Mennonite World Review - September 2012

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

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Amstutz, Robert Freeman

Robert Freeman Amstutz, 85, died Aug. 5, 2012, at the Berlin Health and Rehab long-term care facility in Barre, Vt., where he had lived since May. He was born Aug. 25, 1926, to Edwin and Zilla Amstutz of rural Bluffton, Ohio.Farm life helped shape him into a reliable and hardworking youth. First Mennonite Church nurtured his faith and values. During World War II he was drafted and obtained conscientious objector status because of his faith. He was sent to Hill City, N.D., to do reconstruction work on a dam, and later he went to work at Cleveland State Mental Hospital.He received a bachelor's degree from Bluffton University and later a master's from Hartford (Conn.) Theological Seminary. He was a high school teacher, first in Ohio and then in Simsbury, Conn., for 35 years, where he became the head of the social science department. He was on the board of the Connecticut Education Association and was a delegate in the National Education Association.He was a member at First Church of Christ Congregational in West Hartford, Conn., for many decades.He loved classical music and sang in church and community choirs. He journeyed to Europe and South Africa. A student of history and culture, he took pleasure in visiting many of the world's famous places. He had a fascination with antique tractors and farm equipment and often traveled to farm festivals. In retirement he volunteered for the Connecticut Antique Machinery Museum.He had two sons, Stephen and Frederic, with his first wife, Myrtle Wasser. Four years after he married Lynn Aune, she died from cancer. Catherine Derrick became his third wife, and she survives.Other survivors include a son, Stephen, of Upper Jay, N.Y.; a sister, Harriet Dick, of Toronto; and a granddaughter.----------------

Kennel, Christian D.

Christian D. Kennel, 92, of Landis Homes, Lititz, Pa., died Aug. 1, 2012. He was born Jan. 7, 1920, to Christian D. and Elizabeth Fisher Kennel in Christiana.He was a 1936 graduate of Christiana High School and a 1940 graduate of Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, Va. He enjoyed reading throughout his life. He married Gladys Hershey on May 15, 1948. They were active members of Parkesburg Mennonite Church, where he served as Sunday school superintendent.He was the owner of C.D. Kennel Builder of Parkesburg for 42 years, later known as LanChester Construction. He also worked at Paul Risk Associates in Quarry­ville.Survivors include 11 children: Marie Stoltzfus of Honey Brook, Susan Watkins, and her husband, Raymond, of New Castle, Del., Ellen Kennel and her husband, Duane Shank, of Washington, D.C., Christian Kennel and his wife, Rose Brubaker Kennel, of Lancas­ter, Philip Kennel and his wife, Kathleen Freyenberger Kennel, of Jonesboro, Ga., James Kennel and his wife, Beth Froebe Kennel, of Parkesburg, Frederick Kennel of Hershey, Grace Zimmerman and her husband, Craig, of Trout Run, Timothy Kennel and his wife, Kathy Hagel Kennel, of Souderton, Elvin Kennel and his wife, Wendy Godshall Kennel, of Parkesburg, and Phoebe Haupert and her husband, Stephen, of Williamsport; two siblings, Phoebe L. Ranck of Powhatan, Va.; and Frank Kennel and his wife, Erma Smoker Kennel, of Spring Garden; 25 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys; daughter Esther Lamartine; grandson Christian David Kennel; and six siblings: Elmer Kennel, Dorothy Stoltzfus, Ida Winters, Grace Kurtz, John Kennel and Joseph Kennel.Memorial services were held at Parkesburg Mennonite Church. Burial was in Millwood Mennonite Cemetery.

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Bergey, Betty Rice

Betty Bergey, 85, of Hesston, Kan., died Aug. 16, 2012, at Scho­walter Villa's Lake Vista Retirement Center. She was born Feb. 19, 1927, to Leo and Emma Rice in Columbiana, Ohio.After graduating from Hesston Academy, she received her diploma in nursing at La Junta (Colo.) Mennonite School of Nursing in 1951. She married John Bergey on Aug. 28, 1952.After work as a nurse at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, they moved to Fresno, Calif., in 1960, where she was a nurse at Valley Medical Center. Several years later she became a public health nurse and eventually a supervisor of Fresno County Health Department. She taught health education classes to teen­agers at Juvenile Hall and child care classes to young mothers living in a group home as an alternative to jail. In 1973 they moved to Asuncion, Paraguay, where they worked for a year in the mental hospital teaching the staff and nurses more humane methods of care. Returning to the U.S., she worked as a nurse at Valley Medical Hospital. Retirement came in 1990 from St. Agnes Hospital. Then for several years she volunteered teaching classes in health education and child care at the Evangel Home for homeless and abused women until 1990. She traveled to many countries and used her skills as a nurse in every possible situation. Survivors include her husband, John R. Bergey; four children, Diana Hershberger and her husband, Phil, of Topeka, Jack Bergey and his wife, Karen, of Colorado, Pris­cilla Bergey and her husband, Günther, of Germany, and Mary Hope Cartagena and her husband, Eddie, of Arizona; eight siblings, Anna Mary, Emma Jean, Homer, Rich­ard, John, Glen, James and Carol; four grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Memorial services were held at Hesston Mennonite Church.

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Goering, Milo B.

Milo B. Goering, 93, died Aug. 19, 2012, at Pine Village in Moundridge, Kan. He was born Dec. 23, 1918, to Benjamin B.J. and Anna (Goering) Goering at rural Moundridge. He was a farmer-carpenter. He married Evelyn D. Kaufman Aug. 30, 1944 at Moundridge. Survivors include his wife, Evelyn, of Halstead; son Myron B. Goering of Halstead; daughter Frankie Huxman of Newton; grandsons Chris Huxman of Moundridge and Brian Huxman of Newton; great-grandsons Ryan, Tyler, Lucas, Andrew, Grant and Ian; sister Dorothy Krehbiel of Inman and brother Clarence Goering of Moundridge. Memorial services were held at Eden Mennonite Church, rural Moundridge.