Althea Breiner Zehner

Althea Breiner Zehner

Althea Breiner Zehner,106, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in the St. Luke's Hospital, Miners Campus, Coaldale.

Born on April 1, 1919, in West Penn Township, she was the daughter of the late J. LeRoy Breiner and Florence (Kutz) Breiner.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Newton L. Zehner, who passed away on Dec. 1, 1990. They had been married for 50 years.

Althea was a 1936 graduate of Tamaqua High School and a 1938 and 1964 graduate of Kutztown University with a B.S. in education. She was a teacher in the Tamaqua and West Penn area schools for 30 years.

She was a lifelong member of St. Peter's Union, Mantzville. She was a former member of the Lutheran Church Council, taught adult Sunday school classes for 48 years, served as longtime secretary of the women's church group, was a Luther League advisor and participated in the long-range planning committee. She was president and secretary of the Tamaqua area Lutheran cluster and a former secretary of women of the ELCA of the Hazleton- Lehighton District.

She devoted many hours to community organizations by serving as Worthy Matron of former Pilgrim Chapter No. 137, Order of Eastern Star, Tamaqua. She was a member of the former West Penn Township Fair committee, a longtime member and former president and secretary of the West Penn Garden Club, and a former president and secretary of the West Penn Lioness Club. She was also an officer in the Schuylkill County Extension Association.

Because she was always interested in preserving the Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, she was a member of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Association and was a board member of the former 3-county women's Fersommling and the schreiver (secretary) of the former New Ringgold Fersommling.

She had a passion for oil painting and was an annual exhibitor at the Tamaqua Art Leagues show with oil paintings and pen and ink drawings.

Althea and her husband enjoyed traveling extensively in the continental U.S. as well as Alaska and Hawaii, Canada, the Caribbean, and 16 countries in Europe.

Survivors include her daughter, Rebecca Zehner; and her granddaughters, Jessica, wife of Keith Ryan, and Stephanie, wife of Matthew Johnson; great-grandchildren, Amelia Johnson, Alexander Johnson, Isobel Ryan and Gabrielle Ryan; and son-in-law, Bruce Everett.

She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Deborah Everett.

Service: Funeral service 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, St. Peter's Church, 184 St. Peter's Rd., Tamaqua, with the Rev. Clifford Herring officiating. Interment, church cemetery. Call 9:30-11 a.m. Thursday in the church. The Robert S. Nester Funeral Home, 2066 W. Penn Pike, New Ringgold, is in charge arrangements. Contributions in her name may be made to St. Peter's Union Church, 184 St. Peter's Road, Tamaqua, PA 18252. Online registry and condolences may be signed at www.griffithsfuneralhomes.com.