Joan M. (Mentzer) Gibble

Joan Mentzer Gibble, age 98, of Mt. Gretna PA, formerly of Ephrata, passed away on July 13, 2023 at Spang Crest Nursing Home, Lebanon. She was the daughter of the late John Mentzer and Maude (Weidman) Mentzer and the wife of Phares Gibble who passed away on 1998.

She was a 1942 graduate of Ephrata High School and a Laboratory Technician graduate of Lancaster General Hospital and was employed by the Laboratory there for several years. Joan married Phares in 1951 and they moved to Brooklyn, NY where she was a technician at the Brooklyn Hospital and Phares was employed by AFIA Insurance Company. A few years later they moved to Palmyra and in 1960 bought the 53-acre former Kauffman Amusement Park property near Mt. Gretna. Joan was employed by Hershey Chocolate for 28 years, first in the laboratory as a technician, then in the Test Kitchen developing chocolate recipes, then consumer correspondent and then Main Reception Desk on Chocolate Avenue where she greeted and guided many celebrities and famous people. She met and guided Gary Grant, Shirley Temple, Charlton Hesston and many others. Joan was extremely attractive throughout her life with old school etiquette, manors and some would say tenacious.

Joan was an avid sports fan of the Phillies, Eagles and Flyers, and all the major tennis tournaments. All her life she was a wildlife enthusiast enjoying the deer, raccoons, Canadian geese, beavers and all creatures and fauna on her property. The Kauffman Park had an 80 ft high Roller Coaster, Marry-Go-Round, Shooting Gallery, 300 ft swimming pool and 3 acre lake. The park closed during the depression and was dismantled. Now the property has returned to forest with mature native trees. Joan and Phares wanted to preserve their forest. Joan had a Bog Turtle Easement put on a section of the property and recently had the Lebanon Valley Conservancy grant a Conservation Easement that protects the land in perpetuity.

Surviving relatives are nephews: Ned, Dr.Thomas, Andrew Gibble, and Duke Kullman, and niece; Sandi Gibble May. Friends that supported Joan to keep her at her property as long as possible are Karen Allen and Scott Saylor.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Rothermel-Finkenbinder Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., 25 W. Pine St., Palmyra, PA 17078. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.FinkenbinderFamily.com