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


Copyright 2002 - All rights reserved - Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, PA
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