked into a mirror, didn’t like how her cape dress was fitting, and said 鈥�enough.鈥� To this day, she typically wears skirts and blouses, unless she is mowing the lawn or running a weed eater, hiking in rough areas, or doing other activities where leg protection is clearly needed.

鈥淢y Bible says that widows and orphans are to be taken care of,鈥� says Lois in her forthright manner. 鈥淚鈥檓 a widow, so I am helping to take care of myself by dressing with my safety in mind.鈥�

Stellar credentials, but still deferring to a male academic

As classes in Latin and German were phased out, Lois came to spend all her time in the library, beginning around 1970, when construction of the new Sadie Hartzler Library was underway.

Lois explains that a significant portion of the historical library鈥檚 collection of 40,000 books was selected by Irvin B. Horst, an EMC church history professor who moved to the Netherlands in 1967 to teach Mennonite history at the University of Amsterdam. From the 1940s until his death in 2011, Horst collected Anabaptist-themed books, many from the Netherlands. (The Menno Simons Historical Library is named for a former Catholic priest, a Dutchman, who led the Anabaptist/Mennonite movement in the Netherlands in the 16^th century.)听

In 1987 Lois earned a second master鈥檚 degree 颅鈥� this time in library science from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. Her focus was rare books, giving her the skills to care for the library鈥檚 collection of aging materials. She is able to curate books that are in German, French, Latin and Dutch.

Despite her stellar academic credentials, Lois said she did not second-guess Irvin B. Horst. He held a doctorate and was an expert in Mennonite history. He was a man. She was a woman. 鈥淗is decisions impacted everything we did,鈥� says Lois. The impact was mostly good, but Lois is now ready to assert herself on one matter. 鈥淲e have too much Erasmus stuff. Irvine had us subscribe to the complete works of Erasmus in its definitive Latin form.鈥� The first 36 volumes of Erasmus (additional volumes keep being published) occupy more than three shelves in one corner of the library.

鈥淣obody has ever used even one of these volumes,鈥� Lois says. 鈥淭he old boy network was so strong, we [women librarians] pretty well did what they told us to do,鈥� though she hastens to add that Horst treated women respectfully. It just didn鈥檛 feel appropriate to question his judgment.

In 1990 EMC asked Lois to take over as head librarian of the historical library upon the retirement of her supervisor, Grace Showalter, on June 30. It was a date that Showalter did not reach. She unexpectedly died during her last week and was buried on June 30.

Lois鈥檚 close colleague today is Cathy Baugh, who works three-fourths time. Lois also supervises two student assistants.

When Lois herself retires in June 2014, she plans to remain in the house on Mt. Clinton Pike where she has lived since 1964. She鈥檒l have lots to occupy her: enjoying her two grandchildren and many nieces and nephews, playing fiddle, organ and piano, bicycling, ham radio, word games like Scrabble, retreating to her cabin at Singers Glen, and church activities at Oak Lea. Plus she plans to return to the library as an enthusiastic volunteer.

Erb worked at 91短视频 for 23 years, serving in a variety of administrative roles 鈥� secretary of institutional research, 1978-81; administrative assistant in business affairs, 1981-86; dean鈥檚 office and development assistant, 1987-88; reaccreditation self-study assistant, 1988-90; and administrative assistant to the vice president of enrollment, 1989-2001.

“Fern was a wonderful co-worker, mentor and friend; the epitome of grace and strength, with a delightful sense of humor,鈥� said , assistant to the president at 91短视频. 鈥淪he endeared herself to all those she came in contact with both at 91短视频 and in her church community, counting people of all ages among her dearest friends. It was particularly difficult to see Fern in pain and discomfort in recent years.鈥�

Erb was born Feb. 6, 1921 in Newton, Kan., and was the daughter of the late Miles and Mary Reiff Troyer.

