Mennonite
Weekly Review -
July 2007
Dueck,
Ronald James; Hertzler,
Norman; Kieffaber, Estella Zook; Pasnick, Raymond G.; Pletcher, Margie L.; Reinford, Wilmer L.; Schrag,
Leona C.;
Sutter, Lyle Ervin; Weaver, Victor R.,
Wiebe, Velma L.; Yoder, Mary Alice;
Mennonite Weekly Review - July 2, 2007 - 85th Year, No. 27 - p. 8
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Estella
Zook Kieffaber died May
3, 2007, in Kansas City, Kan. She was born Jan. 17, 1913, to Roy and
Selina Miller Zook in Conway.
At age 4 she moved with her family to Alberta in Canada and in 1934
returned to Kansas to complete her education at Hesston Academy.
Later she became a child care-giver at the Mennonite Children’s Home in
the Argentine area of Kansas City. Among the children in
her care were Norma Jean and Wayne, the youngest children of Albert
Kieffaber, a widower who began attending the Mennonite Church in order
to see more of his children. She and Al began seeing more of each other
and developed a deep love for each other. They were married on April
15, 1941, at the home of Estella’s parents. Together they parented
their family that included several children from Al’s first marriage.
She accepted Christ and was baptized as a young girl in her Tofield,
Alta., Mennonite church. She continued her deep commitment to Christ
her entire life and was the biblical model of homemaker (Prov.
31:10-31), seeing to the needs of her family, friends and neighbors.
She was active in Argentine Mennonite Church and enjoyed teaching
weekday Bible school. She loved people, had a sweet spirit, and
all who met her saw Christ’s love exemplified in her life. She was a
servant, a giver and a prayer warrior.
Survivors include their nine children, Lois Bare and her husband, Jim,
of Goshen, Ind., V. Ruth Bitikofer and her husband, Glenn, of Kansas
City, Roy Kieffaber and his wife, Dee, of Lenexa, Alberta Stoltzfus and
her husband, Amos, of Brandon, Fla., Harvey Kieffaber and his wife,
Carol, of Spring Hill, Jim Kieffaber and his wife, Ruth, of Veracruz,
Mexico, Miriam Renfrow and her husband, Frank, of Mena, Ark., Walter
Kieffaber and his wife, Frida, of Soldier, and Tim Kieffaber and his
wife, Mary, of Tyrone, Okla.; a sister, Eldora Hartzler; grandchildren,
great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Her husband, Al, preceded her in death in 1974.
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Leona C.
Schrag, 86, died June
1, 2007, at Kidron-Bethel Health Care in North Newton, Kan. She was
born Oct. 11, 1920, to Edward W. and Carrie (Stucky) Graber in Pretty
Prairie.
On Aug. 18, 1940, she married Howard J. Schrag at First Mennonite
Church in Pretty Prairie.
She was a member of Bethel College Mennonite Church in North Newton.
She worked as a proofreader for the Pretty Prairie Times, and she also
served as a church and hospital secretary in South Dakota and Idaho.
Her life with Howard was adventurous, taking them through various
voluntary service assignments in Paris, British Columbia and Arizona,
where she worked with people in nursing care. Their travels included
the Mennonite World Conference in Amsterdam, several European countries
and the Holy Land, Africa and South America. A mission tour took them
to Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong. She loved painting and had a passion
for health foods. During their travels she gave seminars and workshops
on the benefits of health foods. Another passion was her church, where
she served in many volunteer roles, including making quilts. She was a
loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who enjoyed the
company of her family and many friends.
Survivors include her husband, Howard, of North Newton; a son, Howard
and his wife, Judy, of Port Orchard, Wash.; a grandson and two
great-grandsons.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Eldon W. Graber.
Services were held at Bethel College Mennonite Church.
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Wilmer
L. Reinford, 90, of
Creamery, Pa., died June 4, 2007. He was born Dec. 11, 1916, to Frank
and Bertha (Landes) Reinford in Yerkes.
