Joyce E. Sheneman, 80, of Bremen passed away January 8, 2024, at the Ernestine M. Raclin House in Mishawaka.
Joyce Eileen Henderson was born August 14, 1943 in Plymouth, the daughter of Wayne and Bessie Beatty Henderson, the youngest of six children. She attended school in Plymouth, graduating from West High School in 1961.
Joyce married Jerry Sheneman on March 11, 1962, in Bremen where they raised three daughters – Amy, Jami and Jodi.
Joyce worked at several locations, including Pletcher’s Furniture in Nappanee and Bremen Castings. She also worked for many years as the church secretary at Bremen Church of the Brethren, where she also served on the church board and played the piano. Joyce also founded the church pre-school in 1998, where three of her grandchildren later attended. She was a charter member of the planning committee for the construction of the new church in 2010, and sang with the PTL Singers.
Joyce was active in her community, serving on the Bremen Park Board, where she helped coordinate the concession stands. She volunteered for many years at the men’s fast pitch softball tournament, which included cooking 20 pounds of sloppy Joe’s annually.
Joyce loved music, in church and with her family, singing with her daughters and teaching the piano and line dancing to her grandchildren. She also bowled on a team sponsored by her husband’s business, Jerry’s Garage, bowling at the state tournament for several years.
Joyce helped create the Amish Acres Art Festival in Nappanee. She also supported her daughters in their school’s show choir, driving them to contests and helping with set construction. She also enjoyed setting up pranks on her family and friends. The first snowfall of the year was always a special event for Joyce.
Family always came first for Joyce and Jerry, and they cherished the family get-togethers where they ate, laughed and played games. Many special memories were made on the many vacations spent together in St. Augustine, Florida.
She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Joyce is survived by her husband of 61 years, Jerry Sheneman of Bremen; daughters Amy Lashbrook of Bremen, Jami DeYoung and husband Jeff of Malvern, Iowa, and Jodi Harshbarger and husband Doug of Plymouth; five grandchildren – Lauren Miller and husband Braxston of Bremen, Alex Harshbarger of Elkhart, Taylor Coffel and husband Austin of Bremen, Alexa Seimer and husband Ethan of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, and Carter Harshbarger of Plymouth; her step-grandchildren, Josh DeYoung of Omaha, Nebraska, and Rachel Bland and her husband Brandon of Kansas City, Missouri; four great-grandchildren – Conner Coffel, Baker Miller, Harper DeYoung and Karsyn Biggs; sisters-in-law Hazel Henderson and Elaine Henderson; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Joyce is preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Bob, Harold, Howard and Bill, and sister Maxine Hardy.
Services will be held Saturday, January 13 at 1 p.m. at Bremen Church of the Brethren with the Rev. Wyatt Smith officiating. Visitation with the family will be prior to the service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church. Memorials are suggested to the Bremen Church of the Brethren Pre-School.
Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home of Plymouth is in charge of arrangements
