Margaret S. Rosenberger

Margaret S. Rosenberger, 89, of Lititz PA, died Sunday, February 2, 2020 at UPMC Lititz surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Goshen, Indiana, daughter of the late Earl & Vinora Salzman. Margaret was married to Rev. W. Clemens Rosenberger. She taught music……She was a member of Lancaster Church of the Brethren. Surviving besides her husband Clem are her children, Cynthia Anne Markham married to Jeffery, Jeffrey Clemens Rosenberger married to Lisa, Leslie Elizabeth Rosenberger, and Janice Havemann Walls married to Sam; her grandchildren Caitlin Markham Morse, Blake Rosenberger, Spencer Havemann, Carley Rosenberger, Kristin Markham, Trevor Havemann, Chad Rosenberger and Evan Havemann; her sister, Ruth Ellen Dean. Preceding her in death was her sister, Dorothy Epp. Margaret will be long remembered for her warmth of spirit, her ever-present smile, her welcome inclusion of all, her grace and intelligence and her extreme love of family. Her life was, as someone said, was indeed like a flower, radiating beauty and fragrance of the gifts of her life—goodness, kindness, faithfulness, Christian character and love freely given to her family and friends. The daughter of a General Conference Mennonite minister who pastored churches in Indiana, Illinois and Upland, CA, and the husband of a Church of the Brethren minister who pastored congregations in Johnstown, PA, Lititz, PA, and La Verne, CA, including a post-retirement year’s ministry in New Enterprise, PA, Margaret often said she did not have a place to call home until the entire family moved back east to Lancaster, PA, where Margaret and her husband, Clem, have lived since 1994. As a music major graduate of Bluffton College in 1952, Margaret’s life-long love has always been the Musical and Dramatic Arts. While at Bluffton, she gave her graduation recital in both vocal and violin. She then taught music in the public schools. She thanks her parents for letting her start to play the piano, then moving her to the violin and keeping her at it. There were lots of times that she did not want to practice and do other things, but she is grateful that her parents did not allow that. Margaret often said that being able to play a musical instrument is very fulfilling as one gets older. While Clem served his first church in Westmont, Johnstown, PA, from 1958-1966, Margaret mothered the couple’s four children while singing in the church choir, teaching Sunday School, Directing the Youth Club choir and playing and playing and playing first violin in the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra. From 1966-1982 during her husband’s sixteen-year ministry at the Lititz Church of the Brethren, Margaret was a substitute teacher in vocal and string music, mostly in the Warwick District, and taught a year at Rothsville Elementary School. She helped teach Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and created in her young students a love for singing the beautiful Spirituals that were born in the daily struggles of southern slaves. During their eleven years in La Verne, CA, Margaret played her violin in the Claremont Symphony Orchestra, small string ensembles and the University Cub, which is similar to the Lancaster Musical Arts Society. She sang in the Louis Ronfelt Chorale, which performed annually in the Los Angeles Civic Center. Margaret also premiered vocal music for funerals and seasonal music composed by her good friend Dr. Wilbur Held, the renowned, composer of organ music played by most organists including Margaret Marsch, the Lancaster Church of the Brethren organist. Following her husband’s retirement, while serving as a year-long Interim Minister at the New Enterprise, PA, Church of the Brethren, Margaret and Clem were invited by a local school principal who heard them play the Bach Double Violin Concerto in a Sunday worship service, to create an educational program of string music to be played in local schools since severe budget cutbacks had sadly eliminated the school district’s string program. “Doing this,” said Margaret, “was lots of fun and very fulfilling!” Following the family move back to Lancaster County in 1994, Margaret played first violin in the Hershey Symphony, the Lancaster Senior Orchestra, and the Lititz Moravian Church orchestra for the six Christmas Vigils each year. In the January 28, 2002 Intellingencer Journal writer, Lori Van Ingen, wrote about Margaret in her weekly Senior Citizens column, the title being, Short Fingernails and a Long Love Affair with Music. Margaret’s hobbies included reading, walking, travel, cross country car trips to the west coast, spending time in the beautiful, floral springtime dessert and solving her beloved daily scramble and Sudoku, her favorite challenge. Everyone loved her wonderful humor, including the doctors and nurses whom she kept laughing until she entered her eternal heavenly rest. Creating a close, loving, gifted, servant-minded family of four children and eight grandchildren was her greatest love and crowning legacy. She was open, affirming, progressive, truthful, good at listening, direct in giving advice and always a fierce advocate for each member of her family. No minister’s spouse could have been more supportive and helpful to his or her work than Margaret was to Clem. And each of the churches they served in over forty-five years of ministry deeply respected and loved her for that. As someone once said, ….” rather than mourn the absence of the flame, let us celebrate how brightly it burned.” Relatives and friends are invited to Margaret’s Celebration of Life Memorial Service at Lancaster Church of the Brethren, 1601 Sunset Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17601 on Saturday, February 29, 2020, beginning with a 10:30 a.m. Prelude followed by the 11:00 a.m. Celebration of Life Service. The family will receive friends on Saturday at the church from 9-10:30 a.m. and following the service during a reception at the church’s Family Life Center. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name may be made to the Brethren Village Good Samaritan Fund or Lancaster Church of the Brethren.