On June 6, 1950, she married J. Frederick Erb, who preceded her in death on Jan. 27, 1985. He was associate director of alumni/church/parent relations at 91短视频 from 1978 through 1984. While in the throes of a life-threatening illness, he was awarded an MA degree from in 1984.

Surviving are three children, Paul Frederick Erb and wife Esther of Tennessee; Mary Erb Nitzsche and husband Wayne of Pennsylvania; Rachel Erb Beckler and husband Richard (91短视频 鈥�79) of Richmond; four sisters, Vera Weaver and husband James of Indiana; Margaret Miller and husband Vernon of Ohio; Rebecca Bixler and husband John of Iowa; Grace Helmuth and Harlan Helmuth of Ohio; a sister-in-law, Melba Troyer of Michigan; seven grandchildren, Erik Frederick Erb and wife Ruslana, Erin Fogler and husband Richard, Alison Nitzsche, Megan Nitzsche, Jonathan Beckler (鈥�07) and wife Amy, Christa Beckler (鈥�10), Laura Beckler, a rising senior at 91短视频, and a great granddaughter, Elliana Erb.

Erb was preceded in death by a brother, Darda Troyer and a sister, Dorothy Miller.

Erb graduated from Goshen (Ind.) College in 1949 with a BA degree in Bible and a minor in business.

She was a member of . In 1980, Erb was named to the church鈥檚 first four-member pastoral team and served in that role three years.

A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Community Mennonite Church with lead pastor Jennifer Davis Sensenig officiating. A private burial will precede the service at Weavers Mennonite Church cemetery, Harrisonburg.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Student Aid Fund at 91短视频, 1200 Park Road, Harrisonburg, Va. 22802 or to Mennonite Central Committee, PO Box 500, Akron, Pa. 17501-0500.

Online condolences may be made to the family at: .

VMRC, neighboring 91短视频 (91短视频) on the northeast, has a $20 million annual budget, 400 employees, and 750 residents in a wide range of homes and other accommodations.

Trumbo is perhaps best known for directing the transition in 2010 of R from Cantrell Avenue in downtown Harrisonburg to a new 660,000-square-foot facility at the eastern edge of the city.

After the hospital move, Trumbo served as RMH鈥檚 acting director of perioperative services (surgery and all the services surrounding it). For 20 years before the move, she was director of RMH Home Healthcare.

Trumbo went to work at RMH as a registered nurse after her graduation from 91短视频 as a major. She also holds a master of business administration degree from James Madison University.

Over the years, Trumbo has been active in leadership roles with the , , , , , and ElderAlliance. Currently she chairs the and serves as an associate trustee on the 91短视频 board of trustees.

鈥淛udith has the financial astuteness, strategic planning experience, knowledge of our industry, and strong communication skills to lead VMRC,鈥� said Sheryl (King) Wyse 鈥�68, chair of the board of directors. 鈥淚n addition, Judith is well respected throughout the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County communities for her professional and volunteer leadership contributions.鈥�

Yoder is wrapping up 13 years as president of VMRC, where he strengthened the organization鈥檚 financial health and enhanced its culture of innovation and quality. Under his leadership, VMRC added Woodland Park, , , Transitional Care, and Outpatient Rehabilitation Services.

Yoder became president of VMRC in 1999 after being vice president for global ministries at (now Mennonite Mission Network) in Elkhart, Ind. Before that he served the as regional representative for in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

As an 91短视频 student, Yoder was a major. He holds a master鈥檚 degree from the University of Pittsburgh in public and international affairs. Yoder said hopes to stay engaged on a part-time basis as a consultant in the field of international development.

It was odd. Especially considering the makeshift campsite that Redekop and friends Richard Wagner and the late Paul Peachey had chosen was isolated atop a hill in Athens, Greece.

They had settled in the evening before and ate a modest dinner as they marveled at what Redekop said was the perfect campsite with a perfect view, the sun setting on the Parthenon.

But the police kicking up dirt clearly had another opinion.

