Mennonite World Review - March 2016
Obituaries are emailed to MennObits before MWR is printed. Wording may vary in printed version.
Mennonite World Review - March 14, 2016 - 94th Year, No. 6 - p. 15
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Laura (Schmidt) Flaming, 84, of North Newton, Kan., died Feb. 22, 2016. She was born July 12, 1931, to Ernst and Ella Schmidt in Goessel.
She grew up in rural Canton and was baptized May 20, 1945, in Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, where she remained a lifelong member. On May 2, 1950, she married Randolf Flaming. They made their home on a dairy farm north of Goessel. They later moved into Goessel, and more recently she moved to Kidron Bethel
Retirement Center in North Newton.
She enjoyed listening to music, singing in choirs, playing in bell choirs and playing the organ or piano. She had a life-long interest in service to others and building bridges with other cultures. There was always room at the family table for others like Bethel College international students, Vietnamese refugees, "fresh air" children from Gulfport, Miss., or Polish Mennonite Central Committee trainees. She was a supporter of MCC, for whom she sewed thousands of school or refugee kit bags. She encouraged her children to incorporate service into their lives.
In the early years of marriage, she was an active partner in the farming operation. Later, she explored other vocational interests. She was a baker at the 1906 and Barnstormer restaurants in Goessel. She operated the Quilt Shop fabric store in North Newton and later was a transport driver for Bethesda Retirement Home. She enjoyed travel and was a tour leader for Prudent Tours, traveling widely in the U.S. She went to Europe several times, Mexico, India, Haiti and Paraguay.
Survivors include her children, Ron and his wife, Patrice, of North Newton, Warren's wife, Cheryl Flaming, of Hesston, Dwight and his wife, Tammy, of Goessel, and Charlotte Warkentine and her husband, Brian, of Chandler, Okla.; four siblings, Darlene Thiessen of McPherson, Melvin Schmidt of Hyattsville, Md., DeVera Wenger of Beaverton, Ore., and DuMont Schmidt of Blue Mound, Wis.; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Randolf, in 2007, and a son, Warren.
Memorial services were held at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel.
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Rosetta M.(Blosser) Martin, 91, of Columbiana, Ohio, died at her home Jan. 26, 2016. She was born Feb. 27, 1924, to Harvey and Celesta Blosser in North Lima.
She taught school five years in Ohio and one year in Indiana, having completed her bachelor's degree in education at Goshen (Ind.) College in 1949.
She married Ernest D. Martin on Aug. 28, 1949.
She was an active member of Midway Mennonite Church in Columbiana and served as the wife of the pastor there for 38 years. She served in Sunday school, summer Bible school and the church library. She provided care for a number of children over the years and served as a volunteer in the local Ten Thousand Villages store.
Survivors include her husband of 66 years, Ernest; a daughter, Susan Beuscher and her husband, Alan, of Lexington, Ky.; two sons, Timothy Martin of Ellendale, Del., and Nathan Martin and his wife, Barbara, of Columbiana; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her stepmother, Wilma (Lehman) Blosser; a sister, Kathryn Heindel; and a grandson, Kurt Martin.
Memorial services were held at Midway Mennonite Church, with burial in the adjoining cemetery.
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There were no obituaries printed in the March 28, 2016 issue of Mennonite World Review.