Mennonite Weekly Review - January 2012

Mennonite Weekly Review - January 2, 2012 - 90th Year, No. 1 - p. 9

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Swartley, Renee B. Burkholder

Renee B. (Burkholder) Swartley, 56, of Perkasie, Pa., died Aug. 26, 2011, from breast cancer. She was born to Paul and Miriam (Thomas) Burkholder in New York City.

She married Philip Wayne Swartley in 1977.

She graduated from Western Mennonite High School in Salem, Ore., in the class of 1972. She attended Hesston (Kan.) College. She was a personal bookkeeper for the family business, M&S Building Contractors. She was employed as a licensed insurance agent for Lacher & Associates in Souderton for more than 15 years. She enjoyed bird watching, flower gardening, spending time with her family, friends and grandchildren. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She loved singing, vacationing at her mountain home and watching nature and wildlife.

She was a member of Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, where she was a leader of the Sojourner’s Young Adult Sunday School Class for more than 10 years and sang in the church choir. She was also a song leader at the former Groveland Mennonite Church.

Survivors include her husband of 34 years, Phil; her parents, Paul and Miriam Burkholder; three daughters, Heather Renee Swartley of Sellersville, Erin Swartley Alletag and her husband, Tony, of Sykesville, Md., and Amber Nichole Swartley of Sellersville; two sisters, Judith Stoltzfus and her husband, Jerry, of Goshen, Ind., and Marilyn Brandenburg and her husband, Fritz, of St. Joseph, Mich.; three brothers, Glenn Burkholder and his wife, Rita, of Bloomington, Ind., James Burkholder and his wife, Tamara, of Leola, and Kevin Andress and his wife, Jackie, of Denver, Pa.; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church.

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Ackerman, Frank Vercler

Frank Vercler Ackerman, 94, of Chenoa, Ill., died Dec. 6, 2011, at Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community. He was born Jan. 15, 1917, to William and Emma (Vercler) Ackerman in Pike Township, rural Chenoa.

He married Susan Suderman on Feb. 18, 1945, in Highland Park, Mich. She preceded him in death on April 4, 2004.

He was a 1934 graduate of Chenoa High School and a lifelong member of Meadows Mennonite Church of Chenoa. He was a lifelong resident of Chenoa, having been born on the Vercler homestead. He followed his parents to the present home farm two miles south of Chenoa. After serving his Savior, Jesus Christ, and his country in Civilian Public Service during World War II, he returned to the family farm. Farming was his life, and he managed to continue farming until he was 92 years old.

Survivors include a son, Ron Ackerman and his wife, Nga, of Chenoa; three daughters, Joyce Baergen and her husband, Donald, of Edmonton, Alta., Lois Smith and her husband, Rex, of Park Ridge, and Doris Egli and her husband, David, of Kansas City, Mo.; a sister, Mary Miller of Snellville, Ga.; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a sister.

Funeral services were held at River of Life Outreach Church of rural Chenoa. Burial was in Pike Township Cemetery of rural Chenoa.

Mennonite Weekly Review - January 9, 2012 - 90th Year, No. 2 - p. 9

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Suderman, Paul H.

Paul “Sudie” H. Suderman, 85, retired farmer of Hillsboro, Kan., died Nov. 30, 2011, at Newton Medical Center from complications after emergency gall bladder surgery. He was born to J.F. and Agatha Suderman on Nov. 11, 1926, in Hillsboro.

He graduated from Hillsboro High School and received his associate degree from Tabor College.

He served with Mennonite Central Committee in Germany after World War II in reconstruction. During this assignment he met the love of his life, Elda Ruth Ensz. They were married at First Mennonite Church in Reedley, Calif., on April 5, 1952.

He was a lifetime member of Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church of rural Hillsboro. He taught Sunday school for many years. He and Elda served as deacons and MCC congregational contacts for many years. They fried countless hamburgers for the Ebenfeld booth at the Kansas MCC Relief Sale. They volunteered for numerous Mennonite Disaster Service projects. He was active on the boards of Salem Hospital, Parkside Homes and the MCC EtCetera Store. He and Elda enjoyed travel and extended hospitality to family, friends and strangers.

He was a gentle man who enjoyed his life on the farm and expanding his world by getting to know strangers and turning them into friends. His attitude and acts of service reflected his character of following the words of Jesus. His love of walking was a hobby that kept his body strong and mind focused as he recited memorized Scripture.

Survivors include four children, Greg Suderman and his wife, Beth, of Elkhart, Ind., Dena Braun and her husband, Ron, of North Newton, Barry Suderman and his wife, Elaine, of Tulsa, Okla., and Ronda King and her husband, Nick, of Hillsboro; a sister, Laura Goertzen and her husband, Ken, of Aurora, Neb.; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Elda, in 2004; brother Melvin in 1926; and sister Malinda Suderman in 2007.

Memorial services were held at Ebenfeld MB Church. Burial was in the Ebenfeld cemetery.

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Falb, George E.

George E. Falb, 92, longtime resident of the Dalton-Orrville, Ohio, area, died Dec. 21, 2011, at Shady Lawn Health Care Community in Dalton. He was born July 22, 1919, to David and Martha (Baumgartner) Falb in Orrville.

He married Priscilla R. Miller on Aug. 18, 1945, at Martins Creek Mennonite Church in Millersburg. She preceded him in death on Dec. 29, 2010.

He graduated from Orrville High School in 1936 and from Goshen (Ind.) College in 1943. He received his engineering degree from the University of Detroit in 1947. He had been employed at First Energy (formerly Ohio Edison) in Massillon and Rittman, retiring as district manager in 1984 after 32 years.

He was a member of Martins Mennonite Church, where he was active in various activities. He enjoyed singing and was the former chorus director for the Martins Youth Chorus.

