Edith M. Zehr Elementary Education Scholarship Fund

Edith M. Zehr graduated from Goshen College with a degree in education in 1952 after beginning her higher education in the fall of 1946.  After two years at Goshen, she earned her teaching license and began her teaching career.  She returned to GC in the summers and then for a full year to complete her bachelor’s degree in 1952.  During her thirty-five year career, Edith spent four years teaching in voluntary service assignments.  The first was under Mennonite Central Committee where she served in Gulfport, MS and the second assignment was at Camp Rehobeth in Hopkins Park, IL.  She ended her teaching career at Bloomington, Ill. where she taught in the public school system, mostly teaching younger, elementary school-aged children.

Before her death in 2001, Edith decided to donate part of her estate to Goshen College.  Her sister Rachel commented that “Edith was always appreciative of what Goshen College had done for her.  She felt that GC was an important place for students to grow and learn”.  Edith grew up in Illinois and was one of eight siblings in her family.  Seven of the eight attended Goshen College so the ties to GC were very strong.  Since education was Edith’s life-long passion, her siblings agreed that her estate gift should be used to establish a scholarship fund to benefit elementary education majors at GC.