Alice Sutter Wenger Scholarship

Alice Marie Sutter was born May 19, 1927, at Hopedale, Illinois, to Lee Sutter and Alma Nafziger Sutter. She was the eighth of 11 children, seven daughters and four sons.

She was baptized and became a member of the Hopedale Mennonite Church in 1939. in September 1950, she was married to Daryl Wenger and in 1951 she graduated from Goshen College with a major in Elementary Education.

In December of 1951 a daughter, Kaye, was born. In December of 1952, 11½ months later, a second daughter, Janice, was born. In December of 1954, a third daughter, Marcia, was born – a week before Kaye was three years old. A1ice spent the next number of years caring for her family and home.

When Marcia was five years old, Alice began teaching at Parkside Elementary School and taught there for 23 years until her illness prevented her continuing.

Alice was a quiet woman, but a woman with strong ideals and principles. Her life has left an impact on many people. A teacher friend said she was always in school with a smile. Her room always seemed to be in order, and she loved beauty – one could tell by the way the room was decorated. She was a friend to her colleagues, did not talk about one to the other, never complained. Teachers knew they could trust her and came to talk with her. She shared her home with other teachers. Her teacher friends summed it up by saying, “She had such a quiet, good influence on our lives. There is a real vacancy there.”

She loved teaching and loved the children she taught. In the 23 years, she has touched the lives of about 575 children, many of whom are now adults. She was known for her quiet, gentle manner with children, for her smile, and for her presence. She was always there – playing with them on the playground, going with them on field trips, etc. She worked with each child by giving them a goal to strive for, some incentive for working, a positive approach rather than scolding or reprimanding.

Parents and pupils both had great respect and love for Alice. One mother appreciated her demeanor of quietly being in charge. There was structure and yet she allowed for freedom. She did not compare children who came from the same family but recognized each child’s abilities and personalities giving enrichment activities, allowing each to grow in his or her own way.

Because of the brain tumors, Alice was not able to speak much during the last several months. But from her bed in the hospital the past eight weeks, her life spoke to those who cared for her. One young woman said, “Her eyes were special to me. They created a bond between us. I found her to be a giving person, an understanding person.

Alice enjoyed flowers, especially roses, and there were always several bouquets of roses brought from her home to her hospital room She ; also app the friends who sat with her day after day – caring, sharing, showing support. This has helped to carry the family through these weeks and has been a witness to all on 3—east.

Another young woman who cared for her those eight weeks was deeply touched by Alice’s life. When I asked, “What did Alice mean to you?” she immediately replied, “She meant hope. I have never seen anyone like her. I could tell by her eyes that she was in a lot of pain but she never complained…. The way she responded made me feel very special. She made me feel like I was somebody. The biggest thank you I have ever had was her responding to me as she did–and it was all in Her eyes. Her eyes told the story, for I never saw fear in her eyes. She was not afraid to die–she represents hope. When one loves and dies like Alice did, that represents hope.”