Corinne Krekler Chapman, 89, of Van Wert, passed away Friday, December 20, 2024. She was born on August 20, 1935, in Middletown.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William H. and Alice (Roberts) Krekler; her brother, Norman R. Krekler; and former husbands, Stephen J. Wersan, Jack R. Gray, and Collins A. Chapman.
She is survived by her daughters, Rebecca Alice “Ariel” Litzky and Vivian Jacquette “Jackie” Rhoades; grandchildren, Corrie Rhoades Gerster and David Elgar Rhoades; great grandchildren, Katherine “Katie” Cole, Lillian “Herb” Cole, Jacob Rhoades, and Benjamin Gerster; and brother, Bruce R. Krekler.
Corinne’s passions were her Quaker heritage, genealogy, education, and women’s advancement. She was a lifelong member of Elk Monthly Meeting (West Elkton Friends), which was the first church in Preble County and had been a hub on the Underground Railroad. She attended Quaker boarding schools (Olney and Westtown) and received her Bachelor of Arts in sociology at the age of 19 in 1955 from Earlham College.
After college, she moved to New York City and worked for the summer as a social worker on a floating hospital, then began her studies at Columbia University that fall as a Ford Foundation Fellow.
Corinne received her Master of Arts in secondary education in 1960 from Whittier College and did extensive graduate work beyond the master’s level. She later taught school for 1-2 years and then became a guidance counselor for 29 years. Most of her counseling career was at Amherst, OH first at the high school, later at the junior high. She especially loved facilitating college attendance for her students, recommending them to the colleges and training programs that best suited their abilities, and helping them find funding to pursue their education.
As a child, Corinne visited all then-48 states, a fact she remained proud of her whole life. As an adult, she immersed herself in researching her family’s genealogy, a quest that took her again to churches, cemeteries, colleges, and courthouses in several states to do research in pre-internet days. She loved to regale visitors with stories from her family history.
A steadfast supporter of women’s advancement and equality, she was an active member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) since the 1950s, for which she also served as an officer. She was also an avid reader.
Corinne never missed sending greeting cards for all occasions to practically everyone she knew, particularly to close relatives. She was even still doing this up until the last few days of her life. For many years, she also blessed each newborn in the family with a blanket she knitted for them.
Services will take place at a later date, tentatively scheduled for mid-June at West Elkton Friends Meeting.
Contributions in Corinne’s memory may be made to Elk Monthly Meeting, PO Box 27, West Elkton, OH 45070, or Office of Institutional Advancement, Earlham College, 801 National Road West, Richmond, Indiana 47374, or Westtown School, 975 Westtown Road, West Chester, PA 19382.
