Mennonite World Review - August 2013

Obituaries are emailed to MennObits before MWR is printed. Wording may vary in printed version.


Clymer, David Harnish ; . . Fretz, J. Herbert ; . . Goering, Helen R. Krehbiel ; . . Martens, Elda Wiebe ; . . Miller, Grace M. Metzler ; . . Yoder, Leo Richard ; . .

No obits in Aug. 5, 2013 issue


Mennonite World Review - August 19, 2013 - 91st Year, No. 17 - p. 16

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Martens, Elda Wiebe

Elda Wiebe Martens, 81, of Fairview, Okla., died July 15, 2013. She was born Nov. 17, 1931, to Henry and Emma (Friesen) Wiebe in Corn.

She graduated from Corn Bible Academy. She moved to Fairview when she married Henry Martens on Oct. 14, 1949.

She was a homemaker who took time to become involved in numerous projects. She was a licensed pilot, a charter member of the Fair­view Flight Club, and a participant in the formation of the first Fair­view Free Fly-in in 1952. She and Henry were active members of the International Flying Farmers organization.

In 1969 she started the Learn and Play day care center, the first commercial day care center in Fairview. She was a member of the steering committee and a charter member for the first Oklahoma Mennonite Relief Sale in 1978, and a member of the steering committee that started Nursery Fair, a Bible school for preschool children at Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church.

She was a master quilter, was fascinated with vintage fabrics and received pleasure from creating quilts from these fabrics. She and Henry traveled across the United States and Canada giving quilt presentations. They traveled to Europe many times and visited Ban­g­ladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She sewed comfort­ers for people in Oklahoma and foreign countries. She was involved in making school kits for Mennonite Central Committee.

Survivors include her husband, Henry, of Fairview; two sons, John Martens and his wife, Linda, and Paul Martens and his wife, Lori, all of Fairview; a daughter, Joyce Mar­tens of Fairview; a sister, Grace Sa­watzky of Weatherford; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Vernon Wiebe; a sister, Elsie Wiebe; and a son, Matthew Reed Martens.

Memorial services were held at Fairview MB Church.

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Yoder, Leo Richard

Leo R. Yoder, 95, of Archbold, Ohio, died July 21, 2013, at Fairlawn Haven Nursing Home. He was born Oct. 2, 1917, to Joe D. and Annie P. (Yoder) Yoder in Johnson County, Iowa.

He married Sylvia Mishler on Oct. 8, 1939. She preceded him in death in July 2007.

He loved woodworking and was involved in woodworking and building all his life. In Iowa he owned and operated a construction business. After moving to Ohio in 1955, he worked for Archie Fielitz Construction until his retirement in 1979. He helped build more than 100 homes in the Archbold area, specializing in finishing work. He estimated that he hung more than 1,000 doors. After retirement, he helped his son begin a construction business in Keezletown, Va.

He volunteered thousands of hours with Mennonite Disaster Ser­vice and served as the coordinator for Northwest Ohio and lower Mich­igan. His many volunteer activities took him to Louisiana, Texas, Michigan, California and Hawaii.
He was a faithful member of Tedrow Mennonite Church, where he served in various ways, including as a Sunday school teacher and on the building committee.

He enjoyed interacting with and helping people. He could strike up a conversation with almost anyone, and strangers soon became friends.

Survivors include three children, Sheryl Miller and her husband, Bob, of Kalona, Iowa, Eileen Myers and her husband, Roland, of Lebanon, Pa., and Joe D. Yoder and his wife, Miriam Miller, of Keezletown, Va.; a brother, Willard Yoder of Kalona, Iowa; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Sylvia, in 2007; a daughter, Arleta Mattsson-Boze, in 1968; and five sisters, Edna Swartzendruber, Magdalene Stoltzfus, Ollie Page, Edith Wade and Mabel Yoder.

Funeral services were held at Tedrow Mennonite Church. Burial was in Pettisville Cemetery.

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Clymer, David Harnish

David Harnish Clymer, 66, of Shirleysburg, Pa., died July 6, 2013. He was born Nov. 23, 1946, to John and Stella (Harnish) Clymer in Quarryville.
He married Martha Hess on Aug. 24, 1968, at River Corner Mennonite Church, Conestoga.

He attended Locust Grove Mennonite Church, Belleville, serving as a Sunday school teacher, music leader and Bible study leader.

He was a graduate of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He practiced medicine at Family Focus Health Center in Mount Union for 23 years and was on staff at J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital, Huntingdon, from 1979 to 2002. Later he worked for four years at Juniata Valley Medical Center, Alexandria. He was a phy­sician dedicated to serving his local community by caring for the whole patient. He was a passionate defender of life at all stages, including the pre-born, serving for more than 24 years on the board of Crossroads Pregnancy Center.

