Mennonite Weekly Review - November, 2003


Mennonite Weekly Review
November 3, 2003
81st Year, No. 44
p. 8

Albert Nightengale
Albert Nightengale, 88, of Ingalls, Kan., died Oct. 7, 2003, at Bethel Home of Montezuma, where he was a resident. He was born May 10, 1915, to Abraham and Elizabeth Wedel Nightengale at Durham.
On Nov. 3, 1946, he married Bernice Jantz at Hesston.
A farmer, he was a member of Salem Mennonite Church at Copeland.
Survivors include his wife, Bernice; three sons, John D. Nightengale of El Mirage, Ariz., Donald Nightengale of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Vern Nightengale of Ingalls; a daughter, Elizabeth Koehn of Bradley, Ark.; three brothers, Emil and John Nightengale, both of Montezuma, and Ervin Nightengale of Scott City; a sister, Leona Spence of Glenn, Calif.; 12 grandchildren. and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by three sisters.
Funeral services were held at Salem Mennonite Church of Copeland. Burial was in Salem Mennonite Cemetery.

Hazel Senner Buhler
Hazel Senner Buhler, 81, of Sioux City, Iowa, died Sept. 14, 2003. She was born Nov. 3, 1921, to William and Elizabeth Senner in Freeman, S.D.
She graduated from Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. She pursued additional studies at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan., and at Morningside College in Sioux City.
She married Elmer Buhler of Medford, Okla., in 1946.
Her profession was teaching elementary school. Early years included teaching in South Dakota and Kansas, but after 1968 her career was spent in the Sioux City schools. She was passionate about teaching reading, which was her specialty, and she continued as a volunteer tutor for the public schools after her official retirement until her recent illness.
Volunteerism was a theme all of her life, manifested in church, school and community. Originally of the Mennonite church, she became a member of Grace United Methodist Church and focused her interests on issues promoting the cause of peace and justice and the betterment of the environment.
She was a member of the local chapter of the American Interprofessional Institute and the Women of Literature Group. She loved literature, music and art. She traveled frequently to visit family and friends or to see new places. Her appreciation of the environment gave her great pleasure.
Survivors include her husband, Elmer; three sons, Robert Buhler and his wife, Inez, of Sioux City, James Buhler of St. Paul, Minn., and Ken Buhler and his wife, Mary Hambleton, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; a daughter, Miriam Buhler and her husband, Neal Anderson, of Minneapolis, Minn.; a sister, May Juhnke of McPherson, Kan.; a brother, Robert Senner and his wife, Rachel, of Freeman; a sister-in-law, Hattie Buhler of El Dorado, Kan.; four grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren and eight step-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at Grace United Methodist Church of Sioux City.


Mennonite Weekly Review
November 10, 2003
81st Year, No. 45
p. 12

Mildred L. Buhr
Mildred L. Buhr, 81, of North Newton, Kan., died Sept. 29, 2003. She was born Dec. 7, 1921, to Benjamin and Adina Graber Waltner in Freeman, S.D.
She was baptized Oct. 18, 1936, at Salem Mennonite Church of Freeman. Her love of music surfaced early, and in 1939 she was granted a scholarship with the noted Polish pianist, Countess Helena Morsztyn. Singing became a second passion for her. At Freeman Academy and Freeman Junior College, she made several trips to the east coast with the choirs. She attended Augustana College and graduated cum laude in 1943.
She met George Buhr at Freeman Junior College in 1940, and they were married on June 10, 1945.
During the early 1940s, she taught high school and prepared for volunteer work. Under Mennonite Central Committee, she and George went to Paraguay and worked for two years to aid Mennonites emigrating from Ukraine.
When they returned to the United States, they settled in Kansas. In 1955 they moved to North Newton. They served as house parents for Bethel students at the Leisy House. She taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and played piano at Bethel College Mennonite Church.
In 1965 they moved to Merriam. She obtained a teaching certificate and started teaching vocal music to middle school students. She obtained a master's degree in remedial reading and worked to improve literacy in underachieving children. She volunteered in church community outreach with Rainbow Boulevard Mennonite Church.
She and her husband traveled to all 50 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces. She enjoyed a trip to Europe and a recent visit to Paraguay.
They returned to North Newton in 1996, settling in Kidron Bethel Village retirement center.
Survivors include her husband, George; three sons, John and his wife, Vanessa, Bruce and his wife, Meribeth, and Paul and his wife, Deanna; a sister, Florine Plenert; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial services were held at Bethel College Mennonite Church. Burial was in Greenwood Cemetery in Newton.


