Evelyn "Evie" Jeanette Zimmerly

STERLING -- Evelyn (Evie) Jeanette Zimmerly, 87, died Friday, April 21, 2017, at Brenn-Field Nursing Center in Orrville after a period of declining health.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at Crown Hill Mennonite Church, 9693 Benner Road, Rittman, Ohio. Pastor Thomas Dunn and Pastor Terry Zimmerly will officiate. Burial will be in Crown Hill Mennonite Church Cemetery next to the church.

Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at the church, and Wednesday an hour before services at the church. The family suggests friends may make a donation to Crown Hill Mennonite Church Memorial Fund, 9693 Benner Road, Rittman, Ohio 44270 in her memory.

Online expressions and guest book registry are available at www.gresserfuneralhome.com.

She was born to Dennis and Edna Blough Zimmerly on July 23, 1929, in Milton Township, Wayne County.

Evie attended the Number 8 county school in Milton Township for five years, which then became her home residence for the last 50 years. Evie graduated from Sterling High School in 1947. She attended Goshen College and graduated with a degree in elementary education. Her teaching career consisted of one year in an Amish school in Holmes County, three years at Ailsa Craig Boys School in Ailsa Craig Ontario, Canada, one year at Creston Elementary and 30 years at Orrville Elementary School teaching third grade.

Evie accepted Christ at a young age and spent her entire life serving the Savior. She loved children and although she never married nor had children of her own, her life was filled with children. Thirty years of teaching elementary school, Sunday school, Bible school and spending time with nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews and neighborhood children.

In 1974, Evie was instrumental, along with her sibling, in starting The Fountain, a community growth center adjoining her home. Her summers were spent supervising and playing with children and their families at the pond. Evie's sweet nature and gentle spirit gave hope and encouragement to many people.

She is survived by sisters, Velma (Art) Shoup of Rittman, Ann Detweiler and Twila Zimmerly of Sterling; and brothers, Jacob (Ila) Zimmerly and Dennis (Lois) Zimmerly of Sterling; nieces and nephews, Terry (Karen) Zimmerly of Canada, Scott (Heather) Zimmerly of Marshallville, Randy (Cyndi) Zimmerly of Indiana, Mike (Diane) Zimmerly of Lake Milton, Doug (Genne) Zimmerly of Sterling, Sandy (Terry) Hanzie of Rittman and Joy (Brian) Ziegler of Sterling; and 16 great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents.