Lillian Joyce Sprunger

Lillian Joyce (née Baumgartner) Sprunger, 89, passed away on April 7, at Swiss Village in Berne. She was born on April 18, 1932, to John and Mary (Gehring) Baumgartner in French Township, Adams County. She was the fifth of eleven children and graduated from Berne High School in 1950.  She married Kent V (KV) Sprunger on April 3, 1955, and they enjoyed sixty-four years together in Berne.

Lillian grew up on her parents’ hatchery farm, where she learned the value of hard work. One of seven sisters, Lillian was one of the “outside girls” frequently assigned to hatchery chores. Nicknamed “Billie” by her father, she learned to love and appreciate the natural world and working with her hands.  In high school she was a cheerleader for the Berne Bears.

Along with her husband, Lillian raised three children in Berne.  She was a constant support to her husband, KV, who owned and operated a contracting business for many years.  She would wake early daily and load a five-gallon bucket with packed lunches for KV and her sons.

In the late 1960’s Lillian continued her love for children by studying early childhood education and co-founding the Berne Preschool.  Operated out of her home in its early stage, the preschool has been operated by the First Mennonite Church, Berne, for over fifty years.  Lillian helped the school build a solid and lasting foundation that fostered a child’s joy of learning, one of her life’s passions. She enjoyed creating projects for hands-on learning and loved sharing books and storytelling with the children. Her grandchildren later reaped the benefits of her preschool teaching experience, as she would have storybooks, sand piles, art and nature materials, or other surprises ready for visits.

Lillian was a long-time, active member of the First Mennonite Church, Berne, supporting its missions and ministries in many generous ways. She loved gardening, canning, cooking, baking, and collecting and restoring antiques.  Her husband was the greatest fan of her pies. She and her husband were faithful companions to numerous dogs.  And she and KV enjoyed traveling with family and friends during retirement years.

Lillian is remembered for her love, compassion, generosity, and hard work throughout her life.  She was fun, creative, and adventuresome. She was especially gentle, kind, and patient with children and the elderly. She was a dear wife, mother, sister, aunt, and friend to many. She will be remembered with much love and thanks.

She is survived by her children Gaye (Kent A.) Yoder of Middlebury and her sons Kent V of Milton, DE, and Phil (Margaret) of Baton Rouge, LA; six grandchildren, Erin (Justin), Allison (Steve), Conrad (Ali), Carsten, Ian, and Jared; and three great grandchildren, Logan, Dylan, and Roselyn.  Also surviving are sisters Helen Woodard, Anna Rose Lloyd, and Lois Tackwell (Lloyd "Bing"), brothers Galen (Joyce) and Gene (Elaine), and sister-in-law Marjorie (Truman), along with many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 2019; her sisters Carolyn Yergler, Delores Shady, Joanne Harter, and infant MaryAnn, and brothers Truman and Howard.

A celebration of her life with family and friends will take place at the First Mennonite Church, Berne, on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at 12:00 p.m., with visitation an hour prior to the service. The the service will be live-streamed and can be accessed by using the link www.firstmennonite.org . Private burial will follow at the M.R.E. Cemetery in Berne.

Memorials may be made to the Berne Preschool Scholarship Fund .

Arrangements by Zwick & Jahn Funeral Homes, Yager-Kirchhofer Chapel in Berne, Indiana