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Verena Arnold, wife of Johann Christoph Arnold, died Sept. 21 at Woodcrest Bruderhof in Rifton after a five-year battle with cancer. She was 80.
Verena and Christoph, who was senior elder and pastor of the Bruderhof Communities at the time of his death in 2017, were married for 51 years. The two traveled on missions to Europe, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, Asia and Central and South America to spread Jesus’ gospel of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Mrs. Arnold also edited Christoph’s 11 books on issues such as marriage, family, raising and educating children, forgiveness, death and dying, peace and faith.
Born in Cirencester, England, she was one of 12 children of Hans and Margrit Meier, who joined the Bruderhof in Germany in 1933. Her sisters, Hannabeth, Lydia, Priscilla, Ita, Agathe and Anna-Regula survive her.
Seven of her eight children, Emmy Maria Blough, Henrich Arnold, Verena Hofer, Annemarie Keiderling, Hanna Rimes, Chris Arnold and Priscilla Zimmerman survive her, as do 43 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Four brothers, one sister, one granddaughter and her daughter, Margrit Zimmerman, predeceased her.
A funeral service and burial took place Sept. 24 at Woodcrest.
