Anabaptist World 2026
The obituaries below were published in Anabaptist World,
January to December, 2026, Vol. 7. Transcribed by John Ingold.
Alphabetical Index:
Gunden. Gabrielle (born Gabriel James), 21, of Sellersville, Pa., died
unexpectedly Nov. 10, 2025, in Goshen, Ind., leaving family and friends
devastated. She was deeply beloved and a good friend to many. Her
friendliness and contagious sense of humor brought joy to the lives of
those around her. Born Jan. 22, 2004, in Sellersville, Pa., Gabrielle grew
up the youngest of three siblings. She enjoyed many happy times with her
family in Pennsylvania and Indiana and looked forward to annual family
vacations in Maine.
Gabrielle was a junior at Goshen College, majoring in social work.
She wanted to pursue a career where she could make a positive change in
people's lives. Before Goshen, she studied history at Temple University in
Philadelphia, and in 2022 she graduated magna cum laude from Dock
Mennonite Academy, where she earned an award in technology and made many
lifelong friends. Gabrielle had many hobbies, including listening to music
on vinyl records, shooting hoops with friends, analog film photography and
learning about ancient history. She enjoyed cooking and eating delicious
food and was often found cooking late-night batches of fettuccine alfredo.
She spent a lot of time gaming with friends on the computer she designed
and built.
Gabrielle worked and volunteered in humble ways, including cleaning
at the Souderton Ten Thousand Villages store and Dock Mennonite Academy.
She also volunteered at both places and participated in service projects
at Bethany Birches Camp in Vermont and Academia Menonita Betania in Puerto
Rico. She was a baptized member of Zion Mennonite Church in Souderton, Pa.
and enjoyed fellowship and activities with friends at Blooming Glen
Mennonite Church in Hilltown Township, Pa.
She is survived by parents James and Suzanne Gunden; siblings Erica
and Michael Gunden; grandmother Esther (Martin) Clymer; uncles Eric
Clymer, James Marshbank and Geof Landis; aunts Elizabeth Gunden and Mary
Jean Gunden; and cousins Andrew, Ashley (Joyce) and Finn Landis. The
service will be at 11:45 a.m. Jan. 3 at Zion Mennonite Church. Livestream:
zionmennonite.org/worship/live-stream.
(AW, January 2026, p. 50)
Huber, Lois Kae (Friesen), 75, who served God and her community in
ministries of music and education, died Nov. 14, 2025, in Hutchinson, Kan.
She was born Oct. 14, 1950, in Fowler, Kan., to Isaac (Ike) L. and Kathryn
M. Friesen, and grew up on a dairy and wheat farm and attended church in
Meade, Kan.
She was preceded in death by older brothers Lloyd and
Clyde who both died in infancy. Her father died in 1951, two weeks after
her first birthday, and she and her mother formed an inseparable bond.
Lois was baptized at Emmanuel Mennonite Church in
Meade, where already in junior high she began accompanying congregational
singing and performing special music on organ and piano. She would share
these God-given talents for the rest of her life. She enrolled at Tabor
College in Hillsboro, Kan., in 1970, where she met her partner in music
and life, Jay Huber. They were married Aug. 19, 1973, in Meade. After
graduating from Tabor with degrees in music and education in 1974, she
began her career teaching at schools in western Reno County, Kan. The
couple moved to South Hutchinson in 1978.
Lois taught 1,004 children, including her sons, in her
kindergarten classroom at South Hutchinson Elementary School. She
introduced students to letters, numbers, Stone Soup, teddy bear picnics,
churned butter on Kansas Day, basic concepts in treating others as you
would like to be treated and Christmas programs she directed and
accompanied on piano at the same time.
She retired after three decades but couldn't stop
teaching, graduating to junior high as a paraeducator assisting in math
and English classrooms. At South Hutchinson Mennonite Church, now known as
Journey Mennonite Church, Lois could be found at the organ and piano for
four decades. She accompanied hymns and choirs, shared preludes and
special music and planned worship services and Christmas programs.
