Mennonite Weekly Review - October, 1987
Mennonite Weekly Review
64th Year No. 40 Page 5
October 1, 1987
Death
Freeman Businessman, Alderman, 60, Dies in One-Vehicle Accident..
ORVILLE WIPF
Freeman, S.D.-Orville Wipf, 60, a longtime Freeman businessman,
died Sept. 5 when his pickup veered off a county road and rolled,
throwing him from the vehicle. The accident apparently occurred
when the right wheels of the pickup went off onto the right shoulder
of the road and Wipf overcompensated when he turned back onto
the roadway. Wipf was a partner with his brother, Willis, and
nephew, Don Wipf, in the Freeman Coast to Coast hardware store.
Wipf and his brother also operated a propane business, Kleen Heet.
Wipf was an alderman on the Freeman City Council, a position he
had held for many years. Funeral services were held at Bethany
Mennonite Church, Freeman.
Page 8
NEWTON & VICINITY
MANO KOEHN
Mano Koehn, 91, of Burns, the father of Harlan Koehn of Newton,
died Sept. 27 at Moundridge Manor, Moundridge. Funeral services
were held Sept. 20 at Eden Church of God in Christ, Mennonite,
near Burns, with Tobe Koehn and Lowell Koehn officiating. Burial
was in the church cemetery. A retired farmer, he lived in Kansas
most of his life. Other survivors include five other sons, Vernon
and Jacob of Burns, Harvey of Potwin, Walter of De Ridder, La.,
and Marvin of Leland, Miss.; one daughter, Alene Koehn of Leland,
Miss.; four brothers, Dan of Cimarron, Dave of Montezuma, Herman
of Winton, Calif., and Amiel of Livingston, Calif.; two sisters,
Katie Koehn and Lena Ratzlaff, both of Livingston, Calif.; 21
grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.
KATHERINE TOEWS
Katherine Toews, 89, of Hillsboro, sister of John J. Hiebert of
Newton, died Sept. 21 at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church,
with Dennis Fast and Clarence Hiebert officiating. Burial was
in the church cemetery. A native of Goessel, she had been a seven-year
resident of Hillsboro. Other survivors include one other brother,
Emanuel C. Hiebert of Anderson, Mo.; three sisters, Sara C. Funk
of Hillsboro, Martha Plett of Tucson, Ariz., and Elizabeth Plett
of Tahlequah, Okla. Her husband, Henry A. Toews, preceded her
in death.
WILLIAM G. ENTZ
William G. Entz, 81, a farmer of rural Newton, died Sept. 28 at
rural Newton. Services will be held Oct. 2 at Petersen's Funeral
Home chapel, Newton, with Larry Thompson, Delbert Smith and Robert
Suderman officiating. Survivors include a son, Gene W. of rural
Newton; one sister, Helen Dick of Waco, Texas; five grandchildren
and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his
wife, the former Hazel Welch, in 1983; by one son, Perry, in 1983;
by one daughter, Elise Entz, in 1947; and by two brothers, Ed
in 1973 and Arthur in 1911.
64th Year No. 41 October 8, 1987 Page 8
NEWTON & VICINITY
LINDA LOUISE PANKRATZ
Linda Louise Pankratz, 79, a resident of the Bethel Home for Aged,
Newton, died Oct. 1 at Bethel Deaconess Hospital, Newton. Funeral
services were held Oct. 3 at First Mennonite Church, Newton, with
Floyd Bartel and Lubin Jantzen officiating. Burial was in Greenwood
Cemetery. A member of First Mennonite Church and a retired registered
nurse, she had been hospital administrator at Hardtner and nursing
instructor at Axtell Christian and Bethel Deaconess hospitals,
Newton, as well as superintendent of nurses at Bethesda Hospital,
Goessel, and a nurse at Presbyterian Manor, Newton. Survivors
include three brothers, Gus A. and Theodore J., both of Newton,
and Peter G. of Goddard; and two sisters, Eva Epp Unruh of Burrton
and Mary Ann Blosser of North Newton.
CAROLINE E. SEILER UNRUH
Funeral services for Caroline E. Seiler Unruh, 79, of Halstead,
were held Oct. 1 at Grace Church of God in Christ, Mennonite,
near Halstead, with Dean Becker and Kenneth Smith officiating.
Burial was in Halstead Cemetery. She died Sept. 28 at Moundridge
Manor. A homemaker, she was a lifelong area resident. Survivors
include six sons, Alvin and Eddie, both of Halstead, Glen of Tucson,
Richard of Sharon Springs, Donald of Newton, David of Gentry,
Ark.; two daughters, Dorothy Unruh of Sharon Springs and Lorene
Hiebert of Iroquois, S.D., two brothers, Walter Seiler of Burrton
and Robert Seiler of Halstead; 27 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
Her husband, Jake C. Unruh, preceded her in death in 1982.
