Ora and Mary Troyer both hail from farm backgrounds from the Goshen area They went to different churches and different high schools, but their paths crossed on occasion. They were married in May 1955.
During her teaching career, she strove to always create an atmosphere of well-being in her classroom, where every child felt valued and where learning was a pleasure. Her teaching philosophy reflected her belief that no one is “dumb,” and that everyone is able to learn something.
My grandfather, Francis C. Troyer, cannot easily be described in only a few words. Born in 1915 in Shipshewana, Indiana, he spent several years of his youth living with his widowed grandmother in order to help with small chores at her farm.
Cliff said that he learned so much from his Goshen College education that they sent their four children for at least a year each. Their goal is to make education at Goshen College accessible to students now and for years to come.
Music was very important in our home! Our father led the singing at church for many years, and he taught us to sing in parts at an early age.
Music was Gareth’s life-long interest. As a two-year-old, he played records by the hour and pretended to direct the music he heard. He enjoyed singing with his family, and at a young age could carry the alt line quite well.
This scholarship is a tribute to Edith Stoltzfus, who after raising her five children and the youngest had started school, chose to pursue her lifelong desire to become a nurse. After completing her training in her early 50s, Edith worked at the local hospital for 15 years.
Both of Isaac’s parents (1998 Goshen College graduates), all his grandparents and other ancestors attended Goshen College and it was likely Isaac would have as well. The family hopes that future recipients of this scholarship are inspired by Isaac’s story and commit themselves to provide the same kind of wonderful care to their patients that Isaac received.
The Kenneth Steider Memorial Scholarship has been created to recognize the many years Kenneth served in education, healthcare and teaching English as a Second Language while living in Taiwan and the important role Goshen College played in Kenneth’s life.
Louis and Wilma Stealy observed that both the value and the cost of the quality, higher education Goshen College provides, increased greatly in their later years. They knew that a majority of the students at Goshen received some form, at varying levels, of financial aid and that for many students, this aid is what enabled them to stay in college.
