Mennonite World Review - July 2018

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

Mennonite World Review - July 2, 2018 - 96th Year, No. 14 - p. 15

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Gleysteen, Barbara Detweiler, 89, of Goshen, Ind., died June 13, 2018, at Greencroft Goshen Healthcare. She was born Oct. 2, 1928, to Joseph and Polly (Swartzendruber) Detweiler in Thomas, Okla.

On June 30, 1955, she married Jan Gleysteen in Newton, Kan. After their marriage they lived in Scottdale, Pa., for 40 years.

She was a teacher and a homemaker. After graduating from Goshen College, she taught home economics and English in Kalona, Iowa, and Scottdale, Pa. She also taught English as a second language in her home.

She was a partner in TourMagination. Her role was bookkeeper and secretary. She served on the board of directors for Scottdale Federal Mennonite Credit Union. She hosted many people from around the world in her home. In 1995 she and Jan moved to Goshen.

Survivors include her husband, Jan; a daughter, Linda (Bob Boltz) Gleysteen of Aurora, Ill.; a son, David (Laura Bruno) Gleysteen of Kalamazoo, Mich.; a sister, Lola Miller of Denver, Colo.; a brother, Joe Detweiler of Newton, Kan.; and two grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a brother, James Detweiler.

A memorial service will be held on July 21 at a location to be announced. Memorial gifts may be made to Habitat for Humanity or Mennonite Central Committee.

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Gingerich, Ray C.

Ray C. Gingerich, 84, of Harrisonburg, Va., died June 17, 2018, after a long struggle with prostate cancer. He was born Aug. 26, 1933, to Amish parents Chris and Susie Anna (Miller) Gingerich near Kalona, Iowa.

By the time he was 16, his parents had joined the recently established Beachy Amish church, where he was baptized. When he was 19, he served as leader of the national Beachy Amish youth organization.

Drafted into alternative service during the Korean War, he was assigned to work at Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital and subsequently volunteered for a summer teaching Bible school in the Bronx and Brooklyn, N.Y.

On Aug. 26, 1956, he married Wilma Beachy of Kalona.

He completed college at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg and an additional year at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Then he and Wilma went to Luxembourg as missionaries under Eastern Mennonite Missions from 1961 to 1968, where he pastored a small Mennonite congregation and began a Christian bookstore.

Returning from Europe, he studied at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind. Harboring deep doubts about a traditional doctrinally framed Christian faith, his engagement with Anabaptist peace theology and his interactions with missionaries returning from interreligious and cross-cultural settings led to what he called a “second conversion.”

He continued doctoral studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. His dissertation explored the mission impulse of the 16th-century Anabaptist movement.

In 1977 he began teaching at EMU in Bible and religion. He helped develop a peace and justice minor. He regularly taught courses at EMS. For many years he was faculty sponsor for an active peace fellowship on campus. He helped recruit faculty and envision programs that developed into the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and provided critical support for the Center for Interfaith Engagement. After his teaching career, he helped found the Anabaptist Center of Religion and Society, which gathered personal and faith stories of numerous teachers and elders in the church.

For more than 25 years, he and Wilma were active participants in Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Wilma Jean Gingerich; four sons, James (Barbara) Nelson Gingerich, John Gingerich (Eva Mengelkoch), André Gingerich (Cathy) Stoner and Pierre (Lori) Gingerich-Boberg; two sisters, Clara (Harley) Miller and Esther (Jacob) Yoder; and eight grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by an older sister, Mary (Lewis) Swantz.

Memorial services were held at Community Mennonite Church.

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Willems, Dora Elizabeth Schrock

Dora Elizabeth (Schrock) Willems, 88, of Albany, Ore., died Jan. 26, 2018, at Mennonite Village Health Care Center. She was born Nov. 8, 1929, to Elmer and Bertha (Heyerly) Schrock near Albany.
She was educated in the Linn County schools and received her License Practical Nurse’s training at La Junta (Colo.) Mennonite School of Nursing.

She worked in the medical field all her adult life, serving in Lebanon Community Hospital, doctor’s offices, a nursing home, and retired from serving with In Home Health Care. She enjoyed helping others and was a gifted caregiver. She spent many hours volunteering for several organizations. She loved flowers and caring for them.

She was a member of Albany Mennonite Church. She began teaching children’s Sunday school and summer Bible school classes while a teenager and continued such ministry throughout her life until retiring. She was involved in church music and hospitality. She was a gracious hostess, serving many guests in her home.
She married John Willems on July 21, 1955, at Albany Mennonite Church. She served with and was very supportive of his pastoral ministry.

Survivors include her husband, John; a daughter, Mardell (Douglas) Hochstetler of Albany; a son, Kevin Willems of Lake Stevens, Wash.; two brothers, Eldon Schrock and Perry Schrock, and a sister, Florence (Elmer) Gerig, all of Albany; and three grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by sisters-in-law Sophia Schrock, Audrey Schrock and Mildred Schrock.

Memorial services were held at Albany Mennonite Church. Burial was in Fairview Mennonite Cemetery. Memorials are for Mennonite Village’s Endowment Fund or Evergreen Hospice House.

