Mennonite Weekly Review - March
2011
Obituaries are emailed to MennObits before MWR is printed. Wording may vary in printed version.
Bechtel, Irene Souder; Brunk, "I.E. "Ivan E.;
Duerksen, Alice Voth; Friesen, Willard;
Gaede, Dennis Joel; Gray, Deloris I. Unruh; Kauffman.
Earnest Floyd; Krehbiel, Delmar D.; Moon, Ivan D.;
Peachey, Elam
J.;
Savage,
C. Max; White, Elsie Irene; Yoder, Mary Elizabeth "Betty"
Ebersole;
There
were no obituaries in the March 7,
2011 issue of Mennonite Weekly Review
Mennonite Weekly Review - March 14, 2011 - 89th Year, No. 10 - p. 9
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Friesen, Willard
Willard Friesen, 90, of
Mountain Lake, Minn., died on Feb. 27, 2011, at the Good Samaritan
Village nursing home in Mountain Lake. He was born May 26, 1920, to J.
John and Mary (Hiebert) Friesen in Mountain Lake.
His family lived in Mountain Lake, Freeman, S.D., and Glendale, Calif.,
before settling on a small acreage just west of Butterfield in 1931,
where his mother died two years later.
After graduating from Butterfield High School in 1938, he worked for
his cousin, Roland Friesen. During World War II he served as a
conscientious objector in Civilian Public Service in a mental hospital
in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. He attended Bethel College in North Newton,
Kan., for one year, where he met and later married Helen Elisabeth
Wiebe on Dec. 2, 1947, in Emmaus Mennonite Church in Whitewater, Kan.
They made their home in Butterfield. In 1948 he started his own heating
and air conditioning business, Willard’s Heating. After retirement he
continued to do sheet metal work for local businesses.
He was baptized at Bethel Mennonite Church in 1941 and became a member
at that time. He was active in the church as a Sunday school teacher,
deacon and church moderator. He also served on the Northern District
Conference Mennonite Men, social concerns and home missions committees.
Survived include two sons, Douglas Friesen and his wife, Sandra, of
Goshen, Ind., and Alan Friesen and his wife, Charlene, of Sioux Falls,
S.D.; his daughter-in-law, Patsy Friesen of Sartell; 10 grandchildren
and 11 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen; a son, Donald Friesen; and
a sister, Magdalen Friesen Kim.
Funeral services were held at Bethel Mennonite Church. Burial was in
the Mountain Lake City Cemetery.
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Peachey, Elam J.
Elam J. Peachey, 70, of
Hesston, Kan., died Jan. 6, 2011. He was born April 4, 1940, to Elam C.
and Barbara Yoder Peachey in Belleville, Pa.
On June 9, 1962, he married Sharon French, who preceded him in death on
June 3, 1965. They had one daughter, Shana. On Sept. 30, 1967, he
married Nancy Hartzler. They had two daughters, Cheryl and Leigh Ann.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Mennonite College in 1962, a
master’s degree from Penn State University in 1969 and a doctor of
education degree from Temple University in 1986.
He had a deep love for the Mennonite church. He directed agricultural
missions in Costa Rica for Rosedale Mennonite Missions from 1962
to 1964. He was a teacher and administrator at Christopher Dock
Mennonite High School, Lansdale, Pa., from 1967 to 1990. Faculty and
students remember him as a servant leader and role model. He worked as
a development officer, director of development, and executive vice
president for advancement at Hesston College.
A member of Whitestone Mennonite Church, he served as an overseer and
an adult Sunday school teacher. He was a member of Mennonite Economic
Development Associates and past member of Mennonite Secondary Education
Council.
