Obituary of Sara A. Keener

Sara A. Keener, 80, of Mount Joy, PA, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday morning, August 6, 2021 at Juniper Village following an extensive illness.  Born in Penryn, she was the daughter of the late William K. and Sara E. Brubaker Martin.  She was the loving wife of James E. Keener for 58 years on November 24, 2020.

Sara was a faithful member of Marietta Community Church where she served in the library.  As a newly married couple, Sara and Jim spent nearly two years serving in Mennonite Volunteer Service where Sara was a nurse’s aide at Crawford W. Long Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA.  Following volunteer service, she devoted herself as a homemaker, wife, and mother.  Among many other gifts, she was an accomplished seamstress.  She made clothing for her family, Teddy bears for her grandchildren, and designed and sewed hundreds of comfort tops for those in need.  She also tended a garden and canned many, many quarts of fruits and vegetables each year.  In addition to her natural children, Sara was a foster mother to seven children.  Later in life, she enjoyed putting jigsaw puzzles together and listening to audio books.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by three children, Brenda S. Drennan, wife of the late John F. Drennan, III, of Elizabethtown, Larry D., husband of Wendy L. Rowe Keener, of Ronks, and Jerry A., husband of I. Renee Eberly Keener, of Mount Joy; four grandchildren, Rosalyn (Samuel ) Marquard, Elaina Keener (fiancé Sheldon Martin), Peyton Keener, and Erin Keener; and four siblings, Mark, husband of Jean Martin, of Sarasota, FL, Fred, husband of Iris Martin, of Elizabethtown, Orpha Martin of Lancaster, and John, husband of Patricia Martin, of Mount Joy; and two sisters-in-law, Elva Martin of Millersville and Ava Lee Martin of Marietta.  In addition to her parents and son-in-law, she was preceded in death by three brothers, Richard, George, and Joel Martin.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday morning, August 11, 2021 at 10:15 AM at Goods Mennonite Church, Bossler Road, Elizabethtown, PA.  Please bring lawn chairs, if desired.  The family will receive guests during a viewing at Goods Mennonite Church, 4374 Bossler Road, Bainbridge on Wednesday morning from 9-10:00 AM.  Masks are appreciated.  Please omit flowers.  Contributions may be made to Mennonite Central Committee, PO Box 500, Akron, PA 17501 or to Joni and Friends, PO Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91301.  To express a condolence with the family or to watch a webcast of the service beginning Thursday morning, visit www.spencefuneralservices.com.