EDNA MAY SOMMERFELD
Edna May Sommerfeld, 74, an LPN of Hesston, died Sept. 30 at Bethel
Home for Aged, Newton, where she had lived a short time. Funeral
services were held Oct. 3 at Hesston Mennonite Church, with Phil
Bedsworth, Carl Wiebe and Paul Friesen officiating. Burial was
in Spring Valley Cemetery near Canton. A member of the LPN Nursing
Association, she had been an LPN at McPherson Memorial Hospital
for 14 years and for 13 years at Bethel Deaconess Hospital. Survivors
include three brothers, Harold and Clarence, both of Hesston,
and Raymond of Protection; and one sister, Bertha Selzer of Hesston.
MENNO R. ENSZ
Menno R. Ensz, 61, Inman, brother of Wilma Gisele, Hesston, died
Oct. 4 at McPherson Memorial Hospital. Funeral services were held
Oct. 7 at Zion Church of God in Christ, Mennonite near Inman,
with Maynard Koehn officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.
He had been a farmer and a lifetime Inman resident. Other survivors
include his wife, the former Vada Smith; two sons, Michael of
Inman and Roderick of the home; four daughters, Bonnie Yost of
Willow Lake, S.D., Janalea Ensz of Inman, Marlys Martens of Windom
and Kristine Ensz of the home; father, Henry A., Moundridge Manor,
Moundridge; four brothers, John R. of McPherson, Reuben of Inman,
Arvid of Madrid, Neb., and Earvey of Almena, Wis.; three additional
sisters, Margaret Penner of Inman, Betty Giesbrecht of Davisboro,
Ga., and Justina Friesen of Almena, Wis.
64th Year No. 42 October 15, 1987 Page 8
NEWTON & VICINITY
VICTOR R. HUXMAN
Victor R. Huxman, 66, of Pretty Prairie and the father of James
N. Huxman of Newton, died Oct. 8 at Hutchinson Hospital. Funeral
services were held Oct. 11 at First Mennonite Church, Pretty Prairie,
with Richard Tschetter and Stan Schrag officiating. Burial was
in the church cemetery. He was a grain elevator manager and a
Pretty Prairie native. Other survivors include his wife, the former
Florence Krehbiel; one other son, Jesse of Winston-Salem, N.C.;
one daughter, Joleen Rinaldo, Sterling, Colo.; four brothers,
Milton of Boulder, Colo., Marvin of Hutchinson, Dale of Pretty
Prairie and Alvin of Topeka; two sisters, Irene Graber and Mildred
Goering, both of Pretty Prairie; and three grandchildren.
JOHN P. UNRUH
Funeral services for John P. Unruh, 93, of rural Newton were held
Oct. 9 at Tabor Mennonite Church, rural Newton, with Ray and Brenda
Martin Hurst officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. He
died Oct. 6 at Bethesda Home for Aged. A native of Russia, he
immigrated to the U.S. in 1921. He farmed in the Goessel area,
moving to Bethesda Home last February. Survivors include his wife,
the former Justina Gaeddert; two sons, Robert, rural Newton, and
Fred, Winnipeg, Man.; one daughter, Wilma Voth of rural Peabody;
11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Preceding him in
death was his first wife, Augusta.
Page 12
Deaths
Professor's Daughter Killed in Accident
JANELLE JOY NISLY
Janelle Joy Nisly, a 1987 nursing graduate of Messiah College
and a member of Slate Hill Mennonite Church in Camp Hill, was
killed Sept. 18 when her car was struck by a truck which had crossed
the median on U.S. route 15 near her home in Grantham. The daughter
of Dr. and Mrs. Paul Nisly (her father is professor of English
and chairman of the department of language, literature and fine
arts at Messiah College). Nisly had achieved a perfect 4.0 grade
point average at Messiah, and was employed as a registered nurse
at Harrisburg Hospital.
Schools and Colleges
Tabor
Former President, MB Church Leader Dies in Ontario at 67
FRANK C. PETERS
Hillsboro, Kan.-Frank C. Peters of Kitchener, Ont., president
of Tabor College from1954 to 1956, died Wednesday morning, Oct.
7. He was 67. Peters graduated from Tabor College in 1947 with
a B.A. degree. He earned four additional graduate degrees and
pastored the Kitchener Mennonite Brethren Church for five years
before he returned to Tabor to assume the presidency on Aug. 1,
1954. Higher education continued to play a prominent role in Peter's
life after he left Tabor. He served as professor of theology and
New Testament at MB Bible College in Winnipeg, professor of psychology
at Wilfred Laurier University, and president of WLU. He was also
active in the work of the Mennonite Brethren conference. He pastored
the Portage Avenue MB Church in Winnipeg and was the chairman
of the MB Board of Missions and Services. Vernon Wiebe, interim
president at Tabor College and a classmate of Peters, attended
the funeral Oct. 10 in Kitchener.