鈥淚 was taken down to the Athens police station,鈥� Redekop, now 86, said as he retold one of the more memorable tales from the group鈥檚 three-week journey across Europe.

鈥淭hey had a person who spoke English who wondered what in the world we were doing there,鈥� he said.

The next morning, all three underwent a 90-minute interrogation. After getting everything cleared up, they were allowed to tour the Parthenon 鈥� as long as they had a police escort.

鈥淸He] turned out to be a nice little interpreter,鈥� Redekop laughed. 鈥淏y the time we left, we were sort of great friends.鈥�

For family and friends, the story demonstrates the spirit of adventure that Peachey, who died at age 93 on Saturday at the , carried throughout his life.

鈥淲e would go on family vacations and we would take a tent and everywhere we went, we would find a campground,鈥� said one of his sons, George Peachey, of Silver Spring, Md. 鈥淲e went to Mexico that way and we went to Canada that way. We had a great time.鈥�

Paul Peachey, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2001, was a former sociology professor at Catholic University. He was known for his love of having deep, often philosophical conversations, a devotion to his family and wife, his emergency relief work following World War II and as an advocate for peace.

鈥淗e led by example, very effectively,鈥� his son, James Peachey, of Silver Spring, Md. said. 鈥淧eace was central to his way of life. He did not just quote [peace] as something you should do, he really put it into practice.鈥�

Paul Peachey traveled widely due to his and service efforts with and Church Peace Mission. Travel was something he was not familiar with as a child growing up in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The second of 10 children, Peachey was born in a log cabin and was 5 years old when his family moved to a 135-acre Amish-Mennonite farm a mile north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Peachey was on the path to being a lifelong farmer.

But from a young age, an interest in learning, spurred along by his father, was evident. His brother, Laban Peachey, 85, recalls Paul Peachey reading everything he could get his hands on, from Pennsylvania Farmer magazine to a 600-page history of Rome.

鈥淗is father always had an interest in books and learning,鈥� said Paul鈥檚 daughter, Janet Peachey, of Washington, D.C. 鈥淎lthough they were farmers, that was somehow in the background.鈥�

Peachey received a degree from Eastern Mennonite School, now 91短视频, where he met his match in Ellen Shenk, whom he married in 1945.

The two traveled and lived in various countries together 鈥� Belgium, Germany, Japan 鈥� performing postwar service work. Peachey also earned a doctorate in sociology from the University of Zurich while living in Switzerland.

鈥淗e was extremely devoted to my mom,鈥� said George Peachey.

In 2001, after helping form and living in a religious retreat center in West Virginia, the couple moved to VMRC, where they spent the remainder of their years. Ellen Peachey preceded her husband in death by three months.

鈥淔or awhile, [my dad] and my mom would take walks in the woods next to VMRC, which is one of the places they had gone in courtship,鈥� said James Peachey. 鈥淭here was this stone chimney there that I think his class had built as a gift to the university. That chimney is still there. [I thought it was] a very charming bookend. 鈥� They had started [a life] together [there] and then they ended in the same place again.鈥�

Auctioneer H.L. Wenger of Harrisonburg calls for bids on Brownie and Gladys Driver’s Log Cabin Cross quilted wall hanging, a duplicate of one the sisters made earlier that was given to Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Photo by Jim Bishop

A 21″ by 31″ quilted wall hanging, “Log Cabin Cross,” the sisters made this summer to donate to the relief sale instead was purchased by 91短视频 as a gift to Rev. Desmond Tutu. The Anglican Archbishop was in Harrisonburg on Sept. 21 – the International Day of Peace – to receive an award from the Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence at James Madison University in recognition of his peacemaking work in his native South Africa.

91短视频 President Loren Swartzendruber and other 91短视频 officials participated in a tree-planting ceremony at the Gandhi Center earlier that day and gave the Nobel Laureate the Drivers’ handmade wall hanging.