He married Margaret Kulp on Feb. 10, 1940.
He was a farmer and was employed at the Farm Bureau in Collegeville,
which later became Agway. He was a lifelong member of Wellspring Church
of Skippack, formerly Upper Skippack Mennonite Church.
He was interested in family genealogy and Mennonite history. He was
involved in beginning of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Library and
Archives and became its treasurer. He presided over the Franconia
Mennonite Historical Society, was his community’s historian and helped
in the shaping of the Mennonite Heritage Center near Harleysville in
his later years.
Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Margaret; four daughters, Mae
K. Reinford of Creamery, Ruth K. Keppley and her husband, Harry, of
Blandon, Linda K. Watson and her husband, Earl, of Norristown, and Ida
R. Proco and her husband, Greg, of Lynchburg, Va.; a brother, Donald
Reinford of Lebanon; three grandchildren and a great-grandson.
He was preceded in death by four brothers.
Funeral services were held at Wellspring Church of Skippack. Burial was
in the adjoining cemetery.
Mennonite Weekly Review - July 9, 2007
- 85th Year, No. 28 - p. 8
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Velma L.
Wiebe, 87, of Huron,
S.D., died June 25, 2007, at the Huron Nursing Home. She was born March
12, 1920, to John and Phoebe (Good) Litwiller at Hopedale, Ill.
She graduated from high school in Hopedale and attended Hesston (Kan.)
College. There she met her future husband, Edward Wiebe. She graduated
from the Mennonite School of Nursing in La Junta, Colo., in 1946. She
married Edward Wiebe July 20, 1946, in Hopedale at the home of her
parents.
She served faithfully with him in ministry for more than 50
years. They served churches at GoYe Mission in Porum, Okla., at
West New Hopedale Mennonite Church in Ringwood, Okla., at Mount Olivet
Mennonite Church in Huron and at Bethel Community Church in Santa Fe
Springs, Calif. In addition to serving with her husband, she worked as
a registered nurse in Texas, California and Kansas and at the Violet
Tschetter Memorial Home in Huron. She and her husband retired in 1989
in Rockford, Ill. They moved to Huron in 2005.
She enjoyed gardening, playing games, reading and singing. She was an
accomplished quilter. Her children and grandchildren cherish the quilts
she stitched with so much love. Her favorite Scripture was Psalm 23.
Survivors include her husband, Edward Wiebe of Huron; two sons, Gary
Wiebe and his wife, Nancy, of Belvidere, Ill., and Daniel Wiebe and his
wife, Doris, of Pueblo, Colo.; two daughters, Cheryl Hofer of Huron and
Beth Bowers and her husband, Larry, of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; a
brother, Elmer Litwiller; two sisters, Ruth Imhoff and Lyla Hartman; 11
grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by three sisters, Alice, Dora and Clara; and
two brothers, Clifford and Oliver.
Funeral services were held at First United Methodist Church. Burial was
in the Mount Olivet Church section of the Ideal Cemetery.
------------
Lyle
Ervin Sutter, 82, of
Flanagan, Ill., died June 10, 2007. He was born Sept. 19, 1924, to
Ervin H. and F. Marie Litwiller Sutter southwest of Hopedale.
He married Merna L. Ringenberg on June 27, 1946, at her home in rural
Flanagan.
He was baptized at Hopedale Mennonite Church and became an active
member of Waldo Mennonite Church, now Prairieview Mennonite Church, of
rural Flanagan.
He served the church in many capacities. He was a retired farmer and a
skilled woodworker.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Merna; five children, Kay
Kreider and her husband, Paul, of Springfield, Ohio, Donald Sutter of
Pontiac, Thomas Sutter and his wife, Debra, of Urbana, Jane Sutter of
Whiteriver, Ariz., and Mary Sutter of Indianapolis, Ind.; two brothers,
Francis Sutter of Morton and Gene Sutter of Sun City West, Ariz.; and
four grandchildren.
