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Mennonite Weekly Review - July 2006 
   Isaak, Paul J.;     Martin, Alice M.;     Oyer, Vilas John;    Pauls, Irvin A.;   Ratzlaff, Vernon Paul;   Swartzendruber, Duane Herbert "Bud,"  Sr.;   Wall, Elmer;   

Mennonite Weekly Review - July 3, 2006 - 84th Year, No. 27 - p. 8

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Irvin A. Pauls, 80, died June 13, 2006, at Pleasant View Nursing Home in Inman, Kan. He was born Dec. 30, 1925, to A.J. and Marguerite Regehr Pauls in rural Reno County near Buhler.
A lifetime Buhler area resident, he was a hardware salesman for Colladay Hardware Co. for 36 years, retiring in 1990. After his retirement, he worked for the city of Buhler and Elliott Mortuary.
On March 16, 1947, he married Louise Schroeder in Adams, Okla.
He belonged to Bethel Mennonite Church of Inman, was a 34-year member of Kansas Mennonite Men’s Chorus, a member of the Salt Minors Barbershop Chorus, a volunteer for Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Disaster Service and the House Against Hunger Program. During World War II, he served in Civilian Public Service in Colorado Springs.
Survivors include his wife, Louise; two daughters, Gaylene Van Horn of Lenexa and Shirley Grubbs and her husband, Kim, of Lawrence; a sister, Tina Epp of Inman; a brother-in-law, Gary Veendorp and his wife, Lala, of Wichita; three grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Art; and two sisters, Elizabeth Anna Pauls and Lena Veendorp.
Funeral services were held at Bethel Mennonite Church. Burial was in Buhler Municipal Cemetery.

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Vilas John Oyer, 88, of Gibson City, Ill., died March 17, 2006, at Heritage Manor. He was born Oct. 3, 1917, to Samuel and Elmire Naffziger Oyer in rural Mclean County near Foosland.
He attended Prairie Cottage and Caledonia grade schools in Bellflower Township. He attended Foosland High School and graduated from Bellflower Township High School in 1938.
He served for about four years in Civilian Public Service camps during World War II. He married Viola Stauffer on Oct. 4, 1944.
He was a dairy and grain farmer north of Fisher before moving to rural Gibson City in 1965, where he continued to be a grain farmer until his retirement. He was a lifetime member of East Bend Mennonite Church of Fisher, where he was active in service and leadership roles such as Sunday school superintendent and Sunday school teacher. He was one of the first elders to serve East Bend, was a trustee and was on the church council.
Survivors include his wife, Viola; two sons, Jerry S. Oyer and his wife, Susie, of Gibson City, and Kenneth R. Oyer and his wife, Marcia, of Mahomet; two daughters, Anna Marie Oyer of Ephrata, Pa., and Helen Mae Amberg and her husband, Edward, of Anaconda, Mont.; a sister, Leta Eichelberger of Lakewood, Colo.; and four grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Verle.



Mennonite Weekly Review - July 10, 2006 - 84th Year, No. 28 - p. 8

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Vernon Paul Ratzlaff, 81, of Flagstaff, Ariz., died May 26, 2006.
He was born in Mountain Lake, Minn. Growing up in a Mennonite farming community, his first language was Low German. After graduating from Goshen (Ind.) College, he married Bonnie Lou Sommers from Indiana.
He was an educator who taught elementary and junior high in Minnesota, Missouri and in Arizona at Hopi Mission School, Tuba City Public School and in Cameron. He developed alternative teaching methods for underachieving students.
He loved music and played the trombone. His first job was as a cook in a small restaurant, and he carried those cooking skills throughout his life. He loved to make soup and bread for family gatherings. Another passion was to travel, and he often used family travel time as learning experiences. He was a talented artist, collector and flower arranger.
As a conscientious objector, he served in alternative service by building a dam in South Dakota and as an orderly in a mental hospital in Pennsylvania. He loved Christ dearly and enjoyed singing in church choirs.
Survivors include his spouse of 50 years, Bonnie; four children, Paul and his wife, Vicki, Jay and his wife, Cheryl, Peter and his wife, Michelle, and Gwen; 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother and two stepsisters.
Memorial services were held at Norvel Owens Mortuary Chapel.
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Mennonite Weekly Review - July 17, 2006 - 84th Year, No. 29 - p. 8

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Alice M. Martin, 79, of Orrville, Ohio, died May 25, 2006, after a sudden illness. She was born Aug. 8, 1926, to Phares D. and Magdalena C. (Miller) Martin at Dalton.
She attended Dalton High School for three years and graduated from Eastern Mennonite High School in 1944. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Va., and taught in Christian elementary schools in Ohio and Virginia for four years.
She returned to Orrville to manage Martin’s Bookstore, a part of the family business. She spent 43 years as manager/owner until her retirement in 1998, when the store was purchased by Provident Bookstore. She was active in the local merchants group and was a life member of the Christian Booksellers Association.
She was a member of Orrville Mennonite Church and had served as an elder and in positions of leadership in music and worship, outreach ministries, and Women’s Fellowship. She served on the Evangelism Commission for Ohio Conference, sang in the Mennonite Hour Choir, served as an MCC volunteer at the Wiltwyck School for Boys and Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp, and with a short-term mission team in construction at SEMILLA, the Mennonite seminary in Guatemala City in Central America.
She enjoyed quilting, reading, birding, gardening, traveling, singing, cooking, playing in a recorder ensemble, photography and keeping in touch with her many nieces and nephews.
Survivors include two brothers, Ralph Martin of Goshen, Ind., and Wesley Martin of Orrville; four sisters, Velma Souder of Telford, Pa., Grace Martin of Orrville, Carolyn Swartzendruber of Goshen, Ind., and Lois Zimmerly of Sterling.
Services were held at Orrville Mennonite Church. Burial was in Crown Hill Mennonite Church Cemetery near Rittman.


