Anabaptist World
October - December 2025
Mennonite World Review & The Mennonite merged September 2020
Anabaptist World, October 2025, pages 53-54, Vol. 6, No. 10.
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Yoder, Carroll D.
April 17, 1939 - July 17, 2025
Yoder-. Carroll D., 86, died July 17, 2025, at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in Harrisonburg, Va., after living with Parkinson's disease, followed by a stroke. He was born April 17, 1939, in Wellman, Iowa, to Lester and Carrie Yoder.
He graduated from Iowa Mennonite School and Eastern Mennonite College, then spent a year in Brussels, Belgium, learning French and immersing himself in a family's life. He spent two years teaching in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Teachers Abroad Program, volunteering with Mennonite Central Committee. He returned to Iowa to obtain a Ph.D. in French African literature from the University of Iowa. Experience in another culture encouraged him to promote Eastern Mennonite University's cross-cultural program. He taught and chaired the language and literature department at EMU for 34 years, teaching French, writing and literature. Highlights were leading, with his wife, Nancy, five semester-long cross-cultural student groups to France and Ivory Coast, with a total of 121 students.
During sabbaticals, he served as MCC country representative in Congo and as a Fulbright professor in Congo, Brazzaville. He started a Writers Read program for students, staff and community at EMU. His love for travel was surpassed only by his love for people. He formed lasting relationships in the classroom, his community and around the world. The first in his family to go to college, he influenced family members and friends to follow his example. He read widely and made a logical decision to become an academic.
In spite of not becoming a farmer, he was a serious gardener. A founding and current member of Shalom Mennonite Congregation, he served in various roles and took his church involvement seriously. He participated in hosting Congolese refugees to Harrisonburg. He enjoyed traveling to five continents, meeting and relating to people and eating a wide variety of cuisine.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Nancy; two sons Eric (Karina) and Joel (Chia Chi/Judy); six grandchildren; and brothers Wilbur, Milford and Galen. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Marcus.
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Lehman, Gay Maxene Hunsberger
September 21, 1949 - July 24, 2025
Lehman-. Gay Maxene (Hunsberger), 75, died July 24, 2025, after a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born Sept. 21, 1949, to Paul and Edna (Martin) Hunsberger in Noelville, Ont. When she was 10, the family moved to Goshen, Ind., so her parents could continue their education at Goshen College. On June 24, 1972, she married Sanford Lehman, whom she met at Goshen College. After graduation from Goshen College in 1971, she taught fifth grade in East Noble Schools in Indiana, Lowville Academy and Central Schools in New York and Goshen Community Schools in Indiana. She thoroughly enjoyed teaching her many fifth-grade students.
Upon retiring in 2010, her interests changed. She became involved in The Window, a non-profit organization that helps people facing financial struggles. She served on the board of directors, was chair for many years and helped as a Meals on Wheels dispatcher. She also enjoyed spending many hours creating, piecing and sewing all-fabric books for children called quiet books.
She enjoyed extensive travel with Sanford, her family and her friends. They took trips to India, Nepal, Indonesia, Europe, South America and many other countries. She and her family also took many trips to New York, Canada and New Mexico. She enjoyed hosting Goshen College inter-national students. Some stayed through the summer and Christmas break, but many spent several years in their home. She willingly opened her home and kitchen to these students and often felt she gained more than they did.
She was an active member of College Mennonite Church, where she served as a Sunday school teacher, sang with the Adult Chorale, served on the Discipling Commission and mentored many young students. Her faith, family, church family and large groups of friends brought joy to her life.
She is survived by her husband, Sanford, of 53 years; a son, Doug (Melissa) in Albuquerque, N.M.; a daughter, Angela (Andrew) Schwartz of Goshen; three granddaughters; and siblings Joy (Bob) Beiler, her twin brother Ray (Mary) Hunsberger of Goshen, Gloria (Jim) Schwartz of Aurora, Ohio, and Grace (Evan) Roth of Littleton, Colo.
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Hartman, Peter Eugene
November 8, 1934 - September 10, 2025
Hartman-. Peter Eugene, 90, of Hesston, Kan., died Sept. 10, 2025. Born Nov. 8, 1934, in Elkhart County, Ind., he graduated from Hesston Bible Academy in 1952 and Hesston College in 1955. There he met his wife, Marilyn Troyer. They married on Aug. 18, 1955, and moved to Hannibal, Mo., where he served as a hospital orderly for his 1-W service.
At the invitation of Hannibal Mennonite Church, he became the nursing home administrator of Beth Haven. He served faithfully for 18 years, overseeing growth from a 20-bed facility to a full continuing-care retirement community and dedicating a new 60-bed facility in 1972. Called to pastoral ministry, he pastored Carlsbad Mennonite Church in New Mexico from 1975 to 1992 and Yoder Mennonite Church in Kansas until 2000. Peter was dedicated to service. He served briefly as interim conference minister for South Central Conference. In retirement, he worked as hospice chaplain for nine years and served as interim pastor. He remained active as a volunteer chaplain.
He created walking sticks as gifts for those near death and was committed to prison ministry, maintaining relationships with prisoners for many years. He donated over 20 gallons of blood and donated his body to the University of Kansas Medical Center for research. Peter loved music and whistled while riding his bicycle. He spread the good news of the gospel through his contagious joyful spirit.
