Mennonite Weekly Review - April
2011
Obituaries are emailed to MennObits before MWR is printed. Wording may vary in printed version.
Benner, Stanley Longacre; Ebersole,
Lester O’Neil;
Good, Edwin Paul; Peachey,
Lois R. Hostetler;
Scott,
Sarah Yoder; Smucker, Paul M.; Stucky, Ransom Roy; Tschetter,
Mary D. Quiring;
Wenger,
Rhoda H. Campbell;
Mennonite Weekly
Review - April 4, 2011 - 89th Year, No. 13 - p. 9
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Benner, Stanley Longacre
Stanley Longacre Benner, 65, of
Cambridge, Ont., died March 7, 2011, in the ICU of Grand River Cancer
Centre in Kitchener of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He was born May 30, 1945,
as one of six children to Paul and Margaret Benner, then of Souderton,
Pa.
He was married to Marg Janzen of Leamington, Ont., for 35 years.
After graduating from Eastern Mennonite College of Harrisonburg, Va.,
in 1968, he was a volunteer with Mennonite Central Committee at Warden
Woods in Toronto, a low-income housing development, after which he
earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Toronto.
He worked as a counselor for several social agencies in the greater
Toronto area as well as in Calgary, Alta., in the late 1980s. He
most recently worked as a family counselor at Mosaic Counselling and
Family Services in Kitchener.
Loving music, he was a member of Menno Singers, a 45-voice choir that
performs seasonal concerts in the Kitchener-Waterloo area featuring
secular and accompanied works, hymns and oratorios. As an active member
of Rockway Mennonite Church, Kitchener, he was most recently on a
pastoral advisory committee. He loved gardening, hiking, photography,
motorcycling and travel.
Survivors include a son, Nathan Benner of Cambridge; four siblings,
Beatrice Benner of Vanderhoof, B.C., Richard (Dick) Benner of Waterloo,
Ont., Florence Witmer and her husband, Samuel, of Harrisonburg, Va.,
and Louise Baerg and her husband, Marvin, of Langley, B.C.; and a
stepmother, Vivian Martin Benner, of Dayton, Va.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Ernest.
Funeral services were held at Rockway Mennonite Church, Kitchener.
Burial was in the Detweiler Mennonite Meetinghouse cemetery in nearby
Roseville, Ont.
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Stucky, Ransom Roy
Ransom Roy Stucky, 87, of
Moundridge, Kan., died March 14, 2011. He was born Jan. 9, 1924, to
John E. Stucky and Katie E. (Friesen) Stucky at the Alta Mill in Harvey
County.
He attended Liberty Grade School and Moundridge High School. In 1941 he
entered Bethel College, but school was interrupted by World War II, and
he took a farm deferment for four years. He returned to Bethel after
the war. In high school and college, he was a record-setting athlete,
playing basketball, running track and studying physics and math.
He met Mary Kathryn Yoder at Bethel, and on Oct. 24, 1948, they were
married in the Bethel College Chapel. They raised five children. Their
lives centered around farming, church life, music and sports.
He and Mary Kathryn built a homestead from the ground up and
established a dairy farm near the Alta Mill. They farmed for 49 years
until 1997, when they moved to Pine Village at Moundridge
.
Over the years he served in leadership positions on several community
boards including Memorial Home and numerous church boards. He
volunteered many years in landscape planning and care for the Memorial
Home campus. He was a lifelong member of First Mennonite Church of
Christian, Moundridge.
He will be remembered as a faithful husband, loving father and
grandfather, and a humble servant of God. He will be greatly missed.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Kathryn; five children, Diana F.
Graber and her husband, Charles, of Newton; Clinton D. Stucky and his
wife, Kim Lockwood, of Wichita, Brian D. Stucky and his wife, Nancy, of
Goessel, Annette K. Epp and her husband, Don, of Buhler, and Janice L.
Hershberger and her husband, Dale, of Clay Center; a sister, Evelyn
Frey of Newton; and seven grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Fedora Mueller and Melba
Nachtigal; and an infant brother, Jacob.
