Velma E. Newcomer, 96

May 13, 2021

Velma E. Newcomer, 96, passed away peacefully at Mennonite Home on May 13, 2021. Born in Millersville in 1924, Velma was the daughter of the late Witmer and Ellen(Stauffer) Neff and was a graduate of Penn Manor High School. She was the loving wife of Warren E. Newcomer, having been married for more than 51 years prior to her husband’s passing in 1997.

Velma was a devoted homemaker after the birth of her sons and was an excellent baker, regularly making cupcakes, pies, and cookies for her family and for special occasions. Together, she and Warren maintained a large garden, an annual effort that she continued for many years after her husband’s death. Velma spent many hours raising and picking lima beans, corn, and strawberries to share.

In addition to caring for her family, Velma loved working in her yard. She mowed her yard with her dependable John Deere tractor until she was in her late 80s and had the cleanest mower deck one could imagine, crawling under the mower to clean the deck after every mowing. Everyone who knew Velma knew she was determined, independent, and a no-nonsense type of person.

She was a long-time member of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Neffsville, having sung in the choir with her husband in earlier years. In later years Velma enjoyed working with her friends in the kitchen, helping to prepare meals for church events.

Velma is survived by her sons, Melvin, husband of Mindy, and Robert, husband of Mimi, as well as five grandchildren, Mark, Megan, Robert, Julie, and Michael, and 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Frances Herr and Alice Grossman.

A funeral will be held at the Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, 441 North George Street in Millerville on Thursday, May 20, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. Family and friends are invited to attend the viewing from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Interment will follow at Millersville Mennonite Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.