Mennonite World Review - July 2017
Obituaries are emailed to MennObits before MWR is printed. Wording may vary in printed version.
Bartel, Martha Y. "Mart" Stoltzfus ; . . Blank, Mary Lou Lauver ; . . Brubaker, J. Lester ; . . Fast, Darrell ; . . Herr, Elwood L. "Woody" ; . . Tyson, Raymond L. ; . .
Mennonite World Review - July 3, 2017 - 95th Year, No. 14 - p. 15
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Fast, Darrell
Darrell Fast, 77, of Leamington, Ont., died June 11, 2017. He was born Sept. 5, 1939, in Henderson, Neb.
He attended Grace Bible Institute from 1957 to 1960 and then the University of Nebraska, graduating in 1963. He entered Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind., in 1964.
He met Loretta Janzen when she was attending Goshen (Ind.) College and he was beginning his last year of seminary. They were married in August 1966.
After seminary he served with the General Conference Mennonite Church from 1965 to 1970. He was ordained and began his first pastorate at Toronto United Mennonite Church in 1970. They moved to Newton, Kan., in 1986, when he became pastor at Bethel College Mennonite Church. In 1999 he began his third charge at Leamington United Mennonite Church, where he pastored until he retired in 2006.
He was a good listener, compassionate counselor and thoughtful preacher. He had a great “sense of occasion” that was evident in his planning of special services. He loved to sing in trios, quartets, church and community choirs and musicals.
He visited Congo and Gambia in Africa. His commitment to peace and civil rights included peace marches in the 1960s and a trip to Nicaragua with Witness for Peace in 1989. He participated in a Jerusalem Seminar in 1990 and in 2000, attended Mennonite World Conference in India in 1997 and went on a learning tour to Iran in 2003.
He demonstrated his concern for the faith journey of youth with his research for a doctorate of ministry, which he completed in 1986. His thesis about the stages of faith became catechism material.
He was secretary when the three Mennonite conferences in Ontario became the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada; moderator of the GCMC when it moved toward merger with the Mennonite Church; board chair for AMBS, 1981-92; and moderator of MCEC, 2003-06.
During the last years of his life, Lewy Body Dementia robbed him of his intellectual capacities and mobility. In September 2014, he moved to Leamington Mennonite Home.
Survivors include his wife, Loretta; a son, Doug (Michelle) Fast; a daughter, Larissa Fast; and two grandchildren.
A memorial service was held June 17 at Leamington United Mennonite Church.
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Brubaker, J. Lester
J. Lester Brubaker, 93, of Lititz, Pa., died June 15, 2017, at Landis Homes Retirement Community. He was born on June 14, 1924, to Levi H. and Anna G. (Brubaker) Brubaker near Rohrerstown.
His wife of 70 years, Lois E. Byler Brubaker, formerly of Pigeon, Mich., preceded him in death on Jan. 18, 2017.
He expressed his faith in Jesus Christ through friendships, active participation in Witmer Heights Mennonite Church and 50 years of ministry in Christian education. He served at Lancaster Mennonite School, Eastern Mennonite University and the Lancaster Area Council of Mennonite Schools and was involved in the broader Christian school ministry through the Mid-Atlantic Christian Schools Association, the Association of Christian Schools International and summer teaching at Grace College and Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind., and Columbia (S.C.) International University. He also taught at Hemp?eld High School and the University of Virginia and was curriculum consultant for the Rockingham County, Va., public schools. He graduated from Eastern Mennonite High School and was awarded degrees from Eastern Mennonite University, Franklin and Marshall College, University of Michigan and University of Virginia.
Survivors include three children, Rose Louise (Christian) Kennel, Anne Marie (Jay) Roth and Edward D. (Lucy Yoder) Brubaker; ?ve grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois; a son and his wife, Charles and Joyce (Longacre) Brubaker, in 1986; a grandson, Christian David Kennel Jr., in 1983; and two brothers, Paul Brubaker and Aaron Brubaker.
Memorial services will be held at Landis Homes in Lititz on July 16. Burial was in Rohrerstown Mennonite (Old) Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be sent to the J. Lester and Lois Brubaker Scholarship Fund at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va.
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Bartel, Martha Y. "Mart" Stoltzfus
Martha Y. “Mart” Bartel, 90, of Lititz, Pa., and formerly of Gap, died June 11, 2017, at Landis Homes. She was born Dec. 3, 1926, to Enos and Annie (Yoder) Stoltzfus in Monterey.
She was a homemaker and member of Forest Hills Mennonite Church, where she served as a Sunday school teacher. She was an active member of her women’s group, Mennonite Women. Previously she volunteered at the Country Gift & Thrift Shoppe in White Horse and was the leader of the quilt room at Landis Homes. An avid quilter, she made more than 239 quilts between 1979 and 2007, not including the quilts she assisted with when volunteering at the thrift shop or at Landis Homes.
She met Marvin D. Bartel, whom she married, and served with Mennonite Central Committee for five years at Brook Lane Farm, Hagerstown, Md., helping to establish the first Mennonite psychiatric hospital.