He and his wife, Martha, worked to promote healthy marriages as leaders in Mennonite and Breth­ren Marriage Encounter for 27 years. He enjoyed gardening, hunting with his son and singing with several local choirs.

Survivors include his wife, Mar­tha; five children, Regina Clymer Rupert and her husband, Michael, of Elkton, Md., Corinna Clymer Olson and her husband, Doug, of Najile, Kenya, Maria Clymer Kurtz and her husband, Christopher, of Linville, Va., Hannah Clymer Sho­walter and her husband, Mark, of Fishersville, Va., and David Clymer and his wife, Anita, of Mount Un­ion; eight siblings, Paul Clymer, John Clymer, Erma Horning, Ruth Kolb, James Clymer, Arlene Geibe, Esther Whetzel and Elaine Martin; and seven grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two sisters, Stella Marie and Martha Jean Clymer.

Memorial services were held at Locust Grove Mennonite Church, Belleville.

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Goering, Helen R. Krehbiel

Helen R. Goering, 91, of Moundridge, Kan., died Aug. 5, 2013. She was born Nov. 28, 1921, to Peter O. and Anna (Goering) Krehbiel.

She was a music teacher. She married Orlo M. Goering on Aug. 25, 1944. He preceded her in death on July 29, 2004.

Survivors include a son, Curt Goering and his wife, Patricia, of Minneapolis, Minn.; two daughters, Germaine Bird and her husband, Gene, and Beaty Robb and her husband, Jim, all of Moundridge; two grandsons and a great-grandson.

Memorial services were held at Eden Mennonite Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.

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Miller, Grace M. Metzler

Grace M. Miller 102, of Harri­sonburg, Va., died Aug. 9, 2013, at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in Harrisonburg. She was born June 25, 1911, to Isaac and Laura Durr Metzler near Martinsburg in Blair County, Pa.

On June 23, 1936, she married Paul N. Miller. He preceded her in death on Nov. 10, 2000.

They moved to Harrisonburg in 1938 and lived there until moving their family to Illinois in 1956. While in Illinois, she worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse. In 1980 they moved to Sarasota, Fla. She moved to VMRC in January 2009. She was a member of Bay Shore Mennonite Church, Sarasota.

Survivors include two sons, Carl Miller and his wife, Nancy, of Mara­thon, Fla., and Ed Miller and his wife, Joann, of Bigfork, Mont.; a daughter, Helen Lampman and her husband, Bill, of Centreville, Md.; two sisters, Mary Stephen of Bel Air, Md., and Kathryn Bowser of Accident, Md.; two grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul; three brothers, Wilbur Metzler, Elwood Metzler and Isaac "Ike" Metzler Jr.; and two sisters, Myrtle King and Edith Weaver.

A private graveside service was held at Palms Memorial Park in Sarasota, Fla. A memorial service will be scheduled in Harrisonburg at a later date.

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Fretz, J. Herbert

J. Herbert Fretz, 92, of Goshen, Ind., died Aug. 10, 2013, at Greencroft Healthcare. He was born Jan. 10, 1921, to Jacob R. and Mary (Rickert) Fretz in Lansdale, Pa.

He married Helen Habegger on June 9, 1945, at First Mennonite Church, Berne. Her father, Pastor Alfred Habegger, officiated.

A 1943 graduate of Bluffton (Ohio) University, he went on to study at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pa. A minister, he served at Deep Run West Mennonite Church near Bedminster, Pa., Salem Mennonite Church, Freeman, S.D., and Eighth Street Mennonite Church in Goshen from 1963 to 1968. From 1968 until his retirement in 1988, he worked for Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart as coordinator of church and seminary relations.

He had many interests, including beekeeping, gardening, Model T Fords and woodworking. The author of many articles, he served as past president and historian of the Fretz Family Association.

Survivors include his wife, Helen; four children, Barbara Ross and her husband, Archie, of Longmont, Colo., Susan Boushele of Po­catello, Idaho, James H. Fretz and his wife, Mary, of Killingworth, Conn., and Joseph H. Fretz and his wife, Ann, of Centennial, Colo.; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Jacob M. and Stanley R. Fretz.

In accordance with his wishes, his body will be cremated.

A memorial service was held at Eighth Street Mennonite Church. Burial of his cremated remains will be at Deep Run West Mennonite Church Cemetery, Bedminster, Pa.


Copyright 2003 - All rights reserved - Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, PA
Used with permission by the Archives of the Mennonite Church, Goshen, INDIANA
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