He loved gardening, birding, singing and being with his family. He was
known for his generous spirit and sincere desire to live as Jesus
taught. He and Nancy opened their home to international students.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy; daughters Shana Peachey Boshart and
her husband, David, of Parnell, Iowa, Cheryl Peachey Stoner and her
husband, Robert, of Hesston, and Leigh Ann O’Halloran and her husband,
Keith, of Hesston; three brothers, Chester of Trout Run, Pa., Willard
of Belleville, Pa., and Allen of Goshen, Ind.; two sisters, Anna Mary
Borntrager of Mattoon, Ill., and Marlene Wenger of Fort Defiance, Va.;
nine grandsons; a great-granddaughter; and his mother-in-law, Marjorie
French of McVeytown, Pa.
Memorial services were held at Whitestone Mennonite Church.
Brunk, "I.E. " Ivan E.
Ivan E. “I.E.” Brunk, 97, of
South Hutchinson, Kan., died Jan. 14, 2011, at the Graber House at
Mennonite Manor in South Hutchinson.
He was born June 20, 1913, at Windom, the son of Jesse Robert and Sue
Yoder Brunk. He married Evelyn Grace Ely on Feb. 3, 1939, in Hesston.
She died Nov. 8, 1950. He married Mary Jane Hurt Smith on July 27,
1951, in Raton, N.M.
He graduated from Windom High School in 1932. He was baptized and
joined West Liberty Mennonite Church in 1924 and later joined South
Hutchinson Mennonite Church, where he remained an active member until
his death.
He was the retired owner and operator of Brunk Oil Co., a bulk
petroleum business that delivered gasoline throughout the central
Kansas area. He had served on the Grove Grade School board and later on
the Plainview Grade School board in McPherson County. He was a private
pilot and had owned several airplanes. After moving to South
Hutchinson, he drove the Golden Express bus for many years.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane; three sons, Robert Brunk and his
wife, Nancy, Larry Brunk and his wife, Dorothy, and Dennis Smith and
his wife, Joyce, all of Inman; a daughter, Peggy Miller and her
husband, Orvin, of Hutchinson; a sister, Velma Hartzler of Hesston; two
stepsisters, Odena Hostetler of Inman and Mary Hochstedler of Iowa; a
sister-in-law, Carol Ely of Hesston; 11 grandchildren, Kim Pitzer,
Scott Brunk Miller, Todd Brunk Miller, Duane Brunk, David Brunk, Darin
Brunk, Danell Brunk, Jesse Brunk, Michael Brunk, Tony Smith and Haley
Smith; and 20 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Willard Brunk; a sister, Frieda
Miller; a granddaughter, Kelly Denise Miller; two stepbrothers, Claude
Miller and C. Jay Miller; and three stepsisters, Ruth Eash, Alta
Burkholder and Ethel Miller.
Funeral services were held at South Hutchinson Mennonite Church. Burial
was in the West Liberty Cemetery near Windom.
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Gray, Deloris I. Unruh
Deloris I. Gray, 81, of
Burrton, Kan., a homemaker, died March 6, 2011, at Mennonite Friendship
Manor in South Hutchinson.
She was born Aug. 1, 1929, at Galva, Kan., to Fred B. and Malinda
(Unruh) Unruh.
A lifelong Burrton area resident, she was a member of Burrton Mennonite
Church and a participant in Mennonite Central Committee activities for
more than 35 years.
On Oct. 22, 1950, she married John C. Gray at Mount Hope. He survives
of Burrton.
Other survivors include two sons, John Gray and his wife, Judy, of Del
City, Okla., and Terry Gray and his wife, Jaye, of Honolulu; a
daughter, Jean Kirk of Springfield, Ill.; three brothers, Melvin Unruh,
Chester Unruh and Homer Unruh, all of Burrton; a sister, Mildred
Vincent of Burrton; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Rod Gray; and a brother, Donald
Unruh.
Funeral services were held at Burrton Mennonite Church. Burial was in
the Burrton Cemetery.
Mennonite Weekly Review - March 21, 2011 - 89th Year, No. 11 - p. 9
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Moon, Ivan D.
Ivan D. Moon, 93, of Guilford,
N.Y., beloved husband and father, died March 7, 2011. He was born July
24, 1917, to Bert H. and Maude E. Moon in Montgomery, Pa.