Mennonite Weekly Review
November 17, 2003
81st Year, No. 46
p. 8

Roman Miller
Roman Miller, 98, of Plain City, Ohio, died Oct. 26, 2003, at Doctor's Hospital West in Columbus after complications from a broken hip suffered Oct. 20. He was born Oct. 19, 1905, to William and Lovina (Miller) Miller near Millersburg. He was the ninth child in a family of 11 and was the last surviving member.
He lived most of his life in Plain City. He married Ann Slabaugh of Canton on March 26, 1933.
He retired from Youman's Feed Mill and later worked at Howland Hardware in Plain City. Since 1992, he has lived at the Pleasant Valley Colony.
He was a charter member of Sharon Mennonite Church, which was founded in 1933. He continued to be an active member until his death. He will long be remembered for his interest and participation in music. For many years he sang tenor in a quartet with his brother Abner and nieces Emma and Nancy. He was an enthusiastic song leader and soloist at Sharon.
Survivors include two daughters, Lois Ann Hartman and her husband, Wilmer, and Carol Ruth Garber and her husband, David; six grandchildren; four grandsons-in-law and 12 great-grandchildren.
Services were held at Sharon Mennonite Church. Burial was in the Sharon cemetery.

Cleon C. Nyce
Cleon C. Nyce, 71, of Chambersburg, Pa., died Aug. 4, 2003, at his home, surrounded by his family while they were singing hymns and praise songs. He was born July 2, 1932, to Edwin and Lizzie Clemens Nyce in Harleysville.
He married MariAn Detweiler on July 28, 1956.
In 1955, while he was pursuing his bachelor's degree at Eastern Mennonite College at Harrisonburg, Va., he was asked to participate in the lot at Easton (Pa.) Mennonite Church, where he was then ordained. After serving at Easton, he pursued a master of divinity degree at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind.
After seminary, he served pastorates at Deep Run East Mennonite Church, Perkasie; Harrisonville (Mo.) Mennonite Church; Beth-El Mennonite Church, Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Marion Mennonite Church, Chambersburg, Pa., retiring from ministry in December 2002.
He loved to serve and demonstrated that in community service; serving as a chaplain in the hospital and in Colorado with the police department, as well as a volunteer fireman/EMT in rural communities. He also served as Franklin Conference Minister for nearly five years.
Survivors include his wife, MariAn; three children, Steven and his wife, Deborah, of Broadway, Va., Anita Mast and her husband, Delvin, of Weatherford, Okla., and Gregory and his wife, Mary Beth, of Monmouth Beach, N.J.; and seven grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Harold C. Nyce and Walter C. Nyce.
Memorial Services were held at Marion Mennonite Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.


Mennonite Weekly Review
November 24, 2003
81st Year, No. 47
p. 12

Alvin J. Kaufman
Alvin J. Kaufman, 94, of McPherson, Kan., died Sept. 22, 2003. He was born July 29, 1909, to Jacob S. and Mary Goering Kaufman at Moundridge.
After his baptism, he became a member of Eden Mennonite Church of Moundridge. He later transferred his membership to First Mennonite Church of McPherson.
He married Florence Stucky on July 1, 1934. They lived in the Windom community, where he farmed for many years. She died Jan. 12, 1972. He married Geneva Stucky Wedel on March 3, 1973.
He had a love of music and was a member of Eden Mennonite's men's chorus in his earlier years. He also sang in the Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus.
Survivors include his wife, Geneva; a son, Randall and his wife, Betsy, of Windom; two daughters, Joleen Pauls and her husband, Herb, of Hutchinson, and Mary Ellwood and her husband, Doug, of Little River; two brothers, Peter R. of North Newton and Kenneth of Moundridge; four sisters, Arlene Ediger of Henderson, Neb., Marilyn Kaufman of North Newton, Lucille Henry of Hutchinson, and Carol Siemens of Newton; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Florence; a son, Larry, who died in Africa while serving with Pax; a stepson, Allen Wedel; two brothers, Emil and Dan; and three sisters, Olga Waltner, Gladys and Helen Kaufman.
Memorial services were held at First Mennonite Church of McPherson. Burial was in the McPherson cemetery.

Clark A. Showalter
Clark Anthony Showalter, 94, of Waynesboro, Va., died Oct. 11, 2003. He was born March 10, 1909.
He was a "jack-of-all-trades" who worked as a dairy and chicken farmer, as a carpenter and in a sawmill, and made his own well driller. He enjoyed helping his son deliver medications.
He was a member of Greenmonte Mennonite Church of Stuarts Draft. He was the oldest living charter member of the congregation at the time of his death.
Survivors include five sons, Ethan, Daniel, Henry, Paul and John Showalter; two daughters, Margaret Johnson and Lillie Custer; 25 grandchildren; 70 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Viola Heatwole Showalter.
Funeral services were held at Springdale Mennonite Church of Waynesboro.

Reba V. Heatwole
Reba V. Driver Heatwole, 86, of Stuarts Draft, Va., died Oct. 14, 2003. She was born Oct. 11, 1917.
She was a self-taught artist. She helped start the Virginia relief sale.
She was a member of Greenmonte Mennonite Church of Stuarts Draft. She was the oldest living charter member at the time of her death.
Survivors include four children, Phyllis Martin, Janeth Duncan, Rosalie Moyer and Alvina Roth; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Alvin W. Heatwole.
Memorial services were held at Springdale Mennonite Church of Waynesboro.


Copyright 2003 - All rights reserved - Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, PA
Used with permission by the Archives of the Mennonite Church, Goshen, INDIANA
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