Anabaptist World
January - March 2024
Mennonite World Review & The Mennonite merged September 2020
Anabaptist World, January 2025, pages 80-83, Vol. 6, No. 1.
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Klassen, Loyal
November 30, 1932 - September 29, 2024
Klassen-. Loyal, 91, of Mountain Lake, Minn., died Sept. 29, 2024, at Sunset Hospice Cottage in Worthington, Minn. He was born Nov. 30, 1932, to Abram P. and Elizabeth (Janzen) Klassen in Mountain Lake. At age 14, his father's death had a tremendous impact on his life. He graduated from Mountain Lake High School. He was baptized and joined the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church in Mountain Lake.
After several years helping on the family farm, Selective Service came calling. The local draft board denied his conscientious objector application, so he appealed to the state board, which granted him 1-W status. He spent two and a half years in Germany with Mennonite Central Committee's Pax program, building housing for refugees and in Greece helping with agriculture projects. Following Pax, he joined Mennonite Voluntary Service, building a church in Holland. His service years were a pivotal time, enlarging his worldview.
He was a staunch supporter of Mennonite Disaster Service and served as treasurer of the local MDS chapter. He served on disaster projects in Mexico, California, Mississippi and locally in Minnesota. He served on many boards at Bethel Mennonite Church. Returning to Mountain Lake, he was employed by Rempel Construction as a bricklayer. He then attended Freeman Junior College and Bethel College and graduated from Goshen College with a degree in social work.
He married Bertha Redekop on May 6, 1960, and they enjoyed married life for over 64 years. They settled on an acreage in rural Mountain Lake and farmed while raising three children. Raising purebred Hampshire sheep was an early wish and continued through the farming years. Family oriented, Loyal relished being a grandfather. Travel was a priority as he and Bertha explored over 70 countries. They took learning tours, including European Mennonite history and Ukraine. Travel provided a conduit for his interest in photography.
He is survived his wife, Bertha; children, Loretta (Kevin) Krahn, Brigham (Lori) Klassen and Timothy (Heather) Klassen; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by five brothers.
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Janzen, Dorothea "Dotty" Wirth
october 4, 1930 - December 12, 2024
Janzen-. Dorothea "Dotty" (Wirth), 94, died Dec. 12, 2024, at Kidron Bethel Village Health Care Center in North Newton, Kan. She was born to Fred and Marie (Schneidenbach) Wirth on Oct. 4, 1930, in Paterson, N.J. She was raised in a pastor's family in Brooklyn, N.Y., and confirmed at the Wyona Street Evangelical and Reformed Church in Brooklyn. The family moved to Bergenfield, N.J., in her teenage years.
She graduated from Beaver College (now Arcadia University) majoring in Bible and Christian education and later received a master of religious education from New York Theological Seminary. She married Heinz Janzen on Sept. 10, 1955, and served as a pastor's wife during Heinz's pastorates in Washington, Ill. and Kidron, Ohio, before moving to Newton in 1969 and joining Faith Mennonite Church.
Dotty completed a Clinical Pastoral Education program at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita in 1974, then taught Bible and served in campus ministries at Hesston College from 1974 to 1980. Heinz and Dotty were called to be co-pastors of Trinity Mennonite Church in Hillsboro, and 1981 she was ordained to pastoral ministry. In 1990, she was called to be associate pastor of Bethel College Mennonite Church in North Newton until she retired in 1997. Following retirement, she served for a year as interim pastor at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in Goessel. Contributions to the wider church included editing and rewriting along with Heinz the Minister's Manual published in 1983. She served on the board of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary and on the Ministerial Committee and Executive Committee of Western District Conference.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Heinz. Survivors include sisters Ruth Sauter of Doylestown, Pa., and Margaret (Richard) Diemer of New Harmony, Ind.; son Pete (Debra) Janzen of Wichita; daughter Margaret (Charlie) Hildebrand of Morden, Man.; daughter Mary Janzen of State College, Pa.; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 20 at Bethel College Mennonite Church.
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Fireoved Marino, Ruth
July 28, 1947 - November 19, 2024
Fireoved Marino-. Ruth, 77, died following an auto accident Nov. 19, 2024, in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. She was a school psychologist, mentor, historic preservationist, humble philanthropist, humanitarian, devoted wife and gifted cook. She was born July 28, 1947, in Berne, Ind., where her father was a beloved veterinarian.