The $500 91短视频 paid for the piece was donated to , the worldwide relief and service agency based in Akron, Pa.

Back to Work

In a two-week period immediately following, the Driver sisters fashioned a second identical Log Cabin Cross wall hanging that went for $525 during Saturday’s auction.

The Driver sisters, residents of Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, have created paintings, quilts, comforters and wall hangings to donate to the sale every year since the event began in 1967. “It’s something we can do,” Gladys Driver said. “We’d feel like something was missing if we didn’t participate in this way.”

This year’s sale raised $310,000 in gross receipts for Mennonite Central Committee, nearly identical to last year’s sale.

‘Penny Power’ Project

These funds include approximately $21,835 for the “Penny Power” project, initiated in 2001, in which area congregations and other groups collect coins and currency in large water jugs for weeks or months and bring their containers to the sale for sorting and tabulating.

The “Penny Power” funds will be divided equally between MCC and . MCC’s portion will be used to minister to AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in 11 countries. VMBM will use its portion to support the ministry of Micah, Adam and Isaiah Riddle, children of missionaries Chris and Melody Riddle in Italy.

An auction of handmade quilts, wall hangings, knotted comforters and afghans, artwork and wooden handcrafted items accounted for $120,000 of the total funds raised.

$1,000 or More

Around 19 items went for $1,000 or more.

A wall hanging designed and pieced by Carmen Wyse of Community Mennonite Church and quilted by Grace Mumaw of Lindale Mennonite Church that was made from feed sacks of the 1930s and 1940s went for $6,100.

A 13th edition of the “Harmonia Sacra” songbook created by Joseph Funk and published in 1869 went for $1,200.

There’s no glazed expression for first-year 91短视频 student Ingrid Johnson, one of many volunteers in the homemade donut operation. The process started at midnight, and persons worked three-hour shifts in making 15,000 of the confectionery delights. Photo by Jim Bishop

Again this year the venue included such popular food items as 15,000 homemade glazed donuts, 150 gallons of Brunswick stew made on the premises by members of Springdale and Mt. View Mennonite churches in Augusta County, 3,000 barbecued chicken halves, homemade potato chips and apple butter and cider.

Live Radio Broadcast

The sale opened with a Friday afternoon two-hour live radio broadcast called “Down Home Shenandoah” on radio station WSIG, 96.9 FM. Using music and storytelling, the program sought to interpret the history and culture of the various Mennonite groups in the central Valley area. The broadcast ended with the audience joining in singing “606” (now #118 in the Brethren-Mennonite hymnal), “Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow.”

“This was an experiment of sorts, an attempt to bring back ‘old-time radio’ that you seldom hear anymore while trying to relate some of the area Mennonites’ church’s distinctives and traditions,” said Hal Dubois, co-host of the show.

“The sale auction seemed a bit different this year in that there weren’t a lot of ‘big ticket’ items, said Marvin Nisly, relief sale chair. “No quilt went for more than $4,000, yet at the same time the auction generated almost the same amount as last year.

Nisly thought the unseasonably warm weather helped draw “a larger than usual crowd,” adding: “I’m always amazed at the way everything comes together [at the sale] and the amount of good will that is generated as people support this relief effort.”

The Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale is held annually on the first Saturday in October. It began on the Wenger farm near Waynesboro and expanded to Augusta Expoland in 1974. The sale moved to the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in 1999.

Rev. Tutu receives a quilted wall hanging from 91短视频 President Loren Swartzendruber that was created by sisters Brownie(l.) and Gladys Driver (r.) of Harrisonburg. Photos by Jim Bishop

At a mid-morning tree-planting ceremony at James Madison University, 91短视频 President Loren Swartzendruber thanked JMU’s Mahatma Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence for including 91短视频 in welcoming Tutu, who is renowned for championing human rights and global peacemaking.

