Connie Schenkelberg

Connie Schenkelberg, my friend and colleague, stepped from this life to the next on Sunday morning (12/1/13), and I will miss her. I first met Connie at an HEAV homeschool conference in the 1990s. Her table was tucked into a corner, and she was selling only one book, Writing a Step Above. I’m a sucker for books about writing, so when she invited me to stop and hear about the book, I did.

The book turned out to be a short, easy-to-use intensive grammar course, and I used it with all four boys, and loved it. I saw Connie at a few conferences after that, but then she disappeared. It wasn’t until I was speaking and traveling to other homeschool conferences that I started looking for her book so I could recommend it to others (you wouldn’t believe how often people asked about a good grammar resource).

Around 2005 or 2006, I finally tracked her down and cold-called her to ask if Everyday Education could republish her excellent book. Much to my surprise, she was very receptive, and we ended up forging an informal partnership and republishing Writing a Step Above as Grammar Made Easy: Writing a Step Above. When she wrote Spelling Made Easy: The Homonym Way to Better Spelling, we were able to publish that as well.

When she was able, Connie loved to join me at conferences to talk with people about her books. If you were at a Virginia conference between 2006 and 20112, you may have had the delight of being hailed by the kindly lady with the robust laugh. She’d ask about your family with genuine interest, tell you about her books, and share tips about teaching, cooking, and good things to read, too.

Connie shared my love of middle grade fiction, and my favorite of her book recommendations was Richard Peck’s A Long Way from Chicago. She also introduced me to “Three Questions,” a memorable short story by Leo Tolstoy, which in her honor, formed the foundation for this month’s writing lesson at Schoolhouse Teachers.

In recent years, Connie’s health has not been good, and she’s had to stay closer to home. I haven’t seen her for over a year, but we communicated by phone or e-mail. I’m going to miss knowing she’s there. I’ll miss making room in the booth for her scooter and bowl of candy. I’ll miss watching the crowds of kids who stopped by for candy but stayed to talk to the lady with the compelling voice. I’ll miss hearing hearing about her trips to visit the stately buffalo she loved. Connie was a dear friend, and I’m glad I knew her.

Connie’s life was characterized by a focus on faith, family, and friends. She leaves her husband, Loren, and grown children, Andrea and Andrew, along with their spouses and one granddaughter. You will find details about her memorial service on her Facebook page.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Psalm 116:15