Corrine O. Decker

Corrine (Oberhelman) Decker 86, formerly of Kendall Park, New Jersey, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at South Bay Manor, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. She was the loving wife of the late Martin Decker, Jr. She was born in Barnes, Kansas, daughter of Edward A. and Minnie E. (Deibler) Oberhelman. Corrine grew up on a farm in Kansas, attending part of her early schooling at Ober School, a one room schoolhouse. After moving to Silver Lake, Kansas, she attended Pleasant Valley School through the eighth grade and had read every book in the school’s library at least once. She graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in English and received her Master of Education from Trenton State College, of Trenton, New Jersey, in 1977. She taught in the South Brunswick, New Jersey, elementary school system. She started substituting in 1964 and had her first Special Education class in 1968. From that time she taught mostly kindergarten until she retired in 1994. She loved teaching and followed her students throughout their lives, even sending graduation cards as they graduated from high school. After retiring, she had the opportunity to travel and went to many places around the world, even visiting her daughter on the mission field. She is survived by her children, Kenneth O. Decker, and his wife, Barbara, Barbara A. Decker, Sarah L. Vaccaro and her husband Richard, and Martin E. Decker and his wife, Ilene. She was a loving grandmother to Sarah and Emily Decker, Robert, Bethany, Anna, John, and Nathaniel Vaccaro and great grandson, Eli Vaccaro. She was predeceased by her brothers, Lorin E., Forrest V., and Ferroll K. Oberhelman. Her burial will be in Sunset Cemetery in Manhattan, Kansas, according to her wishes to be buried between her two favorite men, her father and her husband. Memorial donations can be made to House of Friends, P.O. Box 228, Alma, MO, 64001, mission headquarters of her daughter who is a missionary in Uganda, Africa.