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Tschetter, Mary D. Quiring
Mary D. Tschetter, 97, of
Smolan, Kan., teacher and homemaker, died March 25, 2011, at her
residence. She was born April 15, 1913, to Peter F. and Sarah
(Duerksen) Quiring at Newton.
On Aug. 6, 1940, she married Paul W. Tschetter at Goessel.
Survivors include her husband, Paul; three sons, Alan Tschetter of
Shelbourn Falls, Mass., John Tschetter and his wife, Linnea, of Nashau,
Iowa, and Thomas Tschetter and his wife, Susan, of St. Louis, Mo.; four
daughters, Evelyn Tschetter of Salina, Lois Hoyt and her husband,
Bruce, of Oamaru, New Zealand, Martha Holder and her husband, Ronald,
of Knoxville, Tenn., and Irene Totel and her husband, David, of
Phoenix, Ariz.; a brother, Herbert Quiring and his wife, Akiko, of
Sedalia, Colo.; a sister, Susan Wedel of Laramie, Wyo.; 14
grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Timothy Tschetter; a daughter,
Wilma Tschetter; and four brothers, Karl, Paul, Frank and Ralph Quiring.
Graveside services were held at Halstead Cemetery. A memorial service
was held at First Covenant Church of Salina.
Mennonite Weekly Review - April 11, 2011 -
89th Year, No. 14 - p. 9
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Wenger, Rhoda H. Campbell
Rhoda H. Campbell Wenger, 95,
of Willow Street, Pa., died March 12, 2011. She was born Oct. 4, 1915,
to Martin F. Campbell and Annie Hess Campbell.
She was a member of Lyndon Mennonite Church and a former member of Red
Run Mennonite Church, Shady Pine Mennonite Church, Blairs Mills
Brethren-in-Christ Church and Byerland Mennonite Church.
She was a nurse-midwife, a member of the Mennonite Nurses Association,
and was active in her profession until 2001. She received her RN degree
at the Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing in 1943, her bachelor’s
degree from Goshen (Ind.) College in 1949, and her midwifery
certification from Preston Maternity Hospital, Philadelphia, in 1949.
Married in 1950, she served with Mennonite Board of Missions, operating
a rural health clinic in Culp, Ark., from 1951 to 1958. She then worked
as a health teacher and nurse at Lancaster Mennonite High School, and
as an obstetrical nurse at Lancaster General Hospital and Ephrata
hospital. Upon retirement in 1983, she moved to Juniata County to serve
as a midwife in the Path Valley area. She was highly skilled and deeply
loved. Her family, colleagues and friends are honored by her example of
perseverance in Christian charity and rejoice in her entry into the joy
of her Lord.
Survivors include a daughter, Annie E. Wenger-Nabigon and her husband,
Herb Nabigon, of Ontario; two sons, Hans D. Wenger and his wife, Ann
Shenk Wenger, of Lancaster, and O. Martin Wenger and his wife, Diane
Secker Wenger, of Minnesota; two brothers, John Campbell and Raymond
Campbell; 13 grandchildren; a grandson-in-law and two
granddaughters-in-law.
She was preceded in death by her husband, David S. Wenger, in 1993; a
sister, Anna Mae Campbell; and a brother, Paul Campbell.
Burial was at Byerland Mennonite Church.
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Good, Edwin Paul
Edwin Paul Good, 75, of Murphy, Idaho, died March 3, 2011. He was born
March 16, 1935, to Abraham and Anna Good in Nampa.
As a young man he memorized Matthew 5, 6 and 7 and believed that the
Sermon on the Mount was not a suggestion but a directive on how to live
one’s life. So in 1954 he went to Germany as a conscientious objector
with Mennonite Central Committee to build homes for the German refugees
from Russia.
He married Betty Hochstetler on Dec. 27, 1957. They farmed in the
Nampa, Kuna, Melba and Grandview communities and enjoyed being a part
of each one.
