Rena M. Trautman, 92

Rena M. Trautman, 92, of South Point, Ohio, and formerly of Montpelier, Ohio passed away peacefully on Friday, March 27, 2020, at the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House in Huntington, West Virginia.

Rena was born on July 26, 1927 in Fostoria, Ohio to Lena and Elmer Goffinet. She received her bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University and did graduate work there and at University of Tennessee and Saint Francis College. She taught for many years at North Central High School and Northwest State Community College. Her true love was being an artist and she maintained a studio at her home in Montpelier. On September 18, 1949 she married James Trautman. They raised one son John (Bryan, Ohio) and one daughter, Mary Ann Armstrong (Huntington, West Virginia).

Rena achieved distinction as one of the top artists in the Tri-State area. She had her work shown in many area art shows, including the Toledo Area Show at the Toledo Museum of Art: the Fort Wayne Museum Show; and the annual Van Wert County Art Show at the Wassenberg Art Center. One-woman exhibitions were held at Defiance College and the University of Toledo.

She had work accepted in the All-Ohio Graphics Show at the Dayton Art Institute which was later included in a travelling exhibition. She had prints in two U.S. Embassies as a part of the Art in Embassies Program, and one of her prints was purchased by Bowling Green State University and one of her paintings was purchased for the permanent collection at Defiance College. Additionally, Rena served as the president of the Ironton Ohio Artists Association and showed her work annually at their Fall Art Show held on the Ohio University Southern Campus.

Rena had a deep faith and was a long time member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Montpelier, OH. She taught Sunday School, Bible School and directed several church plays and held one of the first Art’s Festivals at the church.

Rena was preceded in death by her husband, Jim, her parents Lena and Elmer Goffinet and two brothers Cletus and Norman Goffinet. She is survived by her two children, John and Mary Ann, two grandchildren Casey Brown and Hanna Armstrong, and her sister Dee Lyons. She is also survived by two step brothers Rhoe and Bud Apt and several nieces and nephews.

While no funeral service is currently scheduled, a celebration of life ceremony will be announced at a future date. If so moved, the family asks that memorial contributions be sent to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 402 Broad St, Montpelier, OH 43543.