He grew up in Watsontown, Pa., and studied at Lycoming College and
Goshen (Ind.) College. In Civilian Public Service during World War II,
he worked alongside Mennonites, then joined the Mennonite church. He
worked as an illustrator for Mennonite Publishing House and as a
freelance artist after retirement. He loved to paint, was a member of
the local art club, and had several juried exhibits at Westmoreland
Museum of Art. His time spent as a relief worker teaching in the
Philippines left a lasting impression, and he often spoke about being
mindful of the poor. He volunteered with the food bank and World’s
Attic thrift store and would often pick up hitchhikers. If they were
homeless, they were likely to be offered lodging.
Survivors include four children, Rachel A. Kutcher and her husband,
Daniel B., of Warwick, R.I., Daniel E. Moon and his wife, Pamela K., of
Lexington, Ky., Lois N. Mannhardt and her husband, Samuel T., of
Guilford, N.Y., who cared for him at their home, and Elisabeth E.
Crofutt and her husband, Darrell C., of Apollo, Pa.; 13 grandchildren
and a great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 55 years, Naomi G.
Moon; stepmother Sarah Moon; and a brother, Elwood B. Moon.
His life will be remembered at a memorial service May 7 at Scottdale
(Pa.) Mennonite Church. Private inurnment will take place at the Alte
Menist Cemetery.
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Bechtel, Irene Souder
Irene Souder Bechtel, 99, of
Souderton, Pa., and formerly of Spring City, died March 6, 2011, at
Souderton Mennonite Homes, where she lived for the last 17 years. She
was born Jan. 20, 1912, to Edwin and Ella Hackman Souder in Telford.
She married Norman H. Bechtel of Spring City in 1932.
She lived in Spring City, raising eight children and dairy farming with
her husband, who was also a pastor and evangelist. She enjoyed
gardening, sewing, cooking, reading, music and nature. She was a member
of Lansdale Mennonite Church and a former member of Pottstown Mennonite
Church, where her husband was pastor.
Survivors include five children, Geraldine Stiedle and her husband,
Paul, of Little Rock, Ark., Eleanor Fuhrman and her husband, Earl, of
Hanover, Lois Gerber and her husband, Lowell, of Lititz, Lorraine Sayre
and her husband, Mike, of Navarre, Ohio, and Doris Schmehl and her
husband, Bob, of Wyomissing; a brother, Eugene Souder and his wife,
Alice, of Grottoes, Va.; 24 grandchildren; 54 great-grandchildren and
six great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman; two sons, Harold and
Wilmer; a daughter, Dorothea; two granddaughters, Cynthia and
Sonya (Wilmer’s daughters); four sisters, Grace Kolb, Elizabeth
Allebach, Gladys Kolb and Iona Weaver; four brothers, Mahlon, Kraybill,
Norman and Stanley Souder; and sons-in-law Jim Hardison, Henry Shank,
David Dutcher and Paul Kolesar.
Funeral services were held at Vincent Mennonite Church of Spring City.
Burial was in the church cemetery.
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Kauffman. Earnest Floyd
Earnest Floyd Kauffman, 97, of
Beemer, Neb., died Feb. 9, 2011, at Colonial Haven Nursing Home. He was
born Oct. 1, 1913, to L.A. and Nettie Kauffman at Kenmare, N.D.
In 1916 his family moved to Coalridge, Mont., where he attended
elementary school. He was baptized in 1924. He attended high school in
Surrey, N.D. In 1934, he worked in Oregon and California until he went
to Hesston (Kan.) College. After college he spent four years in
Civilian Public Service in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, Colo.;
Glacier National Park in Montana; and Mercer County, Pa.
He then went to Wayne State College for teachers training and taught in
rural schools in Nebraska for 17 years. In 1965, he attended Wichita
State University for training in speech pathology, and taught speech
therapy in the West Point School system for 12 years.
On May 24, 1944, he married Lois Grieser at Plum Creek Mennonite Church
near Beemer.
