Verna Kreider Schenker

Verna Kreider Schenker

Verna Kreider Schenker, of Wilmington, DE, an accomplished musician, community builder, loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, passed away on September 1, 2017, four days after celebrating her 96th birthday with family and friends.

Generations of Delawareans took private lessons on the piano, violin, guitar or horn instruments from Verna. For decades she also led song sessions at Delaware synagogues and in convalescence homes. She also performed at churches while assisting her husband Henry in conducting interfaith programs in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Verna was a pillar of the Jewish community in Wilmington. She was recognized in February 1983 as a community builder by the Delaware Region of The National Conference of Christians and Jews for her long term volunteer leadership and contributions to the community.

A member of Congregation Beth Emeth's board of trustees from 1977 to 2010, Verna served twice as president of Beth Emeth's Sisterhood, was chairperson of The Service To The Blind Committee, the initiator of a fund for needy families, a member of the temple's Caring Committee, a board member of the National Council of Jewish Women and a member of the board of the auxiliary of the Kutz Home. Her many contributions to the synagogue led to the establishment of The Verna Schenker Volunteer Service Award in 2012.

But Verna will perhaps best be remembered for the 33 years she served as Beth Emeth's Membership Chairwoman. Until she retired from that role in 2011, Verna stood by the entrance of the chapel every Friday night. She held the record for recruiting the most members because she exuded warmth and was genuinely caring to every single person who walked through the synagogue's doors.

Verna dedicated her life to helping others in many ways, organizing a monthly brunch for senior citizens of all denominations in her Green Acres home for more than 20 years and spending much of her free time driving people to doctors appointments and writing cards, making calls and taking food to people who were ill.

Entertaining was also a big part of Verna's life: she began playing music at age seven, and taught music for more than 80 years. She started with the piano, later taking up the violin, the Spanish guitar, ukulele and the Hawaiian electric guitar. She gave private lessons to more than 35 pupils in her hometown of Lititz, Pennsylvania while still a teenager, and at the age of 14 began conducting an all girls chorus composed of members from Lititz and Lancaster.

While still enrolled in high school Verna formed a musical group called the Hawaiian Sweetheart Revue. The group toured all over eastern Pennsylvania, performing at Hershey Park. She also had her own musical radio show on WGAL in Lancaster for three years, and later started what was the largest school marching band at the time in Denver, PA.

In order to graduate from Lebanon Valley Music Conservatory, Verna had to perform a solo on each instrument in a symphony orchestra, training that would later help her teach generations of children how to play music.

After graduation she began teaching music in Pennsylvania public schools, first in East Kempville Township and later in Landisville and New Holland. She also worked as a music supervisor at Denver High School. At the time, the school did not have a band, but Verna went door to door with instruments in hand, attracting 125 high school students in joining what would become the largest marching band in the county at the time. She would lead the band, which included 25 majorettes and color guards through the streets of Denver, wearing her ever-present high heels. But, as she often recalled, even in heels all of the students were taller than her.

Verna moved to Delaware in the 1950s, working as a music supervisor for five years at the New Castle Special School District and for one year as a music teacher at the Lore School. She met her husband, Henry, a research chemist at the DuPont Company, while teaching music in Wilmington. The couple married at Beth Emeth and had three daughters.

Although she stopped teaching music in public schools she did not stop giving private music lessons until well into her 90s and continued to give live performances at local retirement homes and in talent shows. A 2011 talent show performance at Beth Emeth, in which she can be seen singing "I Wish I Were 18 Again," while strumming the ukulele, got a standing ovation and was made into a YouTube video.

Verna was an extraordinary woman who led an extraordinary life, touching many people with her music and good deeds. She served as a role model to her family and many friends.

Verna was preceded in death by Dr. Henry H. Schenker, her husband of 57 years, her brother Bill Charles, of Baltimore, Maryland, and her daughter, Laurie Schenker Polleck, of Bear, Delaware. She is survived by daughters Connie Mullen (Wes) of Deltona, FL, Jennifer Schenker Beder (Stephane) of Paris, France; son-in-law Rick Polleck of Bear; five grandchildren, Deirdra Bull of Queensland, Australia, Michael O'Donnell, of Deltona, FL, Jordan Beder of Los Angeles, CA, Sasha Schenker Beder of New York, NY and Stephanie Mullen of Washington, D.C; and six great-grandchildren Kelsey, Lauren and Paul Henshall of Queensland, Australia and Mickey, Sophia and Wally O' Donnell of Deltona, FL.

Funeral services will be 11:00 am Tuesday September 5,2017 at Congregation Beth Emeth, 300 W. Lea Boulevard, Wilmington, DE 19802. Shiva will be observed 7:00 pm Tuesday evening at Congregation Beth Emeth. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the Schenker Holocaust Memorial Garden at Beth Emeth.

SCHOENBERG

MEMORIAL CHAPEL