She came to Philadelphia in the early 1970s and received a Ph.D. from Temple University with a focus on children's development. Her work as a school psychologist spanned more than 35 years, largely in New Jersey school districts. She taught at both undergraduate and graduate levels in educational psychology and was past president of the New Jersey Association of School Psychologists and active in the International School Psychology Association, attending its conferences worldwide. Soon after her arrival in Philadelphia, she joined Germantown Mennonite Church, embracing its historical importance as the oldest Mennonite congregation in North America. She became a board member of Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust in 2000 and a board member of Historic Germantown, active in historic preservation.
Ruth married Stephen Marino in 1990 in Philadelphia, bringing to the marriage her mentorship of Leonard Royal. Her love of cooking made her a legend. She prepared delicious dishes for special occasions as connective tissue to bond her many interests. Her meals for her Germantown congregation and those in need established her as the consummate food nurturer. Guided by her Mennonite heritage and faith, Ruth made helping others her life's work. To support a disabled member of her congregation, Ruth and Steve harvested peaches from a tree in their yard and sold jars of preserves by the dozen, plus Steve's spaghetti "gravy" from an old Italian family recipe. Her diminutive stature disguised a giant heart that took the pulse of her community and applied her gifts and skills to maintain vitality in everything she touched.
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Osborne, Joyce Nyce
(92)-November 19, 2024
Nyce Osborne-. Joyce, 92, of Clearlake, Calif., died Nov. 19, 2024. She was born to Wynne and Grace Nyce of Doylestown, Pa. At Goshen College, she met Millard Osborne of Bunker Hill, Ind., and they were married in 1954. They had four children and enjoyed traveling to visit their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A lifelong member of the Mennonite Church, she was actively involved as Millard pastored in Oregon, Kansas, Ontario, Illinois and Virginia. She was a 1954 graduate of Goshen College with special certification in early childhood education. Later in her life, she was involved in teaching English as a second language and as a tutor for adults learning to read. In retirement, she was an active member at Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Va., and volunteered with Patchwork Pantry, served on the board of Community Mennonite Preschool and volunteered with hospice for many years.
Survivors include three daughters, Myrna Lapres (Michael) of San Leandro, Calif., Marylin Wakefield (Brad) of Kelseyville, Calif., and Joanna Masingila (Adamson, deceased) of Syracuse, N.Y.; a daughter-in-law, Naomi Martin (Eric, deceased) of Lancaster, Pa.; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by Millard, her husband of 69 years; son Eric; and son-in-law Adamson Masingila.
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Pankratz, Theodore Lee "Ted"
August 18, 1932 - November 17, 2024
Pankratz-. Theodore Lee "Ted", 92, died Nov. 17, 2024, in Hutchinson, Kan. He was born Aug. 18, 1932, in Van Nuys, Calif., to Theodore Roosevelt and Ella Sonora (Unrau) Pankratz. He graduated from Inola High School in Oklahoma in 1950. After a short time at Bethel College ended by a polio illness, he returned home. On Nov. 28, 1952, he married Marjorie Joy "Marge" Springer in Inola. She was his partner wherever work took them, and they raised their family together, engaging in church activities and leadership.
His love for agriculture and the land was evidenced by the jobs he chose. He spent eight years working for John Deere in the fertilizer division in Pryor, Okla., which was sold in 1964. He then spent time overseeing bulk fertilizer and a grain terminal in Enid, Okla. After managing a large farm and grain southeast Kansas, he moved back to manage the John Deere dealership. He bought land and began farming, eventually moving to a full-time farm and livestock operation. Ted was an entrepreneur, evidenced by his last business venture, owning the John Deere dealership in Hutchinson, with all the family working together at Pankratz Implement.
When he sold it to his son in 1998, he returned to full-time farming and harvested his last wheat crop in 2020 at the age of 88. He loved to work, improve his farm and grow his business. Free time was spent traveling with Marge and friends, collecting antique tools, John Deere memorabilia and grain scales. He was a steward not only of the land but of his family, always caring for them and engaging in their activities. He was a member of Journey Mennonite Church in South Hutchinson.
He is survived by his wife, Marge; children Linda Barkley (Jim) and Darrell Pankratz (Mary), all of Hutchinson; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and brothers Harry Pankratz and Bill Pankratz (Liz), all of Inola.
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Gingerich, Simon Glen
February 2, 1923 - December 8, 2024
Gingerich-. Simon Glen, 101, died Dec., 8, 2024, at Greencrof Health Care, Goshen, Ind. He was born Feb. 2, 1923,in Versailies, Mo., the ninth of 10 children born to Amos and Nannie Gingerich. He grew up in a devout Mennonite family who lived a plain and frugal life on family farms, variously in Missouri, Iowa and Kansas. He married Dorothy Horst in 1945.