While she possessed a love of travel and, together with Marvin, visited all 48 continental states and six Canadian provinces, her greatest love was her family. Visits from her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were spent creating cherished memories.
Survivors include five children, Cindy (Jan) Sohar of Kidron, Ohio, Maggi Freed of Lebanon, Rose (Michael) Weaver of Vero Beach, Fla., Albert (Marilyn) Bartel of Willow Street, and Jane (Scott) Haught of Gap; three siblings, Salinda (Floyd) Weber of Denver, Titus (Marian) Stoltzfus of Lititz, and Orpha S. King of Denver; 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin D. Bartel, in March of 2015; a son, Marvin W. Bartel, in 2000; and three siblings, Nancy Byler, David Y. Stoltzfus and Ruth Bowman.
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Tyson, Raymond L.
Raymond L. Tyson, 94, of Goshen, Ind., died May 18, 2017. He was born Dec. 4, 1922, to Elmer and Cora (Mumaw) Tyson.
He and his wife, Ruth, were co-owners and managers of Shamrock Mobile Home Parks in Warsaw and Nappanee. He was an active member of the Mobile Home Association during those years. In earlier years he worked at Lehman Veal, Lamb and Poultry in Wakarusa.
He and his wife enjoyed many winters in Mission, Texas, at Mission Bell Resort. Golfing, traveling, woodworking, playing cards and volunteering more than 3,000 hours at Goshen Greencroft were some of his many enjoyments.
Survivors include two daughters, Becky (Perc Blosser) Tyson and Brenda (Andy) Buller, both of Goshen; a son, Kerm (Michelle) Tyson of Apache Junction, Ariz.; two sisters, Evelyn (Lawrence) Troyer and Vivian (Dale) Kaser; two brothers, Merl (Gloria) Tyson and Herb (Grace) Tyson; a sister-in-law, Esther Tyson; 15 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Ruth L. (Bixler) Tyson, on Dec. 26, 2013; and a brother, Harold Tyson.
Contributions may be given to Yellow Creek Mennonite Church or Goshen Greencroft Foundation.
Mennonite World Review - July 17, 2017 - 95th Year, No. 15 - p. 19
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Blank, Mary Lou Lauver
Mary Lou (Lauver) Blank, 86, of Gap, Pa., died May 21, 2017. She was born Aug. 14, 1930, to Mennonite missionaries William G. and Florence (Byler) Lauver in Argentina.
She lived in Argentina until age 15. She graduated in 1951 from the Moline Public Hospital School of Nursing in Illinois. She was the loving wife of Lester Blank, with whom she celebrated 63 years of marriage.
They served for 12 years as missionaries in Cuba and Mexico, from 1959 to 1972, under Franconia Mennonite Missions. After returning to the U.S., she served as the receptionist in her husband’s chiropractic office. She was a member of Rossmere Mennonite Church in Lancaster, where Lester served as associate pastor for 16 years. She taught the younger children in Sunday school classes for many years. She loved being a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Once when asked about her hobbies, she said, “I love people.”
Survivors include her husband, Lester Blank; six children, Beverly (Clark) Gray of Lancaster, Carol (Duane) Longenecker of Atlanta, Ga., Nelson (Marilyn Kropf) Blank of Gap, Keith (Brenda Burkhart) Blank of Lancaster, Miriam Blank of Gap and Paul (Marla Burkholder) Blank of Lancaster; 18 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her four siblings, Lois Lauver, J. Paul Lauver, Glenn Lauver and Elton Lauver.
Memorial services were held at Mellinger Mennonite Church, Lancaster. Burial was in Kinzer Mennonite Cemetery.
Mennonite World Review - July 31, 2017 - 95th Year, No. 16 - p. 15
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Herr, Elwood L. "Woody"
Elwood L. "Woody" Herr, 81, of Obion, Tenn., and formerly of Sterling, Ill., died June 1, 2017, at Regional One Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. He was born May 23, 1936, to Victor and Ruth (LeFevre) Herr in Sterling.
He graduated from Sterling High School and attended Goshen (Ind.) College. He farmed in the Sterling area, worked in the printing industry many years, then at the Ag Center and later at Tennessee Tractor until his retirement last year.
He married Janet K. Thomas on Sept. 4, 1954, in Johnstown, Pa. She preceded him in death on April 7, 1988. He married Brenda Boswell in May 1989 in Dyersburg, Tenn.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Ridgely, Tenn., and a former member of Science Ridge Mennonite Church in Sterling.
Survivors include his second wife, Brenda; three children, Jaime (Donna) Herr of Rockford, Ill., Greg Herr of McKenzie, Tenn., and Denise (Larry) Lyday of Odin, Ill.; two stepsons, Scott Hughes of Newbern, Tenn., and Steve Hughes of Jackson, Tenn.; two brothers, Rodney Herr of Boise, Idaho, and Richard Herr of Lakewood, Colo.; a sister, Deloris Meiners of Sterling; five grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; six great-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Millicent; two sons, Douglas and Philip; and his first wife, Janet.
A private celebration of life was held at Lake Norfolk, Ark.