Memorial services were held at Prairieview Mennonite Church. Burial was
in Waldo Township Cemetery, rural Gridley.
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Mary
Alice Yoder, 82, of
Mechanicsville, Va., died June 7, 2007, due to lung and brain surgery.
She was born Aug. 30, 1924, to Boyd and Katie Sieber near Dakota, Ill.
On April 18, 1959, she married E. Duane Yoder at Goshen, Ind.
She was a registered nurse, working mostly in surgical units of several
hospitals. She retired from Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind.,
where she and Duane had lived for 40 years. They then moved to Virginia
to be near their sons and families.
She loved to garden. Putting her hands into the soil was a joy for her.
She also was a volunteer for Hospice, MOPS, Mary Lee Maple Sugar Camp
and was always helping in church activities. She was a member of First
Mennonite Church of Richmond.
Survivors include her husband, E. Duane; three sons, Timothy Yoder and
his wife, Fifi, Christopher Yoder and his wife, Chia-Wei, and Jeffrey
Yoder and his wife, Marketa; a brother, Paul Sieber of Champaign, Ill.;
and five grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Floyd and Samuel; and a
sister, Grace Leu.
Services were held at First Mennonite Church of Richmond.
Weaver,
Victor R.
Pennsylvania pastor killed in accident.
New Holland, PA - Victor R. Weaver, 76, of New Holland, associate
pastor of Cambridge Mennonite Church in Gordonville, died June 18 when
his motor scooter was struck by a car near Blue Ball.
Weaver, who commuted on the scooter to his work at Good Food in Honey
Brook, died when the car pulled into his path as he returned home.
Weaver was ordained a deacon for the Cambridge congregation in
1966. In 1980, he was ordained a minister and served the
congregation as a bivocational pastor for 27 years.
He served at varius times as a pastoral adviser to Lancaster Mennonite
School, Faith Mennonite High School in Gap, Terre Hill Mennonite High
School and Gehmans Mennonite School in Denver.
Recalled by friends as a quiet person who enjoyed helping others,
Weaver often volunteered with Mennonite Disaster Service.
Weaver was born March 27, 1931, at New Holland, the son of Daniel and
Marian Weaver.
He was a 1949 graduate of Lancaster Mennonite School and completed
alternative service in New York City. On Oct. 14, 1953, he
married Ruth Elizabeth Boll. The Weavers spent 22 years as dairy
farmers near Honey Brook.
Survivors include his wife; his mother of Ephrata; three daughters,
Julia Sensenig of Denver, Janice Long of New Holland and Cheryl Baugher
of Lebanon; two sons, Linford of Denver and LaMar of Red Lake, Ont.; a
brother, A. Richard of Ephrata; three sisters, Gloria Rissler of
Harrisonburg, Va., Gladys Zeiset of Narvon and Sharon Kilheffer of
Waco, Texas; 16 grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Funeral services were held June 23 at Martindale Mennontie Church in
Ephrata.
Mennonite Weekly Review - July 16, 2007 - 85th Year, No. 29 - p. 13
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Raymond
G. Pasnick, 62, of Elmhurst, Ill., died June 23, 2007. He was
born to Raymond W. and Margaret Pasnick.
He was a retired District #7 education director and staff member of
United Steelworkers for 38 years. He was an Illinois Legislative
Director and a field volunteer for U.S. prsidential campaigns. He
studied at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., Loyola in Chicago,
Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., the London School of Economics
and the University of Illinois at Champaign. Many relatives and friends
were inspired by his outspoken passion for justice and were encouraged
to pursue their educations. They were also victims of his practical
jokes and recipients of his generosity.
Survivors include his wife, Ann; three children, Katherine, Susan and
her husband, Jake Brinton, and Nicholas; and a brother, Victor Pasnick.