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Flickinger, Melvin Roy

Melvin Roy Flickinger, 93, died June 23, 2018, at Mennonite Friendship Communities in South Hutchinson, Kan. He was born Jan. 4, 1925, to Amos J. and Ida J. (Graber) Flickinger in Pretty Prairie.

He graduated from Pretty Prairie High School in 1943 and Bethel College in North Newton in 1952. He was a conscientious objector and served with Civilian Public Service from 1943 to 1946.

He was a middle school teacher for 30 years and a rural mail carrier for 16 years. He was a member of First Mennonite Church in both Pretty Prairie and Hutchinson. He shared the gospel for 13 years singing with the Quiet Place Singers.

On Aug. 4, 1949, he married Helen Schwartz in Pretty Prairie. They shared almost 65 years of marriage prior to her death Aug. 2, 2014.

Survivors include three daughters, Colleen (Tom) Graber of Wichita, Judy Campbell of Nevada, Mo., and Mary (Kirby) Krehbiel of Hutchinson; a son, Mark Flickinger of Wichita; a daughter-in-law, Deb Flickinger (Terry Weems) of Portland, Ore.; two brothers, Calvin Flickinger of Phoenix, Ariz., and Chester Flickinger of Denver, Colo.; four sisters-in-law; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen; a son, Bradley J. Flickinger; four brothers, Homer, Elmer, Virgil and Ted; a sister, Mary Ann Bonebrake; an infant sister, Mildred; and a son-in-law, Doug Campbell.

Graveside services were held at First Mennonite Church Cemetery, Pretty Prairie. A celebration of life followed at First Mennonite Church, Hutchinson. Memorials may be made to Mennonite Central Committee.

Mennonite World Review - July 16, 2018 - 96th Year, No. 15 - p. 15

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Loewen, Harvey Allen

Harvey Allen Loewen, 84, of Mountain Lake, Minn., died July 9, 2018, at Good Samaritan Society-The Village in Mountain Lake. He was born April 29, 1934, to Abe and Anna (Stoesz) Loewen in Mountain Lake.

He was baptized upon confession of faith at Gospel Mennonite Church in 1947. He graduated from Mountain Lake High School in 1952 and attended Grace Bible Institute in Omaha for a year. As a conscientious objector to war, he served from 1954 to 1956 in Gulfport, Miss., in a program administered by Mennonite Central Committee. While at Gulfport he met Mildred Schmidt, a teacher from Goessel, Kan., who worked in Gulfport for two summers with Mennonite Voluntary Service. They were married on Oct. 6, 1956, and made their home in Mountain Lake, farming north of town for nearly 60 years.

Serving as a church musician for most of his life, he directed choirs and musical groups at Gospel Mennonite Church and later at Bethel Mennonite Church, often with Mildred playing organ or piano. During his 20s he ran a side business as a professional photographer. He took wedding and family portraits and developed pictures in his own darkroom. Taking pictures throughout his life, he was especially fond of the landscape in the Southwest. He was knowledgeable in many subjects and could fix just about anything. He loved the independence and outdoor life of farming.

Survivors include Mildred, his wife of nearly 62 years; a son, Stan (Charlotte) Loewen of Mountain Lake; a daughter, Nancy Loewen of St. Paul; a grandson and a granddaughter.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Norma.

Services were held at Bethel Mennonite Church, Mountain Lake. Burial was in Mountain Lake City Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to MCC or Alzheimer’s Association.

Mennonite World Review - July 30, 2018 - 96th Year, No. 16 - p. 15

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Mavromatis, Sophie Farran

Sophie Farran Mavromatis, 88, of Los Angeles, Calif., died June 4, 2018. She was born in Jerusalem to Ibrahim and Fadwa Farran in 1930.

She was a long-term Mennonite Central Committee worker. In 1949 she began working with MCC and other Mennonites who came to Palestine hoping to work with refugees. She was living in Jericho with her family and was introduced to MCC workers by her aunt. Her fluency in both English and Arabic immediately led to an offer for employment. Initially she worked as an interpreter and eventually was asked to join MCC full-time. At first she made bundles of clothing for refugees in Jericho, the largest camp for Palestinian refugees. When the Mennonites joined with the United Nations, she taught pregnant women how to make layettes for their newborns, using fabric provided by MCC.
By 1976, when she resigned from MCC, she had worked with more than 3,000 Palestinian women and many MCC workers. Weekly she traveled between Jericho and the Sinai border to 15 or 16 villages, where she inspected the work done by the women and collected finished pieces, bringing them to Jericho for any final repairs and returning them to the women, who prepared them for delivery and sale in the United States. Her employment with MCC was the main source of income for her family. After she resigned her MCC position, she went to Los Angeles, where she resumed her sewing skills and established a new life for herself.

She attended St. Andrew’s Greek Church in Glendora with two friends. Her friends introduced her to their brother, Angelo Mavromatis, a widower; and a romance blossomed. In 1985 she married him at St. Andrew’s.

Survivors include her husband, Angelo Mavromatis; a stepdaughter, Maria (Todd) of San Jose; a stepson, Dino (Patricia de Win Stanley) Mavromatis of Oberlin, Ohio; a brother, Ramzi Farran of Illinois; and 11 grandsons.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Tommy and Gabie; and a sister, Nuha.

Contributions in her memory may be given to MCC, Akron, Pa.