Clarence Miller Nissley

Clarence Miller Nissley, a recent resident of Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, Indiana passed away at 10:05 a.m. on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the age of 87.  He was a longtime resident of Martinsburg, West Virginia and Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. 

He was born on May 15, 1936, in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.  Clarence was one of seven children born to Ella (Miller) Nissley and Lloyd Nissley.  He always had fond memories of his childhood growing up on the farm and throughout his entire life he had a very close and special bond with his siblings.   On July 23, 1960, he was married in Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania to his lovely wife, Anna Katherine Kreider.  They were blessed to have celebrated 63 years of marriage and enjoyed the journey from raising a family to loving their grandchildren.

Clarence worked as an X-Ray technician for City Hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia, retiring in 2003 after 40 years.  He and his family enjoyed the fellowship of his church family at Goods Mennonite Church in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and then at Rosemont Grace Brethren Church where he also served as the trustee and was a Sunday School Teacher.  Clarence loved the Lord and was a strong Christian man.  He was a wonderful and kind person who sincerely loved people and getting to know them.  He could break the ice with one of his many jokes, and he was a wonderful storyteller…often telling the same stories over and over again!  Family was very important to Clarence and spending time with them was a joy…for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations and everything in between.  He enjoyed traveling and seeing God’s creation and he was fortunate in his life to have visited many places in Asia, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska and Hawaii.  Always a farm boy at heart, for over 50 years he tended to his “hobbie” of farming, and livestock.  He had a love for Massey-Harris tractors and had a collection of them.  After retirement, he took an interest in caning chairs and enjoyed taking and teaching classes for 10 years. 

Clarence lived a long and fulfilling life serving his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in everything he did and passed that love on to his family that he leaves behind.  He was a wonderful husband, loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and friend who will be dearly missed. 

He leaves behind his wife, Anna K. Nissley (Winona Lake, IN); son, Rodney (Lisa) Nissley (Pierceton, IN); two daughters, Sheryl (Marc) Knoedler (Nort Port, FL); and Bonnie (Christian) Beuggert (Roanoke, VA).  Also surviving are twelve grandchildren, Jonathan (Jackie) Knoedler; Josh (Audrey) Knoedler; Ben (Allison) Knoedler; Tim (Heydi) Knoedler; Kayla (Ben) Rodkey; Michael Beuggert; Philip Beuggert; Caleb (Surangi) Nissley; Rebekah (Phil) Bieri; Jacob (Kendra) Nissley; Sarah (Alec) Demaree; Josiah Nissley; twelve great-grandchildren; two brothers, Harold (Lois) Nissley (PA); Jay (Barb) Nissley (PA); and two sisters, Arlene (Landis) Kreider (PA); Nancy Nissley (PA).  He was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Ella Nissley, as well as two sisters, Erma and Marian Nissley. 

Clarence’s life will be celebrated with a service at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, September 18, 2023, at Goods Mennonite Church, 4374 Bossler Road, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.  A graveside service will follow where he will be laid to rest at Goods Mennonite Cemetery in Elizabethtown, PA.  Arrangements were entrusted to Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, IN and Miller-Finkenbinder Funeral Home and Crematory, 130 North Market Street, Elizabethtown, PA. 

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