Margaret Zelma (Shelly) Weaver died on Jan. 20, 2019, at the Mennonite Memorial Home in Bluffton, Ohio.
Margaret was born in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 8, 1922, to Katie May (Rickert) and Elwood S. Shelly. In 1939 she graduated from Pennsburg High School and began studying at Bluffton College, where she met Dick Weaver. She and Dick were married on June 8, 1943.
Margaret taught English and coached girls' softball for a year in Linden, Michigan, before leaving for Puerto Rico where she served with Dick in alternative service from 1944-46. She taught English there.
After a few years in Michigan they moved to Bluffton in 1950, where Dick began teaching at Bluffton College. She was a member of First Mennonite Church, Bluffton.
In 1966, Margaret began teaching Latin at Bluffton High School. During her 25 years at BHS she expanded the classics offerings there, adding Latin III, and then Mythology. She designed a course, “Human Values: Insights through Ancient Greece and Rome.” In 1978, BHS was awarded the Hildesheim Vase for the excellence of the classics program.
She was a popular speaker, giving many talks in the community, often drawing on her study trips to Greece and Rome. In later years she taught many classes at the Institute for Learning in Retirement.
Margaret was preceded in death by her sister, Kathryn, brothers, Paul, and Andrew, and husband, J. Richard Weaver. She is survived by her seven children, Jerry Weaver, Cynthia Weaver (Neil Sass), Louise (Jim) Zaffiro, Sally Weaver (Jon) Sommer, Shelly (Curtis) Weaverdyck, Paul (Laurel) Neufeld Weaver, Marsha Weaver (Lyle Henry); 16 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, at First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, with visitation starting at 2 p.m.
Memorial gifts may be made to Mennonite Memorial Home.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.chiles-lamanfh.com.
Chiles-Laman Funeral & Cremation Services in Bluffton is assisting the family with arrangements.
