The Josephine & Winfred Brendle Scholarship Fund

This fund was organized as a Virginia non-profit, non-stock corporation on October 25, 2014.  Begun to provide financial assistance to some of the poorest students in the world, particularly those residing in the Appalachian regions of the United States and those residing in Haiti, the fund was named by its founding directors in memory of their parents, Josephine Martin Brendle and David Winfred "Winnie" Brendle.

Josephine and Winfred Brendle were both educators.  Josephine came from the Appalachian mountains and was the daughter of a Baptist preacher.  She was one of 14 children, seven of whom lived to adulthood.  Her father, Jeff Martin, died young leaving his wife with little to support the family.  Ila Martin and the children were well acquainted with poverty.  In spite of her circumstances, Josephine, or "Jo" made her way through high school and studied at Berry and Montreat Colleges.  In 1940 she left school to marry "Winnie" Brendle, a resident of Burke County, North Carolina.  In the years that followed she gave birth to three sons, Jeffrey, Timothy and Thaddeaus.  She worked as a homemaker until her youngest son was almost ready for school.  She then enrolled in Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree.  After graduating, she began teaching at North Carolina School for the Deaf where she taught for more than 30 years until her retirement.  She was a beloved teacher, valued colleague and exemplary Christian woman.

Winfred Brendle was forced to join the work force to help support his family after only eight years of school.  He spent most of his life working as a "fixer" of hosiery knitting machines in Drexel, North Carolina.  He continued his education independently by reading continuously, focusing mostly on Biblical studies. A member of Drexel First Baptist Church, he taught boys and young men the Word of God.  He was a deeply committed Christian and served for many years as a deacon.  In the home, he taught his children Christian values and led the family in daily prayer and Bible study.  He had a deep compassion for "lost people" (those who had not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior) and frequently shared the gospel with coworkers and friends.  For many years he taught Sunday School to adult men at First Baptist and his class included a doctor, a lawyer, and an educator with a Doctor of Philosophy degree.  He was loved as a teacher and often cited as a teacher who could make the Bible come alive.  His life illustrated the truth that education is not limited to formal institutions.

Read more: Introduction