He is survived by his wife; children Treva (Leon) Greaser, Alice (Mark) Jantzen and Luke (Staci) Hartman; siblings Ralph (Carolyn) Hartman and Miriam Hartman; sisters-in-law Lenore Hartman and Viola Hartman; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Alice (Hartzler) Hartman; siblings Eunice (Byler), John, Lucinda (McGrath), Dennis and Leonard; three infants; and son Nathan Peter.
Transcribed by: John Ingold
Anabaptist World, November 2025, pages 50-1, Vol. 6, No. 11.
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Wiebe, John Clement
August 17, 1930 - August 22, 2025
Wiebe-. John Clement, 95, of Trinidad, Calif., died Aug. 22, 2025. He was born Aug. 17, 1930, in Andhra Pradesh, India, to Mennonite Brethren missionary parents, John and Viola Wiebe, and was a grandson of missionary D.F. Bergthold.
His first language was Telugu, his second German. At age 6 in British boarding school in Ooty, he was disciplined for speaking anything but English. He was then transferred to American School in Kodaikanal, South lndia. After World War II, he finished high school in Mountain Lake, Minn., and then graduated from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., where he met and married Carol Hiebert, his lifelong love and colleague. They moved to California, where he became a master teacher in Northern California schools and spent a year in the Sinkyone Wilderness with his family.
He returned to India to teach at Kodai international School, where he was instrumental in alerting the school and community to the perils of ignoring and exploiting the environment in that pristine spot. Later, he took a position at the International School in Saudi Arabia. He was then recruited to be principal of the International School in Kampala, Uganda, during the troubled times following the dictatorship of Idi Amin.
He and Carol retired in Trinidad, finding a perfect spot in the redwoods where he became deeply involved with environmental issues, particularly the old-growth redwoods. There he honed his skill as a sculptor, converting discarded driftwood and burls into wonderful expressions of art. One, Holodomor, which commemorates the genocide of Ukrainians instigated by Joseph Stalin in the 1930s, is at Tabor College. Another, Sempervirens, which draws attention to the coastal redwoods, is at Fresno Pacific University. Almost until the day he died, he continued to demonstrate and advocate for the disadvantaged and the environment, attending rallies and writing letters to newspapers in California and to Anabaptist World.
He is survived by sons Wendell and Rolland; daughter Evelyn; seven grandchildren; sisters Irene and Marilyn and brothers Paul and David. He was preceded in death by his wife; daughter Rebecca and sisters Esther and Ruth.
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Weidner, Mark LeRoy
December 3, 1942 - September 27, 2025
Weidner-. Mark LeRoy, 82, died Sept. 27, 2025, in Lititz, Pa. He lived an extraordinary life because he was an extraordinary man. He lived through many beautiful chapters and had a long struggle with Parkinson's disease. He was born the second of four children in Allentown, Pa., to LeRoy and Viola Weidner. He met his future wife, Susan, in the church nursery at First Mennonite of Allentown.
He started out his career in engineering, working for Xerox in Rochester, N.Y., in its early days. After serving with Mennonite Central Committee in Vietnam during the war, he left his engineering career when the Kent State shootings called him to take a new path into ministry. He received a master of divinity degree from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary and a doctor of ministry from United Theological Seminary. This calling led him to roles in many Mennonite institutions, including planting a church in Cincinnati, Central District Conference minister, Ohio Conference minister, vice president at AMBS and pastor at Perkasie Mennonite Church. He served on the Bluffton University Board of Trustees for over 20 years.
Mark was a beloved brother, husband, father and grandpa. He loved a good joke, a hot cup of coffee and a homemade meal. Throughout his life he put his beliefs into action and was always kind and generous. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 40 years, Susan McElwain, who died in 2004.
He is survived by his wife, Kay; his four children, Lisa Adams (Scott), Beky Weidner (Larry Penner), Tim Weidner (Elaine Esch) and Elizabeth Weidner (Alejandro Sanchez); stepdaughters Sharon Landis (Jeff) and Suzanne Marie Fransen Hitt (Steve); 11 grandchildren; and siblings Marilynn Strayer, Lois Marshall and Joel Weidner. A celebration of life ceremony was held Oct. 11 at Akron Mennonite Church. Donations can be made to Mennonite Central Committee.
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Mayer, Willard R.
June 25, 1926 - October 8, 2025
Mayer-. Willard R. Mayer, 99, the last remaining founder and longest-serving teacher at Rosedale Bible College in Ohio, died Oct. 8, 2025. Born June 25, 1926, to the late Ezra and Lydia Anna (Byler) Mayer, in Pigeon, Mich., he felt the call to pastoral ministry early in life but did not feel free to disclose it until his late teens. To his surprise, his parents insisted he should study for the ministry instead of working on the family farm.
His parents had dedicated him to God after a near-death experience of double pneumonia at age 7. He enrolled at Eastern Mennonite College, earning a bachelor of theology degree in 1951. Two years later he was ordained to the ministry for service at Pigeon River Mennonite Church. In the winter of 1952, he began his defining role as a Bible teacher, serving among the first faculty of Berlin Bible School, a winter Bible school which by 1970 had grown into Rosedale Bible institute and continues today as Rosedale Bible College.
He served RBC as principal, academic dean and teaching faculty member, retiring in 2001 after 49 years of service. His trademark courses were Genesis, Gospel of John, Hebrews and Christian Evidences. Willard also conducted revival/renewal meetings all over the U.S. and Canada, averaging nearly seven series per year for 50 years.
He served his home congregation of Pigeon River as pastor from 1953 to 1969. He was married to Esther Swartzentruber for 63 years after meeting her during his first teaching stint at Berlin Bible School. She died in 2016.
Transcribed by: John D. Ingold