Cleta R. Reinford, 96, of Landis Homes, Lititz, Pa., died Sept. 21, 2024. She was born on a farm near Harleysville, Pa., daughter to Paul L. and Naomi (Clemens) Ruth.
On June 4, 1949, she married Daniel J. Reinford, and they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary together this June.
They lived in Kulpsville, Pa., for 45 years. They lived in Harrisonburg, Va., and later in Nazareth, Ethiopia during Dan’s teaching sabbatical years. They were able to be closer to their children and grandchildren when they moved to Lancaster in 2001. Cleta readily made friends wherever she lived and faithfully corresponded with many friends from all over the world.
She was a homemaker for most of her adult life. Her compassionate heart, visitation and hospitality supported her husband in the 16 years he served as pastor at Upper Skippack Mennonite Church. She was the church bulletin editor at Upper Skippack and Spring Mount Mennonite churches. She was employed for four years at North Penn High School, where she enjoyed relating to many students in the cafeteria snack shop. She volunteered at the Thrift Shop in Souderton and the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville. She made many thousands of posters for distribution by chaplains to Montgomery County prisons. She was active in women’s sewing groups.
She loved her family as it grew over the many years. She was a faithful sender of birthday cards. Her love language also included the delicious meals and baked goods she served. After moving to Landis Homes in 2020, she participated in the Landis Homes Sing for the Moment Choir. She will be remembered for her love of singing, especially her daily spontaneous “Jesus loves me” in the last year of her life.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by their five children, Merle (Ruth Ann Bauman), Glenn (Lorraine Sommers), Rhoda (Jonathan Charles), Joel (Valerie Mauck) and Neil (Donna Harnish); 12 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and brothers Vernon (Janet) Ruth and Leonard (Esther) Ruth. She was preceded in death by her brother, Walton; and her sister, Eleanor Ruth.