In brief remarks to Tutu and some 75 others present for the ceremony, Dr. Swartzendruber praised Tutu’s commitment to the cause of peace and reconciliation. “91短视频, in the Christian peace church tradition, is also committed to this cause, believing that Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to find peaceful solutions to conflict,” said Swartzendruber.

The Gandhi Center was established in 2005 under JMU Professor Sushil Mittal “to promote a culture of nonviolence and peace worldwide based on universal values of justice, equality, freedom,” according to the center’s web site ().

The Gandhi Center selected Tutu to be the first recipient of its annual Mahatma Gandhi Global Nonviolence Award and chose to present the award on the International Day of Peace, Sept. 21.

‘Message of Peace and Non-Violence’

“We are proud to join with the Gandhi Center in promoting a message of peace and non-violence,” said Swartzendruber. “Thirteen years ago, 91短视频 established what is now known as the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding with an annual Summer Peacebuilding Institute. From three students in two countries – the U.S. and Burma in 1994-95 – our Center has grown to have more than 3,000 alumni living and working for peace in more than 103 countries, including 10 peacebuilder graduates in South Africa.”

Loren Swartzendruber presents Rev. Desmond Tutu with a CD-ROM of greetings from 91短视频 students who are studying in South Africa the fall semester.

Swartzendruber presented Archbishop Tutu with a CD of recorded greetings from 24 91短视频 students and two faculty members who are spending the fall semester in a cross-cultural seminar in South Africa. He also gave the archbishop copies of “Peacebuilder,” the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding’s semi-annual magazine, and books from the “Little Books on Justice and Peacebuilding” series.

“As a symbol of Mennonite’s strong belief in community,” Swartzendruber presented Tutu with a quilted wall hanging made by sisters Brownie and Gladys Driver, residents of the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community and members of Weavers Mennonite Church.

The Archbishop told sisters Brownie and Gladys Driver, “I’ll hang [the piece] in my office so I can look at it and think of you when I am working.”

The tree planting celebrated the establishment of the Gandhi Center. The Anglican archbishop congratulated JMU on “establishing a center that seems a vibrant, lively institution” dedicated to the promotion of peacemaking and nonviolence.

Tutu Speaks on ‘Power of Goodness’

The evening of Sept. 21, Rev. Tutu spoke on “The Power of Goodness” at JMU’s Convocation Center with thousands of people attending, including many students, faculty and staff from 91短视频.

Tutu’s remarks displayed his warmth, humility and disarming sense of humor, as this anecdote shows. While attending a ceremony for a 400-year-old school that was named in his honor in England, “a student came up afterwards and asked me if I was there when the school began.” Tutu chuckled at the recollection, then added this punchline: “A few years later, they changed the name.”

“I hold young people in the highest regard,” Tutu declared. “Many of them have an incredible passion for making this a more caring and sharing world through a most wonderful collaboration with God.”

91短视频 Well-Represented

Swartzendruber with his wife, Pat, sat at Tutu’s table at the banquet that preceded the convocation program. Present at other tables were executive director Lynn Roth and professor Lisa Schirch of 91短视频’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, among other 91短视频 officials.

The Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir, associated with 91短视频’s music department, treated the thousands in the crowd to a South African medley, “Freedom is Coming/Siyahamba” and “Abide With Me,” arranged by Celah Pence, an 91短视频 alumna.

Dr. Myron S. Augsburger, 91短视频 president emeritus and member of the board of trustees of the Gandhi Center, and alumnus Ron Yoder offered a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing on Archbishop Tutu at the close of the award ceremony. Yoder, the chief executive officer of Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, is also a member of the Gandhi board of trustees.

The "best in show" award at the annual Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) Juried Art Exhibit went to , associate professor of at 91短视频.

Fast’s piece, "Madonna of the Great Wave: Import/Export," was created from handmade paper, cut-outs, paint and objects and is one of three in a series that comments on what society worships, thus the icons.

"The piece is symbolic of how we