Services were held at Lombard Mennonite Church.
----------------
Margie
L. Pletcher, 74, of Goshen, Ind., died May 29, 2007, at
Greencroft Healthcare. She was born Nov. 13, 1932, to Byron Raikes and
Gordie (Taliaferro) Pletcher in Perryton, Texas.
She was a 1950 graduate of Perryton High School. She graduated from
Hesston, (Kan.) College and was a 1954 graduate of Goshen College and a
1964 graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. She was an
elementary school teacher for 35 years, having taught at Harrison
Township, Nappanee Elementary and at Parkside Elementary for 25 years,
teaching fifth and sixth grades. She was brilliant in the geography
category of Trivial Pursuit, collected rocks, dabbled in painting,
enjoyed identifying constellations and later in life decided to study
French. She was a member of College Mennonite Church.
A theme throughout her life was a love of music. She had a solo alto
voice and was a longtime member of the College Mennonite Church Choir.
She was the founder of the Shout for Joy children’s choir and sang with
the Goshen Community Chorale. She is often remembered for leading
her classroom in song, accompanied by her ukulele. She had a vast
repertoire of camp, folk and silly songs that she passed on to her
students, nieces and nephews.
In 1989 she retired from teaching in order to enjoy travel, genealogy
study, friends and family. In 2003 she was diagnosed with
Myelodysplastic Syndrome. Throughout her illness, she maintained a
hopeful view of life and touched many lives with her snappy comments
and words of gratefulness to those who cared for her. Erma Yoder was a
loyal friend throughout her life and provided untiring care during her
extended illness.
Survivors include two sisters, Wilma Srof of Goshen and Juanita Dietz
of Fort Benton, Mont.; and a brother, B.R. Pletcher Jr. of Perryton.
She was preceded in death by her adopted daughter, Wanda G. Guice.
Funeral services were held at College Mennonite Church.
Mennonite Weekly Review - July 23, 2007 - 85th Year, No. 30 - p. 8
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Ronald
James Dueck, 61, of Goshen, Ind., died July 11, 2007, at Goshen
General Hospital. He was born July 4, 1946, to Arthur W. Dueck and
Alice (Roth) Dyck in Rosthern, Sask.
He married Deloris Schwartz on Aug. 2, 1969, in Pretty Prairie, Kan.
He lived in Goshen the past 16 years. He was vice president of group
business development for Mennonite Mutual Aid. He was a member of
College Mennonite Church of Goshen.
Survivors include his wife, Deloris, of Goshen; his mother, Alice, of
Rosthern, Sask.; a daughter, Jocelyn Powell and her husband, Curt, of
Tulsa, Okla.; a son, Joel Dueck of Goshen; and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Trudy Wiebe, and a brother, Gary
Dueck.
Memorial services were held at College Mennonite Church.
Mennonite Weekly Review - July 30, 2007
- 85th Year, No. 31 - p. 8
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Norman
Hertzler, 83, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., died June 18, 2007, at
Messiah Village. He was born April 13, 1924, to Owen and Alta Burkhart
Hertzler at Shiremanstown in Cumberland County.
On Feb. 27, 1947, he married Ruth Stoner.
He was a dairy farmer, retiring in 1988. He was also a member of Slate
Hill Mennonite Church.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Ruth; three sons, Duane and his
wife, June, Dale and his wife, Sharlene, and Dean and his wife, Helen;
two daughters, Julia Quickel and her husband, William, and Jeanette
Martin and her husband, Jerry; three sisters, Elam Ebersole, Esther
Longenecker and Janet Pobst; a brother, Maurice Hertzler; nine
grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Jason and Melvin Hertzler;
and two sisters, Emma Jean Zimmerman and Verna Vann.
Funeral services were held at Slate Hill Mennonite Church. Burial was
in the adjoining cemetery.
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Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, PA
Used with permission by the Archives of the Mennonite Church, Goshen,
INDIANA
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