Mennonite World Review - September 2017
Obituaries are emailed to MennObits before MWR is printed. Wording may vary in printed version.
Mennonite World Review - September 11, 2017 - 95th Year, No. 19 - p. 15
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Heatwole, C. Franklyn
C. Franklyn Heatwole, 89, of La Junta, Colo., died Aug. 5, 2017. He was born Feb. 1, 1928, to E. Herman and Nora (Good) Heatwole in La Junta.
He married Esther Bixler on April 8, 1953, at First Mennonite Church in La Junta.
He graduated from Swink High School in 1946. He served two years in the U.S. Army as a noncombatant during the Korean conflict.
He was baptized at First Mennonite Church in La Junta as a youth and was an active member. He transferred his membership to Rocky Ford Mennonite Church in 1968. After moving to La Junta in 2003, he became a member of Emmanuel Mennonite Church. He was a lifetime farmer and dairyman south of Rocky Ford.
He was a board member of Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Rocky Ford. He also served on the governing board of Casa Del Sol Retirement Village.
He enjoyed coffee with friends, fishing, hunting, calling coyotes, watching sports on television, especially the Broncos and Rockies, coin collecting, traveling and spending time with his family.
Survivors include his wife, Esther, of La Junta; four children, Steven (Bonnie) Heatwole of Archbold, Ohio, Douglas (Theresa) Heatwole of Garden City, Kan., Roger (Jane) Heatwole of Marshalltown, Iowa, and James (Elizabeth) Heatwole of Peoria, Ill.; a sister, Charlene Nielson; a sister-in-law, Emma Jean Heatwole; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Elbert Heatwole; and a brother-in-law, Alfred Nielsen.
Funeral services were held at Emmanuel Mennonite Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Central Committee or Arkansas Valley Hospice of La Junta.
Mennonite World Review - September 25, 2017 - 95th Year, No. 20 - p. 15
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Litwiller, Floyd R.
Floyd R. Litwiller, 89, of Hopedale, Ill., died Aug. 18, 2017, at Hopedale Nursing Home. He was born Sept. 22, 1927, to Christian C. and Emma Zehr Litwiller in rural Delavan.
He married Lona Deter on May 24, 1952, in Morrison.
He graduated from Hopedale High School and took several Bible classes at Goshen (Ind.) College, where he met his wife. The two of them served as missionaries in Puerto Rico for the first two years of their marriage. He then farmed in central Illinois from 1955 to 2004.
He was baptized at Hopedale Mennonite Church in 1941. He was a member of Midway Mennonite Church near Pekin for 33 years before returning to Hopedale Mennonite. He was a member of Gideon’s International for more than 30 years and led weekly Bible studies at Logan County Correctional Center for more than 19 years.
Survivors include his wife, Lona; four children, Richard (Cynthia) Litwiller of Goshen, Ind., Kenneth (Laura) Litwiller of Nairobi, Kenya, Christina Litwiller of Salina, Kan., and Brian (Cynthia) Litwiller of rural Delavan; five sisters, Delora Birkey of Hopedale, Evelyn Good of Urbana, LaVerne (Richard) Petersen of Fort Wayne, Ind., Ruth Mark of Goshen, Ind., and Judy (Gary) Muzzy of Orlando, Fla.; a brother-in-law, Bruce Burmeister of LaPorte, Ind.; a sister-in-law, Lois Deter of Sterling; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one infant sister; two sisters, Carolyn Welch and Beverly Burmeister; and a granddaughter.
Funeral services were held at Hopedale Mennonite Church.
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Epp, Katharina M. "Tena" Ediger
Katharina M. “Tena” Epp, 96, of Buhler, Kan., died Sept. 12, 2017, at Buhler Sunshine Home. She was born April 30, 1921, to Jacob H. and Margaretha Wiens Ediger in McPherson County.
She had taught school and was a homemaker. A member of Buhler Mennonite Church, she was a faithful follower of Christ. She married John R. Epp on July 31, 1945, in Inman. He preceded her in death on July 14, 1982.
Survivors include her children, Dee Graber of Maize, Eldon Epp of Wichita and Donald (Annette) Epp of Buhler; three sisters, Marie Regehr of North Newton, Anne Martin of Castorland, N.Y., and Elma Kauffman of West Liberty, Ohio; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild and three step-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Raymond, in infancy; and two brothers, Peter J. and Menno Ediger.
Graveside services were held at Buhler Municipal Cemetery, with a memorial service at Buhler Mennonite Church. Memorials may be sent to either the Buhler Public Library or Mennonite Central Committee in care of Buhler Mortuary.
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Rodgers, Pearl Hershberger
Pearl Rodgers, 92, of Hesston, Kan., died Sept. 13, 2017, at Schowalter Villa. She was born Sept. 29, 1924, to Owen O. and Clara Mae Brenneman Hershberger in Tofield, Alta.
She was a member of Whitestone Mennonite Church, Hesston, and was part of the Sunday school class that had the vision for Mennonite Disaster Service. She married Lloyd Joseph Rodgers on Dec. 24, 1945, at Zimmerdale. He preceded her in death on May 9, 1993.
Survivors include her children, Florence (Weldon) Schloneger of North Newton, Robert (Jean) Rodgers of Hesston, Bonnie (Milo) Stauffer and Betty (James) Boettger, both of Tofield, Alta., and Kenneth Rodgers of Hesston; a brother, Howard (Martha) Hershberger of Hesston; two sisters-in-law, Gladys Hershberger and Grace Hershberger both of Goshen, Ind.; nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Ruth Rodgers; three brothers, Glenn, James and John Hershberger; and sister-in-law Lois Hershberger.
Memorial services were held at Whitestone Mennonite Church, Hesston. A graveside service was held at Eastlawn Cemetery, Hesston. Memorials may be sent to Mennonite Disaster Service or the Lloyd and Pearl Rodgers Family Scholarship at Hesston College in care of Miller-Ott Funeral Home, Hesston.