Genevieve Elaine (Buhler) Fast, died on May 17, 2015, from complications of pancreatic cancer. She was born in Bluffton, Ohio, on June 1, 1927, and was the oldest of four children born to Leucile and Gerhard Buhler.
She lived in Bluffton throughout her primary, secondary, and post-secondary schooling. Genevieve graduated from Bluffton College in May, 1948, with dual degrees in Biology and Home Economics, and she went to The Ohio State University to complete her State Vocational Degree in Home Economics. She completed college in three years after meeting her fiancé, Peter G. Fast, whom she married on Aug. 22, 1948.
Genevieve went on to teach high school in both Indiana and California. She was also a department chair during her teaching career in several Fresno Unified School District high schools.
Genevieve and Peter travelled frequently both in the U.S. and abroad. After retirement, they moved to Neuwied, Germany, to assist Mennonite Central Committee in its work of resettling refugees after the Berlin Wall fell.
During fall 2008, Genevieve and Peter moved back to Bluffton, Ohio.
Genevieve is survived by her four children and their spouses, Cheryl Berz, Dohn and Jeanette Fast, Gary and Taci Fast, and Janita and Richard Rawls; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.
Genevieve’s sisters and spouses, Joanne and Leland Voth, Inez Buhler, and Ruth and Ken Graber, are also surviving. Genevieve is preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Peter, her parents, and her brother, Sam.
A memorial service will begin at 2 p.m. Aug. 1, 2015 at First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, where she was a member.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts be donated to Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Disaster Service, Bluffton College Buhler Scholarship Fund, or Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.chiles-lamanfh.com