Mennonite Weekly Review - July 24, 2006 - 84th Year, No. 30 - p. 8

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Paul J. Isaak, 75, of Inman, Kan., died July 6, 2006. He was born Nov. 15, 1930, to Peter and Eva Dirks Isaak at Aberdeen, Idaho.
He was baptized and became a member of First Mennonite Church of Aberdeen on Sept. 10, 1944.
He went to Bethel College in North Newton, graduating in 1954. He also took classes at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind. He entered 1-W service for two years at Prairie View Hospital in Newton in May 1954.
On May 31, 1953, he married Beryl Jantz at Bethel College Mennonite Church.
He was ordained on June 10, 1956, at First Mennonite at Aberdeen. During 50 years of ministry, he served at Bethel Mennonite, Hydro, Okla.; Bethesda Mennonite, Henderson, Neb.; First Mennonite, Newton; Bethel Mennonite, Inman; Menno Mennonite, Ritzville, Wash.; Rocky Ford (Colo.) Mennonite; and Deer Creek (Okla.) Mennonite.
He was active in church, conference and community activities. In 1993, he and Beryl were given a trip to Russia and Ukraine by the Rocky Ford church. He was involved with Mennonite relief sales in Washington, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas. From 1999 to 2005, he was on the North American Mennonite Relief Sale Board. At the time of his death, he was on the Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale Board.
In October 2002, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that was inoperable and did not respond to chemotherapy or radiation. But because of a medication and the prayers of many nationwide, his health improved. Since January 2004, he served as the Inman correspondent for the newspaper, The Ledger, and wrote a column, “Paul’s Notes.”
Survivors include his wife, Beryl; two sons, Richard and his wife, Sue, of Auburn, Wash., and Philip and his wife, Jill, of Columbus, Neb; a daughter, Patricia Baird and her husband, Loren, of Cashmere, Wash.; four brothers, Harold and Roland of Aberdeen, Irvin of Reedley, Calif., and Walter of Twin Falls, Idaho; two sisters, Margaret Krehbiel of Aberdeen and Ruth Isaak of Yakima, Wash.; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, William, Arthur and Elmer; and a sister, Gertrude.
Memorial services were held at Bethel Mennonite Church, Inman. Burial was in Meridian Church Cemetery.

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Duane Herbert (Bud) Swartzendruber Sr., 71, of Morton, Ill., died May 10, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, Wis. He was born Aug. 9, 1934, to Herbert J. and Fern Micleta Miller Swartzendruber in Hopedale, Ill.
He married Donna Monaghan on Aug. 8, 1965, in Rantoul, Ill.
Duane served in Pax in Germany and Vietnam from 1956-59. He drove truck for his life work, driving for Yellow Freight the last 25 years before his retirement in 1998. He loved doing things for his children and grandchildren, and spent his time since retirement helping them. Many neighbors expressed their thanks for his help to them in times of need. He was at his daughter Donna’s home helping at the time of his death. He accepted Christ in his teen years and united with the Mennonite church, attending Grace church in Morton.
Survivors include his wife, Donna; two sons, Duane and his wife, Lori, of Congerville, and Matthew and his wife, Amanda, of Morton; three daughters, Donna Cox and her husband, Jeff, of Appleton Wis., Amy Opel and her husband, Kevin, of Morton, and Susan Steffen and her husband, Bradley, of Carbondale; two brothers, David of Champaign and Willard of Glen Ellyn; three sisters, Shirley Sears of Tiskilwa, Donna Wirges of Princeton and Nancy Cranfill of Hillsboro; and 10 grandchildren.
Services were held at Grace Church of Morton. Burial was in Hirstein Cemetery in Morton.


Mennonite Weekly Review - July 31, 2006 - 84th Year, No. 31 - p. 8

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Elmer Wall, 90, of Hillsboro, Kan., died July 18, 2006. He was born Jan. 20, 1916, to Henry and Anna Adrian Wall in Mountain Lake, Minn.
He was converted July 31, 1930, and baptized in August of that year in Maiden Lake in Delft, Minn. He joined the church choir when he was 14 and the male chorus at 16.  At 18 he was the part-time choir and male chorus organist. At 21 he was elected choir director and introduced English songs to a traditionally German church. He loved music and played the violin in high school and dreamed of someday being a concert violinist. He sang tenor in the school and church choirs. He sang in the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church choir for 26 years. He sang with the 500-voice Kansas Mennonite Men’s Chorus for 17 years.
He entered Civilian Public Service in 1941 in Dennison, Iowa, and finished in Terry, Mont., in 1945. He married Frieda Bartel on May 16, 1944.
He began farming in 1946, buying a Sculley Lease that he farmed for 34 years before being forced to retire because of arthritis. He still helped son Richard during planting and harvesting. He was always willing to share his farming experiences to assist his sons in their farming. He drove a school bus for 26 years with an excellent safety record and drove to his sons’ out-of-town games. He loved to play the piano and accompanied is daughter, who played French horn.
In 1980, when he and his wife moved to Hillsboro, he began a new activity, bowling. He became accomplished at this, bowling a 200 game and a 600 series.
Survivors include his wife, Frieda Bartel Wall of Hillsboro; a son, Robert and his wife, Joyce, of Conway Springs; a daughter, Sandra  Garrard and her husband, John, of Antelope; and seven grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Frieda Wall Wiens; two brothers, John and Sam; and a son, Richard.

- End of List -


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