He served in Civilian Public Service, and was a former member of Dalton Rotary Club, Dalton Historical Society and the Kidron Community Historical Society. He also served on the board of directors at Camp Luz and Central Christian High School. He enjoyed genealogy and photography.
Survivors include two daughters, Rosemary A. Rupp and her husband, Larry, of Goshen, Ind., and Rebecca L. Oyer and her husband, Robert, of Dalton; two sons, Timothy R. Falb and his wife, Priscilla Stuckey, of Boulder, Colo., and Ronald G. Falb and his wife, Victoria, of Dalton; 11 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; a son-in-law, Danny L. Beebe of Pineville, Ark.; a brother-in-law, David Miller of Millersburg; and sisters-in-law Esther Falb of Orrville and Mary Margaret Grasse of Calico Rock, Ark.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Priscilla; a daughter, Miriam E. Beebe; an infant son, Jon Falb; an infant daughter, Rachael Falb; two brothers, Ivan and Milton Falb; and two sisters, Effie Yoder and Irene Schloneger.

Services were held at Martins Mennonite Church in Orrville. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Scott, Stephen Edward

Stephen Edward Scott, 63, of Columbia, Pa., an Anabaptist researcher and writer and member of the Old Order River Brethren, died Dec. 28, 2011. He was born April 12, 1948, to Duffy and Darlene (Patrick) Scott in Portsmouth, Ohio.

He grew up in Beavercreek, Ohio. As a young adult, he joined the Old Order River Brethren in Lancaster. Here he sought to live out his Christian beliefs in loving his family and serving his church.

He enjoyed his work at the Young Center at Elizabethtown College, researching and sharing in the study of Anabaptism and Pietism. He authored numerous books on Anabaptist topics. His many interests included history and cultural studies.

Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Harriet (Sauder) Scott; three children, Andrew P. Scott and his wife, Emily, of Mount Joy, Hannah E. Scott of Gordonville and Catha­rine H. Scott of Columbia; a brother, Phillip D. Scott and his wife, Debra, of Clayton, Ohio; and four grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at Landisville Mennonite Church of Lancaster. Burial was in Silver Spring Cemetery, West Hempfield Township.

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Wiebe, David Foster

David Foster Wiebe, 81, of Hillsboro, Kan., died Nov. 11, 2011, at Salem Home. He was born June 19, 1930, to David V. and Martha Frantz Wiebe at Hillsboro.

In 1941 the Wiebe family rented and eventually purchased a grape and dairy farm near Reedley, Calif. In 1948 they moved to a dairy farm near Abbotsford, B.C. They moved back to Kansas in 1952, where he attended Tabor and Bethel colleges. He graduated with the A.B. degree in education from Tabor in 1955.

He served as guidance counselor and instructor in high schools at Conway Springs, Andale, Hoisington and Belleville. He helped on the Lehigh farm and later in ownership. He continued involvement in the family farm in California.

In 1969 he began as an admissions counselor for Tabor College. In 1972 he began a combination teaching and administrative position at Freeman (S.D.) Academy. He graduated from Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia with a master of science degree in 1957.

He shepherded his father’s manuscript into a book, Grace Meadow, the Story of the Gnadenau Church. In 1974 he published a second edition of his father’s book, They Seek a Country. In 1981 he authored Pike Trail Country: a Pictorial History of North Central Kansas. In 1984 he became director of museums for the City of Hillsboro, serving 18 years as director.

He enjoyed singing in the Tabor College choir, oratorios and musicals. For about 30 years he was a faithful member of Kansas Mennonite Men’s Chorus.
He claimed Jesus Christ as his personal Savior in 1944 and was baptized into Zion Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church near Dinuba, Calif. He transferred his membership to the Gnadenau KMB Church in 1952 (now Park­view MB).

He served two summers in Mennonite Central Committee projects – in Washington, D.C., as a counselor to teenage boys, and in Mexico City with a medical team.

Survivors include two brothers, Raymond Wiebe and John Wiebe and his wife, Caryl; and a sister, Connie Isaac and her husband, Don.
Services were held at Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church. Burial was in Hillsboro MB Cemetery.

Mennonite Weekly Review - January 23, 2012 - 90th Year, No. 4 - p. 9

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Hochstedler, Henry

Henry Hochstedler, 86, of Kalona, Iowa, died Jan. 5, 2012. He was born Jan. 30, 1925, in Kalona, to Emmett and Annie (Yoder) Hochstedler.
He spent most of his life in the Kalona area except for the years he gave to Civilian Public Service in Hills City, S.D., during World War II, promoting peace in a time of war. On Oct. 5, 1947, he married Beulah Hostetler in Hartville, Ohio.

“The pleasure of having is in sharing” describes his heart. He owned and operated H&H Heating, Plumbing and Air Conditioning for many years. He had a heart for missions and traveled all over the U.S. and Canada, providing in a material way for many mission families and contributing funds. He loved to read and visit with people. These provided many hours of enjoyment, especially in his retirement years. He faithfully prayed for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Survivors include five children, Vivian Baumhover and her husband, Mark, of Hills, Leonard Hochstedler and his wife, Twila, of Kalona, Merle Hochstedler and his wife, Mary, of Turkey, Bill Hochstedler and his wife, Susan, of Canada, and Dennis of Kalona; three brothers, Paul of Kalona, Eldon of Cleveland, Ohio, and Calvin of Kalona; 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Beulah, on June 1, 2011; a son, Myron, in 1967; and two sisters, Elva and Ellen Hochstedler.
Funeral services were held at Sunnyside Mennonite Church in Kalona. Burial was in the Fairview Cemetery in rural Kalona.