In 1946, he was ordained as deacon in Beemer Mennonite Church. He
held several offices in the Iowa-Nebraska Conference. He was ordained
to the ministry in 1973 and as pastor in 1979. He later served as
interim pastor at White Chapel in Glendive, Mont., for two years and
then retired in West Point, Neb.
Survivors include his wife, Lois Kauffman, of Beemer; three sons,
Dennis Kauffman and his wife, Judy Georges, of San Jose, Calif., Jay
Fred Kauffman and his wife, Minh, of Philadelphia, and Don Kauffman of
Omaha; three sisters, Belle Mullet and her husband, Jim, of Drake,
Sask., Lucille Eichelberger and her husband, Cliff, of Nampa, Idaho,
and Nellie Mishler and her husband, Bob, of Brush Prairie, Wash.;
in-laws Louis and Becky Hargis of Canon City, Colo., Rose Wittrig of
Harrisonville, Mo., and Dale and Grace Grieser of West Point; and two
grandsons, Anthony and Timothy Kauffman.
He was preceded in death by six brothers, Leslie, Clayton, Roy,
Clifford, Morris and Fred; two sisters, Dorothy and Civilla; and
in-laws Joseph, Allan, Mattie and Clarice.
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Savage, C. Max
C. Max Savage, 97, of Jefferson
City, Mo., died March 12, 2011, at St. Mary’s Health Center. He was
born May 14, 1913, to Charles William and Grace Albert Savage in
Durham, Kan.
On Oct. 19, 1935, he married Martha Unrau at Alexanderwohl Mennonite
Church in Goessel, Kan.
He lived in Warrensburg for 40 years, where he was employed as an auto
body repair foreman for Jerry Tally Motors until his retirement. During
that time he was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. In Jefferson
City, he made his home at the Hyder Apartments where he was a much
loved member of the Hyder community. He was a member of Trinity
Lutheran Church.
He was cherished by his family and friends. He was a true gentleman, a
man of faith who always had a smile and a kind word for everyone.
Survivors include two daughters, Carol Beach and her husband, Carl, of
Jefferson City, and Janet Comer and her husband, Walter, of Kansas
City; three grandchildren, Barry Beach and his wife, Paula, of
Jefferson City, Robin Steinhaus and her husband, Charley, of Hartsburg,
and Isaac Comer and his wife, Carol, of Kansas City; and nine
great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Martha; a brother, Adrian Savage;
and a sister, Beth Brown.
Funeral services were held at Trinity Lutheran Church. Graveside
services and burial were in Warrensburg Memorial Gardens.
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Gaede, Dennis Joel
Dennis Joel Gaede, 70, of
Shafter, Calif., died Feb. 23, 2011. He was born on May 1, 1940, to
Leonard Gaede and Evelyn Unruh Gaede in Bakersfield.
He graduated with honors from Shafter High School in 1958, earning a
lifetime membership in the California Scholarship Federation. He took
an interest in playing tennis and studying the piano, pursuits that he
continued to enjoy and put to use throughout his life.
After graduating from Shafter High School, he attended Tabor College in
Hillsboro, Kan., graduating in 1962. There he met and married his wife
of almost 50 years, Helen Marie Pankratz Gaede.
In 1966 he earned a doctorate in chemistry from Kansas State University
in Manhattan. He then taught for two years at Ottawa (Kan.) University.
In 1968 they returned to Shafter, where he put his chemistry degree to
use working for several local companies. In recent years he served as
an accompanist for choirs at Shafter High School, Richland Junior High
and North Kern Christian School He also served as organist at a number
of local churches, the most recent being the Methodist Church of Wasco.
He was a member of Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church, the Kiwanis Club
of Shafter, the Shafter Historical Society, the Kern County Organ Guild
and the West Coast Mennonite Men’s Chorus. He was a faithful attendee
of his weekly men’s Bible study. He could often be seen riding his
bicycle throughout the streets of Shafter or stopping to have a cup of
coffee along the way with others.