He received bachelor of arts in Bible and bachelor of theology degrees from Goshen College. He was ordained at Holdeman Mennonite Church in Wakarusa, Ind., in 1950 and pastored there for 14 years, working as a cabinet maker to earn his livelihood. He served on the boards of Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference, Mennonite Board of Missions and Greencroft Goshen. ln 1964 he accepted a full-time position with Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities in Elkhart, Ind., as secretary for home missions, where he took a leadership role in turning over responsibility for churches to local leaders and worked to help the Mennonite Church break through institutional structures that perpetuated racial, cultural, class and economic barriers in the church.
He was a member of Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart for 60 years, assisting in its programs, pastoral care and leadership. Unable to have children of their own, Simon and Dorothy "adopted" their 38 nieces and nephews as if they were their own, taking a genuine interest in each, and became a much-loved and cherished uncle.
Following Dorothy's death in 1996, he married Mary Maple Berkshire in 2001, becoming stepfather to her four adult children, N. James, Jeffrey A, George E. and Mary Beth (Stueben). He was preceded in death by his wives, Dorothy (Horst) in 1996 and Mary Maple (Berkshire) in 2006; stepson Jeffrey Berkshire in 2021; and all nine siblings. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 25 at Prairie Street Mennonite Church.
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Miller, Maxine J. Kauffman
July 10, 1946 - November 6, 2024
Miller-. Maxine J. (Kauffman), 78, died Nov. 6, 2024, in Elkhart Ind. She was born July 10, 1946, in Goshen, Ind., the third child of Louis and Orpha (Yoder) Kauffman. She grew up in Middlebury Ind., and graduated from Bethany Christian High School in Goshen. ln 1969, she married Larry, and they moved to Mashulaville, Miss. She graduated from Mississippi State University in 1972 and had a 30-year career teaching. Some of her fondest memories were at Wilson Elementary in Brooksville, Miss., where she taught second and third graders.
After retiring, she enjoyed her grandchildren, gardening, supporting community events and, with several friends, establishing the Mashulaville quilting club. A wonderful, caring, strong woman, she demonstrated how a true Christian life should be lived. Every moment of her life was spent in service to others. Always with a smile and a comforting word, the circle of people whom she loved and encouraged is vast. She lived a life of grace and even in her last moments left this world with the same grace.
She is survived by her husband, Larry Miller of Macon, Miss; daughters Jennifer Glover and Judy Clay; son Jeffrey Miller; sons-in-law Jay Gary and Ruskin Clay; daughter-in-law Nicole Williams; five grandchildren; brothers Norman (Clara) Kauffman and Paul (Carol) Kauffman; and sister Rhoda (Steve) Greer. She was preceded in death by her parents, grandchild Nailah Williams and brother LaVern Kauffman.
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Miller, Marian Joyce Swartz
November 18, 1935 - October 25, 2024
Miller-. Marian Joyce, died Oct. 25, 2024. She was born Nov. 18, 1935. She received a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1959 from Eastern Mennonite College in Harrisonburg, Va. By that time, she already had several years teaching experience, having begun her career in a one-room school with 16 students in eight grades near her home in Michigan. She also taught in New York and Virginia.
When her children were small, Marian started an upholstery business from her home, which she ran successfully for 15 years. She ended her working career at Goshen College's Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, where she played a significant role in maintaining the bookstore and library, welcoming and hosting guests and building a culture of community that provided support for the staff. Her gift of creativity was exceptional. She did a variety of crafts, including quilting (about 50), basket weaving, crocheting and tatting. Homes, classrooms and office were always tastefully decorated, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Relationships with family, friends and neighbor were carefully nurtured with loving attention. Her loving, gentle spirit always showed through. She was loved and respected by all who knew her because they felt respected by her. She lived with a spirit of beauty that brought out the best in others. She was especially compassionate toward children who suffer. She supported St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Memorial gifts will be sent there in her name.
She is survived by her husband, Dave Miller; children, Regina Miller (Karen Molitor) of Milwaukee, Wis., Tim Miller (Heather) of New Paris, Ind., and Joanna Woolace, (Eric) of Goshen, Ind.; five grandchildren; a brother, Don Swartz of Hawaii; and a sister, Dee Swartz of Goshen, Ind. She was preceded in death by a son, Jeffery Lee (3 months); her parents, Orbie and Anita Swartz of AuGres, Mich.; a brother, Merlin Swartz; and a sister, Phyllis Lind
Transcribed by: John Ingold