64th Year No. 43 October 22, 1987 Page 5
Deaths
Car-Truck Crash Claims Life of Indiana Man
KENNETH L. KAUFFMAN
Middlebury, Ind.-Kenneth L. Kauffman, 50, died Oct. 13 at Goshen
General Hospital while undergoing treatment of internal chest
injuries he suffered in a car-truck collision on U.S. 20. Kauffman
was driving east in his pickup truck when he struck a car driven
by Beulah D. Miller. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police
say Miller, who was westbound, may have been blinded by the sun
and did not see the oncoming truck prior to turning some 80 feet
short of the intersection. Funeral services for Kauffman were
held at Clinton Brick Mennonite Church. His survivors include
his wife, Esther, his parents, Levi J. and Verna Kauffman of Tuscola,
Ill., and two daughters.
Page 7
Oldest EMC Minister Dies at Age 90 In Ft. Wayne, Ind.
ELI G. STEINER
Ft. Wayne, Ind.-Eli G. Steiner was the oldest living Evangelical
Mennonite Church minister when he died here Sept. 6. He was 90.
Steiner served congregations in Ohio and Indiana and was president
of the conference for four years. He also served on numerous committees,
the Christian Service Foundation Board and the Africa Inter-Mennonite
Mission Board. He also edited the official conference publication,
conducted a radio program and wrote a devotional book. He was
preceded by his wife, Emma Yaggy Steiner, in 1981. He later married
Virginia Jones Steiner, who survives. Funeral services were held
at Highland Bethel Church, Ft. Wayne.
Page 8
NEWTON & VICINITY
AGNES CLASSEN
Agnes Classen, 85, of Meade, the mother of Esther Ratzlaff of
Hesston, died Oct. 16 at Lone Tree Lodge, Meade. Funeral services
were held Oct. 19 at the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church,
Meade, with Paul Boeker officiating. Burial was in the church
cemetery. Other survivors include two sons, five daughters, one
brother, one sister, 24 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Her husband, Abe, preceded her in death in 1953.
HARVEY HARRY JANTZ
Funeral services for Harvey Harry Jantz, 65, of rural Burns were
held Oct. 16 at the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, rural
Burns, with Tobe Koehn, Lowell Koehn and Vernon Koehn officiating.
Burial was in the church cemetery. A self-employed farmer, he
died Oct. 13 at his home. Survivors include his wife, the former
Evelyn Koehn; two sons, Ronald and Riley of Burns; two daughters,
Gweneth Jantz of Livingston, Calif., and Jaylyn Jantz of Burns;
two brothers, Clifford and Elmer Jantz of Burns; three sisters,
Erma, Alice and Frances Koehn of Montezuma; and one grandson.
A brother, Homer Lee, and a sister, Evelyn, preceded him in death.
JACOB UNRAU
Funeral services for 8 Unrau, 78, of Goessel, were held Oct. 19
at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, rural Goessel, with Roland
Goering officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. A retired
farmer, he died Oct. 15 at Bethesda Home, where he had lived since
1970. Survivors include one brother, Rufus of Goessel; and five
sisters, Bertha Schmidt of Dallas, Ore., Eva Nikkel of Moundridge,
Marie Unrau of Goessel, Velda Gaeddert of Newton and Norma Schrag
of Moundridge. Preceding him in death were a twin brother, Ezra,
and one sister, Helen Pankratz.
64th Year No. 44 October 29, 1987 Page 12
NEWTON & VICINITY
ALICE DIRKSEN
Funeral services for Alice Dirksen, 79, of Goessel, were held
Oct. 24 at Tabor Mennonite Church, rural Newton, with Ray and
Brenda Martin Hurst officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.
A resident of Bethesda Home, Goessel, since June, she died Oct.
21 at the home. She had lived on a farm in McPherson County until
1954 when she moved to Goessel. Surviving are her husband, John
M.; one son, Willard of rural Moundridge; one daughter, Twila
Bracy of Andover; two brothers, Ferd Schmidt of Goessel and Jake
A. Schmidt of Newton; four sisters, Olga Pankratz, Mary Golden
and Esther Klassen, all of Goessel, and Helen Janzen of North
Newton; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was
preceded in death by one daughter, Lillian Fleming; one sister,
Martha Peters; one brother, Edwin Schmidt, and one great-grandchild.
CHARLES VERNON GLASSBURN
Charles Vernon Glassburn, 80, of Harper, brother of Ada Glassburn
of Newton, died Oct. 22 at Harper. Funeral services were held
Oct. 24 at Pleasant Valley Mennonite Church, Harper, with Stan
Howerton and Sanford Hartzler officiating. Burial was in Pleasant
Valley Cemetery, Harper. Other survivors include four sons, one
daughter, one brother, five other sisters, 16 grandchildren and
26 great-grandchildren.
Transcribed by Ralph Shetler, Oregon