Mennonite World Review - June 2015
Obituaries are emailed to MennObits before MWR is printed. Wording may vary in printed version.
Bartel, Elda Margaret Bartel ; . . Groves, Esther Bohn ; . . Koehn, Irma Voth ; . . Litwiller, Alta Mae Hartzler ; . . Wiens, Martha M. Schroeder
Mennonite World Review - June 8, 2015 - 93rd Year, No. 12 - p. 15
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Elda Margaret (Bartel) Bartel, 94, of Goessel, Kan., died May 24, 2015. She was born June 23, 1920, to John and Susie (Friesen) Bartel in Hillsboro. She was the oldest of five siblings.
On June 7, 1945, she married Herbert Bartel. He preceded her in death on March 15, 1986.
She was baptized at First Mennonite Church, Hillsboro. She became a member of Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church of rural Goessel in 1945, where she remained an active member.
Survivors include four children, Nancy Ferree and her husband, Robert, of Elk Creek, Mo., Harlan Bartel and his wife, Grace, of North Newton, Patricia Penner and her husband, Herbert, of West Chester, Ohio, and Donald Bartel and his wife, Gayle, of Potwin; a sister, Helen Bargen of North Newton; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert; a son, Gordon; two sisters, Rosa Thimm and Wanda Swanson; and a brother, Johnnie Bartel.
Graveside services were held at Alexanderwohl cemetery, and a celebration of her life at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church. Donations may be made to Bethesda Home.
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Alta Mae (Hartzler) Litwiller, 103, of Normal, Ill., died May 12, 2015. She was born July 5, 1911, to Joseph "J.D." and Emma (Schertz) Hartzler in Minonk.
She married Lester Litwiller on Sept. 28, 1933, at her home in Gridley. He preceded her in death on May 25, 1981.
She attended a one-room school. She attended Goshen (Ind.) College and taught in a one-room school. She and her husband retired from farming in the Flanagan and Carlock area.
She was a lifelong member of Mennonite Church of Normal, Women's Fellowship of MCN, Garfield Social Club and a home extension. She loved entertaining family and friends and opened her home for many celebrations.
Survivors include a daughter, Nancy J. Miller and her husband, Carl, of Marathon, Fla.; a son, James Litwiller and his wife, Leanah, of Normal; a sister, Ruth Ann Schertz of Normal; three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lester; an infant son, Robert; and two brothers, Paul and Floyd.
Funeral services were held at Mennonite Church of Normal. Burial was in East Lawn Memorial Gardens in Bloomington. Memorials may be made to Mennonite Church of Normal, Living Alternatives and Ministry and More.
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Esther Bohn Groves, 89, of North Newton, Kan., died June 3, 2015. She was born Nov. 27, 1925, to Ernest J. and Nora Lantz Bohn in Topeka, Ind.
She graduated from Bluffton (Ohio) College and met Carlyle Groves in Freeman, S.D., where she was teaching English and literature at Freeman Junior College. They were married in 1951 and spent an extended honeymoon in voluntary service through the Mennonite church.
They moved to Newton in 1957. They became members of Bethel College Mennonite Church. She wrote Sunday school curricula for the General Conference Mennonite Church and published a variety of freelance pieces in magazines.
When the family moved to Sierra Leone in 1972, she continued writing while homeschooling her two sons. Carlyle managed a literacy program and religious publishing house established by the Methodist church. They returned in 1975, settling outside Turpin, Okla.
For the next 16 years she worked as a staff writer and then area editor for the Southwest Daily Times in Liberal. She regularly played the organ at Turpin Mennonite Church and arranged instrumental and choral music for Sunday school students' performances in services.
After Carlyle's death in 1991, she taught English and remedial writing at Seward County Community College for three years. She moved back to Newton on her retirement in 1994 and regularly published concert and play reviews plus various short articles and essays in the Newton Kansan. She moved to Kidron Bethel Village in 2014.
Survivors include a daughter, Debra Groves Bollinger and her husband, Rob Bollinger, of Austin, Texas; a son, Nathan Carlyle Groves and his wife, Devasia McClain Groves, of Liberal; four siblings, Catherine Bohn Hartman, Stanley Bohn, John Bohn and Eleanor Bohn Unruh; three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Carlyle; a sister, Helen Bohn Klassen; younger son Quentin; and a brother, Alden Bohn.
A memorial service will be held June 29 at Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton.
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Irma Koehn, 101, died June 7, 2015, at Bethesda Home in Goessel, Kan. She was born Oct. 6, 1913, to John and Katharine (Voth) Voth in Harvey County.
She served in voluntary service in Markham, Ill., for three years. She was a homemaker, had worked in the dietary department at Bethesda Home for nine years and was a member of Tabor Mennonite Church, rural Newton. One of her hobbies was gardening.
On Sept. 22, 1934, she married Jacob C. Koehn at Tabor Mennonite Church. He preceded her in death on May 25, 2006.
Survivors include three children, Margaret Hiebert and her husband, John, of North Newton, John Koehn and his wife, Jill, of Dighton, and Linda Buller and her husband, Paul, of Wichita; a son-in-law, Kermit Nikkel and his wife, Sandra, of Canton; two brothers, Arnold Voth of Goessel and Bill Voth of Walton; a sister, Elvera Voth of North Newton; eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jacob; a daughter, Marilyn Nikkel; and a sister, Wanda Dirks.
Graveside services were held at Tabor Cemetery, rural Newton. Memorial services were held at Tabor Mennonite Church. Memorials may be sent either to Bethesda Home or Tabor Mennonite Church.
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Martha M. Wiens, 98, died June 10, 2015, at Hutchinson (Kan.) Regional Medical Center. She was born Nov. 23, 1916, to Henry and Marie Nachtigal Schroeder in Buhler.
She was a member of Buhler Mennonite Church and taught Sunday school for 42 years for 3- and 4-year-olds.
On May 20, 1944, she married Jacob R. Wiens at Buhler. He preceded her in death on April 12, 2006.
Survivors include her children, Allen Wiens of Buhler, Jerry D. Wiens of Hutchinson, Donna M. Dick and her husband, Barry, of Wichita and Janice L. Overman and her husband, Vernon, of Newton; a brother, Raymond D. Schroeder and his wife, Lois, of Buhler; 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jacob; a grandson, David Dick; and a brother, Albert Schroeder.
Funeral service were held at Buhler Mennonite Church. Burial was in Buhler Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to Buhler Mennonite Church Children's Education Fund in care of Buhler Mortuary.