Survivors include his wife, Helen Gaede; a son, Randy Gaede of Arvin; a
daughter, Rhonda Gaede of Fresno; a sister, Marilyn Gaede Bergman
of Shafter; and a brother, Stan Gaede and his wife, Judy, of Wenham,
Mass.
Funeral services were held at Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church. Burial
was in Shafter Memorial Park.
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White, Elsie Irene
Elsie Irene White, 93, of
Hesston, Kan., died Feb. 7, 2011, at Schowalter Villa. She was born
March 5, 1917, to Elmer and Sadie (Byler) White at home north of Newton.
She was always the top student in her class. She graduated from Newton
High School in 1937.
She remained in the Mennonite church all her life. Since 1948, she read
through the Bible every year. Her joy of singing and music at a young
age with her sisters continued throughout her life.
She entered the La Junta (Colo.) Mennonite School of Nursing in 1938.
She worked at La Junta Mennonite Hospital several years before entering
Goshen (Ind.) College in 1943. She received a bachelor of arts degree
in nursing in 1946 from Goshen College. She returned to La Junta in a
supervisory capacity until 1948, then worked in the Portland (Ore.)
Multinomah Hospital. She worked as a nurse in Vancouver, Wash., and in
1949 she went to work at the Lebanon (Ore.) County Hospital. In 1951,
she entered the Jersey City Medical Center for extra training in
obstetrics in the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital. After this, she
returned to Lebanon, where she served the remainder of her nursing
career, which spanned 41 years. The Oregon Nurses Association Local
Chapter selected her as nurse of the year.
When she retired in 1982, the doctors gave her 41 yellow roses,
representing the years she had worked since her degree.
In 1982 she moved back to Kansas to be closer to and involved with her
siblings, nieces and nephews. She was always available when any member
of the family was hospitalized and was active in church activities and
in local volunteer work.
Survivors include a brother, Dale White of Hesston; and a sister, Erna
Jantz of McPherson.
Siblings Warren White, Gladys Zook, Allen White, Clement White, Mary
Wenger, Calvin White and James White preceded her in death.
Memorial services were held at Schowalter Villa.
Mennonite
Weekly Review - March 28, 2011 - 89th Year, No. 12 - p. 9
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Duerksen, Alice Voth
Alice Duerksen, 79, of
Goessel, Kan., died March 1, 2011. She was born April 7,
1931, to David F. and Mary (Flaming) Voth at Goessel.
She graduated from Goessel High School in 1949. She attended Tabor
Mennonite Church, where she was baptized in May 1948. She transferred
her membership to Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church after her marriage to
Milton Duerksen on May 20, 1952. In 1953 they moved to Denver, Colo.,
to participate in 1-W service, both working at General Rose Hospital.
In 1955 they moved to a farm west of Goessel.
She was a wife, mother and homemaker. She enjoyed gardening, canning
produce and sewing. She nurtured her children’s souls and spirits and
read Bible story books to them every night. When 19 exchange students
became part of daughter Carol and Maynard’s lives through the years,
she welcomed them as her own grandchildren. She worked with
children for a short time at Goessel Elementary as she assisted
Vietnamese children in adapting to a new culture
.
Her creativity was expressed through painting pictures, doing leather
craft and running a thriving cake-decorating business. She participated
in the Arts and Crafts Fair at Hillsboro and worked at Schmidt Studio
retouching photos. She enjoyed music and was part of the
Alexanderwohl Bell Choir. She was in the church choir for many years,
taught children’s Sunday school and served as a church deacon. She
worked at Bethel Deaconess Hospital for 14 years and retired in 1996.
Survivors include her husband, Milton; a daughter, Carol Duerksen and
her husband, Maynard Knepp; two sons, Marlo Duerksen and his wife,
Lynette, and Gary Duerksen and his wife, Angie, all of rural Goessel; a
brother, Elmer Voth of rural Goessel; three sisters, Wilma Schmidt of
rural Walton, Hulda Schrag of North Newton and Darlene Schroeder of
rural Goessel; and four grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Kenneth Duerksen, at the age of
three days, in 1953; and two sisters, Betty Voth and Esther Unruh.