They moved to Murphy in 1985, where he continued his love of God’s good
earth by nurturing his garden and sharing his flowers and vegetables
with others. His innovative gardening skills were useful at the
Kagisong Refugee Center in Botswana and Bukuumi, Uganda, where he and
Betty volunteered with MCC from 1992 to 1995.
Family was important to him, and he enjoyed family gatherings and the
annual family hunting-camping trips in the high mountain country. He
had many friends in Germany, Africa, across the U.S., and among fellow
members of the Idaho Mennonite churches. He was a member of Emmaus
Mennonite Church, Meridian.
Survivors include his wife, Betty; two sons, H. Nathaniel Good and his
wife, Lavonne, of Grandview, and Jeffrey D. Good and his wife, Vivian,
of Melba; three sisters, Elizabeth Kauffman, Martha Yoder and Esther Vi
Good; three sisters-in-law, June Good, Marie Hauder and Elvera
Hochstetler; a brother-in-law, Howard Wilson; and seven grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by four siblings, Henry, Miriam, Rhoda and
James A. Good.
Memorial services were held at the Brethren Church in Nampa. Burial was
in the Melba cemetery.
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Smucker, Paul M.
Paul M. Smucker, 84, of
Bird-in-Hand, Pa., died March 29, 2011. He was born July 30, 1926, to
John E. and Anna M. Smucker.
He was the husband of Elma Glick Smucker, to whom he was married for 62
years.
After farming the family farms for many years, he and his siblings
founded the Bird-in-Hand Motor Inn in 1968 and the Bird-in-Hand Family
Restaurant in 1970.
During his adult life, he volunteered with Mennonite Disaster Service,
Habitat for Humanity and Projecto Azteca in Florida, the Gulf States
and Texas. He and Elma helped to repair and build new homes for those
in need, often with the help of their children and grandchildren.
He was a 50-year member of the Bird-in-Hand Fire Co. and held many
positions, including president and fire chief. He was a past member of
the Paradise Rotary Club and served on the board of Lancaster Mennonite
School for 10 years.
A charter member of Sandy Hill Community Church, he was active in
Sunday school, church and pre-school. He also helped to establish Birch
Grove Mennonite Church in Port Allegany.
He enjoyed traveling, hunting, woodworking, being at his mountain cabin
and spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Elma Glick Smucker; six children, Barbara
Mitchell and her husband, Gerry, John Smucker and his wife, Myrna,
Jerry Smucker and his wife, Kathy, Ruth Smucker, Jim Smucker and his
wife, Anna, and Jeff Smucker and his wife, Faith; five siblings, John
Smucker, Marcus Smucker, Levina Huber, Sara Ann Landis and Mary Ellen
Dowling; 18 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a stillborn son and a brother, Jonathan
Smucker.
Memorial services were held at Ridgeview Mennonite Church.
Mennonite
Weekly Review - April 18, 2011 - 89th Year, No. 15 - p. 17
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Peachey, Lois R. Hostetler
Lois R. Peachey, 91, of
Belleville, Pa., died March 11, 2011, at Valley View Haven. She was
born Oct. 3, 1919, to Jefferson D. and Maude (Harshbarger) Hostetler in
Mattawana.
She married LeRoy L. Peachey on Aug. 5, 1945. He preceded her in death
on March 27, 2008.
She was a 1937 graduate of McVeytown-Oliver High School. She was
primarily a homemaker. She was a member of Barrville Mennonite Church.
She enjoyed quilting, crocheting, doing crossword puzzles and spending
time with her family.
Survivors include four children, Shirley Roth of Rockville, Md., Dwight
Peachey and his wife, Brenda, of Milroy, Dean Peachey and his wife,
Melissa, of Winnipeg, Man., and Gayle Shank and her husband, Terry, of
Reedsville; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, LeRoy; three brothers, David,
John and Russell Hostetler; two sisters, Alice Bratton and Grace
Anderson; a son-in-law, Jay Roth; and a daughter-in-law, Margaret
Peachey.