She was preceded in death by her brothers and parents
and is survived by her husband, Jay; sons Tim (Heidi) in Newton and
Jonathan (Jessica) in Wichita; and three grandchildren.
(AW, January 2026, p. 50)
Kauffman, Sherman, 82, died Dec. 6, 2025, at his home in Goshen, Ind.,
after along battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was born June 5, 1943, in
Fairview, Mich., to Ira and Glada Kauffman, one of six children.
After graduating from Fairview High School, he left for Voluntary
Service through the Mennonite Church in Anzac, Alberta. There he worked
for the Northland School Division that served children in some of the
northernmost parts of Alberta, as well as community development. There he
met his lifetime partner, Betty Yoder, from Kokomo, Ind., also serving in
VS. Following his first pastorate in Three Rivers, Mich., Sherm attended
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries and Goshen College, receiving a
bachelor degree and certification.
For the remainder of his life, Sherm served the church in Sarasota,
Fla., as associate pastor at Bayshore Mennonite Church and in Goshen as
executive secretary and executive conference minister for Indiana-Michigan
Mennonite Conference. During this time, he completed a master's degree in
nonprofit administration at Notre Dame. He also served on the boards of
Sarasota Christian School and Goshen College. After retirement he served
as a transitional minister in Ohio, Indiana and Nebraska. He also
volunteered with Mennonite Disaster Service in Florida.
In retirement, he enjoyed wood-turning, creating wood bowls and
vases. He loved the church and spending time with his family and
grandchildren. He was a man of strong faith with a deep sense of justice
and the importance of caring for God's creation.
He is survived by his wife, Betty; daughter Shana (Marty) Hodel;
son Jeff; six grandchildren; and siblings Polly Kauffman, Sandy Kauffman,
Kathy (Wayne) Hochstedler and Bert Jacklitch. He was preceded in death by
brother Merrill, sister-in-law Linda Kauffman and brother-in-law Jim
Jacklitch. He maintained a strong bond with Jerry Boucher, considered
family through lifelong connection. A funeral service will be held at 11
a.m. Dec. 27 at Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship in Goshen.
(AW, January 2026, p. 50)
Schrag, Myron Dave, 88, pastor and follower of Jesus, a sojourner whose
ministry carried him from India to Indiana, died Dec. 6, 2025, at his home
in Goshen, Ind. Born Jan. 10, 1937, in Norwich, Kan., he was the fifth of
six children of Dave and Adina Schrag.
He credited his rural upbringing for shaping his character and work
ethic. His faith was nurtured at Bethany Mennonite Church, where he was
baptized as a teenager. In later years, he described baptism as the
beginning of a lifelong journey of discipleship, rooted in Jesus call to
peacemaking, justice and the "upside-down kingdom" of the Sermon on the
Mount.
At Norwich High School, Myron excelled in football, basketball and
track. At Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., he initially prepared for
a career in teaching and coaching but developed a deepening interest in
Bible and religion courses, while also setting a school record in the
120-yard hurdles. After graduating in 1959, Myron served through Mennonite
Voluntary Service in Ontario, working with troubled youth.
A summer with Mennonite Central Committee in Nashville and time at
Koinonia Farm with Clarence Jordan strengthened his commitment to a
gospel-rooted faith expressed through racial justice, nonviolence and
shared community. These experiences led him to Anabaptist Mennonite
Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind. There he met Ericka "Rickey" Koop.
Married in 1965, they shared more than 60 years of partnership in life and
ministry.
Myron served congregations in Kansas, India and Minneapolis, where
he helped found People of Faith Peacemakers, and concluded his pastoral
career at Eighth Street Mennonite Church in Goshen. In retirement, Myron
and Rickey continued to serve, including teaching in China. Following a
second cancer diagnosis, Myron lived fully and faithfully until his death.
He is survived by his wife, Rickey; three sons; seven
grandchildren; siblings; and extended family. Myron will be remembered for
his humility, warmth, love of sports, devotion to family and enduring
witness to the peaceable way of Jesus.
(AW, January 2026, p. 50)