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Yoder, Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Ebersole
Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Yoder,
82, of Fort Collins, Colo., died Feb. 20, 2011, at Pathways Hospice
Care Center. She was born Nov. 22, 1928, to Clarence and Ruth Ebersole
in La Junta.
She grew up in La Junta and continued her education at Goshen (Ind.)
College and Wittenberg College in Ohio, earning her degree in music.
She had a great love and talent for playing and teaching the piano and
organ and did so throughout her life.
In June 1951, she married John Yoder in Goshen, Ind. They lived in
Apple Creek and Orrville, Ohio, for 30 years, where she was a member of
the Orrville Music Club, the AAUW and Oak Grove Mennonite Church. She
provided piano lessons to numerous students in Wayne County and was an
accompanist for instrumental students at The College of Wooster.
In 1986, they moved to Fort Collins. She played for both the First
Presbyterian and First Methodist churches in Fort Collins, was in the
choir for many years and continued to teach private piano lessons. She
enjoyed hiking and traveling, reading and participating in book clubs,
welcoming new residents to Fort Collins as a member of the Newcomers
Club and spending time with family and friends.
Survivors include her husband of almost 60 years, John; two children,
Cynthia Morahan and her husband, Tom, of Arvada and Karl Yoder of
Canton, Ohio; a brother, Robert Ebersole of Archbold, Ohio; a sister,
Judy Amstutz of Wheat Ridge; and five grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a grandchild, Mollie Lynn Morahan.
Memorial services were held at First United Methodist Church of Fort
Collins.
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Krehbiel, Delmar D.
Delmar D. Krehbiel, 86, died
March 20, 2011, in Irving, Texas. He was born June 7, 1924, to Peter
Paul and Hilda Albrecht Krehbiel in Pretty Prairie, Kan.
He graduated from Pretty Prairie High School in 1941 and from Bethel
College in North Newton, Kan., in 1948. He received his Ph.D. in
organic chemistry in 1954 in Columbus, Ohio.
On Dec. 31, 1953, he married Sigrid Kaplaneck from Berlin, Germany, and
they moved to Crownpoint, Ind., in June 1954, where he worked as a
research chemist for Standard Oil of Indiana. In 1955 he was
transferred to Pan American Petroleum Corp. in Tulsa, Okla. In 1960 he
joined the research team at Continental Oil Co. in Ponca City, Okla.,
and co-authored 19 U.S. patents. He was a member of First Presbyterian
Church. In 1972 he took on the duties of an industrial hygienist with
the U.S. Labor Department in Lubbock. His supervisory position brought
the family to Irving in 1977. In 1989 he transferred to the regional
office as regional industrial hygienist, from which he retired in 1995.
He served in Civilian Public Service for three years. He has been a
strong supporter and contributor to many causes: Bethel College,
Mennonite Central Committee, Heifer International, World Neighbors,
Doctors without Borders, International Rescue Mission, the Carter
Center, Habitat for Humanity, Parkland Hospital Auxiliary, Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation, Amnesty International, Care, The Smile Train,
Operation Smile, Crystal Cathedral, Alzheimer Association and the
Wheelchair Foundation.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Sigrid Kaplaneck Krehbiel; a
son, Roger Lee Krehbiel of Irving; a daughter, June Kay Krehbiel Hester
and her husband, Philip, of Carrollton; and two brothers, Roy Krehbiel
and his wife, Marie McCullum Krehbiel, of Wichita, Kan., and Jim
Krehbiel of Haven, Kan.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Glenna Krehbiel and Verna
Krehbiel Schmidt.
Copyright 2003 - All rights reserved
- Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, PA
Used with permission by the Archives of the Mennonite Church,
Goshen, INDIANA
Permission granted to private family researchers to use selected
portions of these files to tell their family stories.
May not be mass-produced in any form for commercial purposes.