Edith Roeder

Edith was born in 1920, the fourth of five children born in Rutherford, New Jersey, to C. Walter Crockett and Adele Smith. She moved as a child to Lancaster, entering the public school system and graduating from McCaskey High School. She enrolled at Millersville state Teachers' College. She married Samuel N. Roeder and moved to Palmerton, where she lived for fifty years.

Active in the Palmerton community, she was elected president of the Palmerton Concourse Club, performed with the Neighborhood Players, and joined the First United Church of Christ. She sang in the choir, became an Elder, and served for five years as president of the Church Council. A golfer, she was a member of the Blue Ridge Country Club, where she earned membership in the Hole-in-One Society.

Continuing her education, she earned a BS in Education at East Stroudsburg State Teachers' College, graduating with majors in both English and History. She was employed for twenty-five years as a teacher of high-school English in the Slatington School District. During her tenure she was elected president of the Northern Lehigh PSEA and asked to join Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary sorority. Chosen as a Master Teacher by the Education Department of Lehigh University, she taught for two summers in the Internship Program.

On retirement, she found pleasure by joining an art group, where she learned to paint in oils. Pursuing this hobby when she moved to Allentown, she joined the art groups, becoming a member of Parkland Art, the Palette Club, and Lehigh Art Alliance. She took an active interest by entering her art in group shows.

She was honored by the Baum School with a solo exhibition and recognized in 2013 with an award as visual Artist of the Year by the Allentown Arts Commission. Each year she displayed her work at Art in the Park.

Active in the Allentown community, she was a member of the Garden Club and twice opened her garden for the annual garden tour. A member of the Craftsmen's Guild, she marketed hand-knitted children's sweaters and handmade dolls. She was president of the Art Museum auxiliary, and a member of both the Kress Society and the Symphony Society. She volunteered as a teacher in ILR at Cedar Crest College.

She was pre-deceased by her husband of 60 years, by her brother, Walter Crockett, by two sisters, Cathryn Adele Swab and Frances Lefever, by her son, Samuel Prentice Roeder, by her daughter, Cathryn Adele Miller, by her granddaughter, Lauren Jahr, and by her grandson, Ronald Thoma.

She will be remembered by children and grandchildren: Samuel’s daughter Kristen and their children, Megan and Alexa, by her grandson Zachary Jahr; by son David Crockett Roeder and his wife Linda, their son David Alan and daughter, Katherine, wife of Zachary Grundt; their daughter, Jennifer, wife of Michael Blasi and their sons Luke and Aidan; by her grandson David H. Miller and his wife Jaime; and by her daughter Ellen H. Roeder Thoma, wife of Ronald Thoma (deceased), their daughters Michelle Thoma and Sue Ellen Beek, wife of Ashtyn, their daughters Adele and Lydia. She will be missed by her sister Adele Lutz and by her many nieces and nephews.

She was a member of the New Goshenhoppen United Church of Christ.

A memorial service will be held at 2 PM on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at New Goshenhoppen United Church of Christ, 1070 Church Rd, East Greenville, PA 18041 with a burial to follow in the church cemetery. You may greet the family in the church parlor starting at 1 pm. Arrangements are entrusted to Mann-Slonaker Funeral Home, East Greenville, PA.