Mennonite World Review - January 2014
Mennonite World Review - January 6, 2014 - 92nd Year, No. 1 - p. 16
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Merlin Eugene Aeschliman, 78, died of lymphoma Dec. 11, 2013, at the Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House, Albany, Ore. He was born Feb. 21, 1935, to John G. and Viola R. Aeschliman in Montpelier, Ohio.
At Goshen (Ind.) College he met Kathleen Harley of Telford, Pa. They were married in July 1958.
They moved to Salem for his first job, teaching choral music at Western Mennonite School. Called "Mr. A." by his students, he then taught at Philomath Schools, Judson Junior High in Salem and McMinnville Junior High before returning to Western Mennonite to teach until his retirement in 2000.
A graduate of Goshen College, he earned his master's degree at OSU in 1969.
Active in music activities of the Mennonite church, he also sang with Willamette Master Chorus and Festival Chorale Oregon as well as directing Capitol Manor Choraleers. He and Kathleen enjoyed hosting international guests and their travels abroad.
Survivors include his wife, Kathleen, of Albany; two daughters, Beth Ann Beamer and her husband, Leland, of Madras, and Janette Wisseman and her husband, Darrel, of Prineville; a son, Jeffrey Aeschliman and his wife, Margaret, of Salem; a sister, Mona Mann of Glendale, Ariz., nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a grandson, Todd Beamer.
A memorial service and hymn sing will be held at a later date.
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Martha M. Tschetter, 93, of Freeman, S.D., died Dec. 17, 2013. She was born March 17, 1920, to Jacob M. and Anna Schartner Boese on their farm near Springfield.
She graduated from Freeman Academy in 1938. After taking a one-year teacher training course at Freeman Junior College, she taught country school north of Avon. She graduated from FJC in 1962 and received a bachelor's degree in 1968 from Southern State College, Springfield and a master's degree in 1975 from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.
She gave her life to Christ, was baptized Dec. 10, 1933, and joined the Friedensburg Church. After her marriage, she transfered her membership to Bethany Mennonite Church in Freeman on Aug. 3, 1941, where she was especially active in Sunday school and Women in Mission work.
On June 29, 1941, she married Ernest A. Tschetter at the Friedensburg Church near Avon.
She taught country school 18 years and first grade in the Freeman Public School system for 18 years. After retirement she volunteered at the Et Cetera Shoppe, Mennonite Central Committee relief sale, nursing home and Freeman Academy Auxiliary, did substitute teaching and made nearly 4,000 comforters for relief.
She enjoyed traveling, gardening, flowers, reading and cooking.
She moved to Salem Home in 2002 and Oakview Terrace in 2010.
Survivors include three sons, Loren and his wife, Carol, Larry and his wife, Edie, and Ron and his wife, Connie, all from Freeman; a sister, Marie Zikan; a sister-in-law, Margaret Boese; nine grandchildren and 15 greatgrandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Ernest, on Oct. 30, 1992; two brothers, Ruben and Noah; and a brother-in-law, Joseph Zikan.
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Wilma E. (Ewert) Leichty, 88, died on Dec. 15, 2013, at The Gables (Greencroft Healthcare) in Goshen, Ind. She was born March 23, 1925, to Henry S. and Carrie (Nickel) Ewert in Hillsboro, Kan.
After her father completed studies at Tabor College, the family moved to Mountain Lake, Minn., where she lived most of her childhood years. After her mother's death when she was 3, she grew up with a beloved stepmother, Emma (Boese) Ewert.
She grew up and became a follower of Christ in the Mennonite Brethren church. After studies at Tabor College, she took nurse's training at Bethel Deaconess Hospital in Newton, Kan. While working at the hospital, she met Civilian Public Service worker Clarence Leichty. They each decided to finish their bachelor's degrees at Goshen College, where she graduated in 1949. They were married Aug. 23, 1949, in Reedley, Calif.
She worked as a receptionist and administrative assistant at Oaklawn Psychiatric Center and Youth Services Bureau in Elkhart during the 1960s and 1970s. She was a member of Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart and also served on the boards of Home Ownership Means Equality and Church Community Services. After his retirement as an elementary school administrator, they moved to Goshen and became members of College Mennonite Church.
Survivors include three children, Paul Leichty and his wife, Twila, of Goshen, Bruce Leichty and his wife, Kathy, of Escondido, Calif., and Cheryl Blaum and her husband, Ronald, of Goshen; two sisters, Annette Dick of Mountain Lake, Minn., and Elinor Kliewer of Hillsboro, Kan., a brother, Calvin Ewert and his wife, Marian, of Lodi, Calif.; a sister-in-law, Wilma Ewert of Reedley, Calif.; and five grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence, on Feb. 25, 2012, and a brother, Alden Ewert.
Memorial services were held at College Mennonite Church. According to her wishes, her body was cremated and her ashes scattered in the College Church Memorial Garden.
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Cordell, Beulah G. Martin
Beulah G. (Martin) Cordell, 84, of Chambersburg, Pa., died Dec. 24, 2013. She was born Jan. 8, 1928, to Charles W. and Lula (Holsinger) Martin of Hagerstown, Md.
She married Merle G. Cordell on May 17, 1947.
She was an active member of Marion Mennonite Church and faithfully supported her husband through 60 years of ministry.
She was an avid gardener, having many beautiful flowerbeds around her home, which bus tours, nursing home and senior citizen groups and families came to see. Her specialty was geraniums and canna lilies. Her flower gardens were featured nationally in Bird and Blooms magazine and just this past year in Country Gardens. The annual guest book records visitors from many states and dozens of foreign countries.
She owned Beulah M. Cordell Ceramics. In addition, she enjoyed embroidering quilt tops and "Word Finds." She was an extensive record keeper. There are dozens of picture albums that include family gatherings, reunions, church functions, travels and the visitors to the gardens. She kept a detailed personal daily diary for the last 53 years.
Survivors include her husband of 66 years, Merle; four children, Doris, Ruby, David and Richard; two sisters, Elsie and Miriam; two brothers, Thurman and Nathan; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services, which she planned, were held at Marion Mennonite Church.
Burial was in the adjoining church cemetery.