Editing Spaulding, Blanche Brobeil (1913-2011)

Funeral program obituary

Birth date: 1913 Nov 3

Text of obituary:

Blanche (Brobeil) Spaulding was born November 3, 1913,
the only child of Charles and Maude (Long) Brobeil. She grew up
on a farm in Sac City, Iowa, where music and books were a part of
everyday life. She graduated from Lytton High School as
valedictorian of her class. She earned her B.S. degree in Home
Economics Education from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
Highlights of her growing up years centered around her
activities in Iowa 4-H club work. Strong 4-H club records made it
possible for her to attend the National 4-H Congress in Chicago
and to represent Iowa 4-H girls at National 4-H camp in
Washington, D.C. (She was elected state 4-H girls’ president.)
Following her graduation from college, she served one year
as Boone County (Iowa) Home Demonstration agent. The
following year she was a graduate student in the U.S.D.A. graduate
School on a Payne 4-H Scholarship. She returned to Ames to
become Assistant State 4-H Club leader in the Extension Service.
On December 3 1st, 1940, she married J. Lloyd Spaulding
who was employed by the U.S.D.A. During the war years they
worked in Church of the Brethren Civilian Public Service Camps,
where Blanche served as director of Cooking Schools in
Lyndhurst, Virginia; Magnolia, Arkansas; New Windsor,
Maryland; and Manchester College, Indiana.
In 1947 the Spauldings moved to North Newton, Kansas
where Lloyd joined the faculty of Bethel College. The Spauldings
remained at Bethel College except for a four year period in
Wichita, Kansas where Lloyd served as regional Secretary of the
American Friends Service Committee.
Through the years the children joined to complete the
family circle: sons Jay and Timothy and daughter Susan. Blanche
and Lloyd found their richest experiences as they and their children
grew together in the community. Later on grandchildren and great
grandchildren brought additional rewards.
Blanche had been baptized in the Presbyterian Church in
Lytton, Iowa where she remained a member of that fellowship
until she and Lloyd joined Bethel College Mennonite Church on
November 18, 1956. In May of 1998 Blanche was presented with
a plaque recognizing her 46 years as a Sunday school teacher of
children and youth in that church. During these years she also
taught in Church Schools of Peace and Schools of Missions and
Daily Vacation Bible Schools as well as workshops conducted by
Kansas Council of Churches.
Blanche served for many years as the librarian of the
Western District Loan Library. She found rich rewards in the
position and made many friends. It was an opportunity to share
her love of books and readings. As part of that experience she
started a preschool story hour in 1976. For 29 years this joy was a
part of Blanche’s life as she regularly shared stories with children
in Western District Library, Community Play School, Kauffman
Museum, Newton Medical Center Child Care, and countless story
times in school classrooms, Scout troops and camps. She found
special happiness when children of parents who had been in her
story hours appeared for a second generation of “story fun”. She
concluded her last story hour in December 2005.
Blanche enjoyed teaching in any form. She started
teaching in a country school when she was eighteen and concluded
her career as a member of the Bethel College faculty teaching
courses in Children’s Literature and Teaching Children in the
Church for several years.
Blanche and Lloyd had celebrated their 50t1I wedding
anniversary before Lloyd moved to Kidron Bethel Healthcare early
in 1994. In November of that year Blanche moved to an
independent living apartment at Kidron Bethel. After Lloyd died
in early 1995, Blanche was so happy she had made the move and
“found” a home of her own. She treasured her years at Kidron
Bethel.
Blanche is survived by sons Jay Spaulding and his wife,
Stephanie Beswick of Muncie, Indiana; Timothy Spaulding and his
wife, Reneé and their sons Michael and Ryan of Oswego, Illinois;
daughter Susan Graves and her husband Jon, and their daughter
Kimberly Wenger and her husband Nicholas of Wichita, Kansas;
and their son William Graves and his wife Sarah of Las Cruces,
New Mexico; and great grandchildren, Jakob, Jackson, and
Caroline Wenger of Wichita, Kansas. She is also remembered by
many friends.

[[Category: Funeral program obituaries]]