Mennonite World Review - June 2017
Obituaries are emailed to MennObits before MWR is printed. Wording may vary in printed version.
Brenneman, Ruby A. ; . . Liechty, Anna V. ; . . Nolt, Marilyn Louise Peifer ; . . Schmidt, Ruth W. Banman Wiens Woelk
; . .
Yost, Carolyn Schnell ; . .
Mennonite World Review - June 5, 2017 - 95th Year, No. 12 - p. 15
------------------
Liechty, Anna V.
Anna V. Liechty, 101, of Berne, Ind., a longtime missionary, died May 7, 2017, at Swiss Village. She was born Nov. 19, 1915, to Albert W. and Ida Moser Liechty in Adams County.
She was a member of First Mennonite Church. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and later graduated from Goshen College and Ball State University. She studied French for a year in Brussels, Belgium. In 1946, she was a missionary with Congo Inland Mission serving in Zaire. Later the mission board joined Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission. She retired in 1984. Her interests included reading, traveling and music.
Survivors include two nieces, Martha Showalter of Harrisonburg, Va., and Miriam Griffin of Oak Ridge, Tenn.; a nephew, Jonathan Habegger of Tucson, Ariz.; great-nephews and great-nieces.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Paul S. Liechty; and two sisters, Mary J. Augsburger and Ruth B. Habegger.
Memorial services were held in the Swiss Village Auditorium. A private burial was held in the MRE Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to Swiss Village Samaritan Fund, Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission and Mennonite Mission Network.
---------------
Schmidt, Ruth W. Banman Wiens Woelk
Ruth W. Schmidt, 100, of North Newton, Kan., died May 11, 2017, at Kidron Bethel Village. She was born Oct. 24, 1916, to Abraham J. and Bertha Epp Banman in rural Marion County.
She attended Maple Hill School for two years and finished her elementary education at the Hochfeldt School. She lived at home and helped with housework, gardening and farm chores and worked part time at Bethesda Home in Goessel. She had a great love and appreciation for flowers. She was baptized and joined Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church on June 5, 1935.
While in her 40s, she met and fell in love with Frank Wiens, and they were married April 14, 1961, at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church. Only 17 months later, he died in a home maintenance accident at their home in Goessel.
A few years later, she married her neighbor, John Woelk, on Oct. 12, 1965. She transferred her church membership to Goessel Mennonite Church for the remainder of her life. He preceded her in death on Sept. 1, 1988.
She retired from the housekeeping department at Bethesda Home in 1983 after 22 years of employment. She owned her home until 1989, when she moved to Sunflower Villa Apartments in Goessel.
On May 27, 1990, she married a longtime family friend, Richard H. Schmidt, and moved to his house in Newton. They enjoyed 10 years together, and she was a patient caregiver as he began losing his short-term memory and died unexpectedly on May 19, 2000.
She moved to Kidron Bethel Village in 2006.
Survivors include a sister, Mae Frey; a brother, Edgar (Vinola) Banman; five nieces and two nephews; and numerous stepchildren and grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Earl Banman; and her three husbands.
Memorial services were held at Kidron Bethel Village.
--------------------------
Nolt, Marilyn Louise Peifer
Marilyn Louise (Peifer) Nolt, 71, of Souderton, Pa., died May 23, 2017, of lymphoma. She was born Jan. 17, 1946, to Wilbur S. and Elva E. Peifer in Manheim. She was grateful for 25 years of full life after her first occurrence of cancer.
She graduated from Conestoga Valley High School in 1963 and summa cum laude from James Madison University in 1987. During her years in Harrisonburg, Va., she became a professional photographer, having many of her images published in periodicals and displayed in gallery shows. Her recent art explorations focused on altered books and mixed-media. After moving to Souderton, she trained to be a certified doula (childbirth assistant) and attended more than 300 births. She found much joy in gardening, traveling with her husband, Larry, and spending time with her grandchildren.
She was a member of Mennonite churches all of her adult life, most recently Perkasie Mennonite Church, where she coordinated worship arts and was a worship leader.
Survivors include her husband of nearly 50 years, Larry E. Nolt; three children, M. Bradford (Nicole Fasano) Nolt, Jill (Angelo Phillos)?Nolt and Todd (Jessica Bencsik) Nolt; two brothers, Dale (Joyce Esbenshade) Peifer and Daryl (Jane Hoober) Peifer; and eight grandchildren.
Memorial services were held at Souderton Mennonite Church.
Memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Central Committee and Mennonite Economic Development Associates.
Mennonite World Review - June 19, 2017 - 95th Year, No. 13 - p. 15
-------------------
Yost, Carolyn Schnell
Carolyn Schnell Yost, 82, of Phoenix, Ariz., died May 29, 2017, after a surprisingly short illness with pancreatic cancer. She was born Oct. 30, 1934, to Russell and Helen Schnell, missionaries serving in the Belgian Congo in Africa. She was raised speaking French and the local Tshiluba dialect. She moved permanently to the United States in 1953 to attend Bluffton (Ohio) College. There she met her husband of 38 years, Jerry Yost. They were married Aug. 17, 1957, at Eighth Street Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind.
After teaching elementary school during Jerry’s medical training years in Philadelphia and Staten Island, N.Y., they moved to Arizona with the Indian Health Service. They served in Tuba City, 1962-65; Fort Defiance, 1967-1974; and Phoenix, 1965-67 and 1974-1995.
After Jerry died from leukemia in 1995, she remained in Phoenix, where hundreds came to love and know her through her steadfast work at First Mennonite Church and her decades of leadership with Bible Study Fellowship and the LifePoint Bible study group. She traveled extensively around the world but was happiest when she was with her children and grandchildren. Praying without fail for each of them every morning, she never missed a graduation, wedding or other important life event.
Survivors include her children, David Yost, Robert Yost and Ellen Kaufman; three sisters, Marilyn Memmer, Evelyn Moler and Tamar Myers; nine grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry, in 1995.
A celebration of life service was held at First Mennonite Church, Phoenix. Those wishing to make a memorial donation in her name may do so to First Mennonite Church, Phoenix.
-----------------
Brenneman, Ruby A.
Ruby A. Brenneman, 81, of Kalona, Iowa, and formerly of Ventura, Calif., died April 15, 2017, at Pleasant View Home. She was born Dec. 2, 1935, to Norman and Katie (Swartzendruber) Brenneman in rural Wellman.
She graduated from Iowa Mennonite School of rural Kalona in 1954 and Eastern Mennonite College of Harrisonburg, Va., in 1961. In 1961-62 she volunteered through Mennonite Board of Missions, teaching school in a migrant camp at Stanfield, Ariz. In 1965-67 she served as hostess at Mennonite Central Committee in Akron, Pa.
She made her home in Ventura, Calif., where she was active in church by serving in many capacities. She was known for sharing her delicious food, her handwritten letters and cards to her many friends, her infectious laughter, love of singing and a joyous life of unceasing prayer of thanksgiving. In 2013 she moved to Iowa to be near her family.
Survivors include a brother, Keith (Mary) Brenneman of Peoria, Ariz.; a sister, Nedra Berger of Missouri City, Texas; six nieces and nephews and 10 great-nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by a brother-in-law, E.C. Berger.
A celebration service was held at Upper Deer Creek Church, Wellman.