A Life Celebrated Clara Lois Peachey Yoder June 17, 1920 - October 13, 2015 The oldest daughter of ten children born to the late Shem Peachey and Salome Bender, Lois grew up on a farm in Somerset County, PA . She taught primary school for Amish and Mennonite children in the area and in Delaware, before marrying the late Allen Yoder in 1942. Lois and Allen started out their 64 years of marriage living on his family farm near Grantsville, MD where their three children were born. The couple's life was dominated by the demands of the farm and the rich relationships of a rural community, their large families, and raising their children to whom they were devoted. In 1955 Lois and her family moved to Harrisonburg, VA. They were soon active in the Mount Vernon Mennonite Church of Grottoes, VA, where she and Allen directed youth activities for many years. Having obtained her GED in 1952, Lois found time to pursue her education by taking classes at James Madison College and Eastern Mennonite College in Harrisonburg. Lois moved to the capital area in 1968 and then to the house she and Allen purchased on Columbia Road in the District of Columbia. Here she could take advantage of the cultural offerings of the city, could attend the Church of the Savior and participate in social outreach programs such as the Potter's House, and obtain a college degree. In 1979 Lois graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and in 1997 earned an M.A. in Composition and Rhetoric at UDC. She also wrote numerous poems as well as stories for children and presented her work as dramatic readings in churches and other group meetings. In addition to her artistic activities, she became interested in nutrition, particularly the use of soy as a protein source. She developed a process to debitter soy flour, experimented with recipes using soy, wrote a cookbook featuring soy, and patented her soy debittering process. Lois and Allen returned to Harrisonburg in 1999; in 2002 she moved into an apartment at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community where Allen was in nursing care and where she would remain until 2014. Here she became adept at working with a computer and wrote numerous poems and stories. She also continued her dramatic readings and took classes at EMU. Her work was inspired by Biblical literature and by the natural world. She always sought ways to share her faith experience with others. Lois will be remembered by her extensive network of family and friends. She is survived by two sons, Stanley and Jesse Yoder; one daughter, Judy Keener, one grandson, Adrian Graber, and one great grandson, Brenden. Lois also has four remaining siblings: Jane Lind of Toronto, Ont; Urbane Peachey of Lancaster, PA; Anna Shenk of Boston, MA; and Laban Peachey of Harrisonburg, VA.
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