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Scott, Sarah Yoder
Sarah Yoder Scott, 86, of Ephrata, Pa., died March 27, 2011, at
Fairmount Homes. She was born Sept. 19, 1924, to David S. and Emma
Stoltzfus Yoder near Morgantown.
On July 28, 1973, she married William I. Scott of Newark, Del. He
preceded her in death Jan. 20, 1999.
She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Eastern
Mennonite College and a master’s degree from James Madison University,
both in Harrisonburg, Va.
She was a capable school teacher in a variety of situations. She taught
all eight grades at Maxwell Hill near Morgantown, junior high at Oley
Mennonite School, a Mexican migrant kindergarten in Mathis, Texas,
Navajo Indian children on the reservation at Ganado, Ariz., second
grade at the American School in Campinas, Brazil, and at Caernarvon
Elementary in Churchtown, and migrant children in Kennet Square, Pa.
She was baptized Sept. 11, 1938, at Conestoga Mennonite Church, where
she was still a member at the time of her death, although with all her
moving around she attended many other churches. Many children and young
people were blessed by her Sunday school and summer Bible school
teaching. In Delaware she was involved at Green Hill Presbyterian
Church.
After retirement, she and Bill enjoyed attending Elderhostels. She
volunteered for Meals on Wheels and provided transportation for cancer
patients at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center.
Survivors include six children, Carolyn Arnold and her husband, Norris,
Susan Scott and her husband, Frank, Linda Reed and her husband, Harry,
and William Scott and his wife, Donna, all of Wilmington, Del., Robert
Scott and his wife, Cheryl, of Newark, Del., and Sharon Dilks of
Heyworth, Ind.; five siblings, Ruth Stauffer of New Holland, Phebe Bell
and her husband, Al, of Fort Wayne, Ind., Mark Yoder and his wife,
Alice, of Morgantown, Julia Yoder of Morgantown, and Dorcas Rolon and
her husband, Samuel, of Stevens; seven grandchildren and four
great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at Conestoga Mennonite Church. Burial was in
Green Hill Presbyterian Cemetery.
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Ebersole, Lester O’Neil
Lester O’Neil Ebersole, 88, of
Greeley, Colo., died April 11, 2011. He was born July 24, 1922, to Roy
A. and Bessie (Brenneman) Ebersole in Tuleta, Texas.
He grew up in Elkhart, Ind., and graduated from Elkhart High School in
1940. After working a year, he attended Goshen (Ind.) College for one
year. Because of World War II, he expected to be drafted before he
could finish another year of college. He served in Civilian
Public Service with various assignments in Ohio, Pennsylvania and
Nebraska.
He married Fern Katherine Yoder on Aug. 8, 1943. After his release from
CPS, they lived in the Elkhart area for several years before moving to
Phoenix, Ariz., for the health of their oldest child. They later lived
in Colorado until retirement, then moved to Sun City, Ariz. After his
wife died in the spring of 2006, he lived in Sun City for one more year
and then for two years at Glencroft Retirement Center in Glendale,
Ariz. He moved to Colorado in 2009 to be closer to his family.
He was employed in sales, accounting and construction. He also painted
houses after retiring. He was always interested in music and was active
in church as a song leader. He also sang in various organizations,
including the Phoenix Orpheus Male Chorus that toured and performed in
Europe.
He lived in Colorado at Bonell Good Samaritan Society in Greeley from
July 2009 until his death. While at Bonell, singing continued to
be an important part of his life. He was often heard singing for
the residents of Rosewood Assisted Living.
Survivors include two sons, Greg of Cali, Colombia, and Ken of
Lafayette; a daughter, Karen Thomason of Evans; a sister, Ethel Lind of
Hesston, Kan.; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Fern.
Funeral services were held in the chapel at Bonell Good Samaritan
Society in Greeley. Burial was in Sunset Memorial Gardens.
There were no obituaries in the April 25, 2011 issue of Mennonite Weekly Review.
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