Mennonite World Review - March 2015
Obituaries are emailed to MennObits before MWR is printed. Wording may vary in printed version.
Anderson, Joan Elizabeth Balla Kiser ; . . Arn, John Willard Jr. ; . . Chupp, Harvey ; . . Dick, Alvin Harold ; . . Epp, Susie Baerg ; . . Garber, Vera Ellen Lais ; . . Harnly, Raymond E. ; . . Hartzler, Wilton Emerson
; . . Holsinger, Salome Anna Fast ; . . Janzen, Juanita J. Preheim ; . . Miller, Roger R. ; . . Stutzman, Alice Bontrager ; . . Ulrich, Wilfred David ; . . Weaver, Robert L.
Mennonite World Review - March 2, 2015 - 93rd Year, No. 5 - p. 19
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Wilton Emerson Hartzler, 94, of Greensboro, N.C., died Dec. 11, 2014. He was born March 24, 1920, to Pastor Raymond L. and Nora Burkholder Hartzler in Topeka, Ind.
He graduated from Carlock High School in 1938 and from Bluffton (Ohio) College with a degree in sociology in 1942. He married Rosemary Krogh on Dec. 27, 1943.
He served in Civilian Public Service from 1943 to 1947. He graduated from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1948 with a master's degree in religious education. He worked with the Campus YMCA at the University of Washington in Seattle from 1948 to 1951 and then for the American Friends Service Committee from 1951 to 1980 from High Point, N.C. The North Carolina Council of Churches honored him as Citizen of the Year in 1979. After 29 years with the AFSC, he worked for the Friends Committee on National Legislation in Washington, D.C., from 1980 to 1985. After retiring, he volunteered with low-income individuals and families through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program in High Point. While in High Point he was part of the Springfield Friends Meeting and became a founding member of Greensboro Mennonite Fellowship.
He was a man of quiet faith who was deeply committed to peace and racial justice. He will be remembered for his kind and loving life, his genuine smile, gentle spirit and lifelong pursuit of peace.
Survivors include his wife of nearly 71 years, Rosemary; three children, Mary Lou Hartzler of Lansdowne, Pa., Ronald Hartzler of Winston-Salem, N.C., and Holly Hartzler Jones of Richmond, Va.; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Memorial services were held at the Friends Home in Greensboro, where he and Rosemary resided.
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Susie Epp, 97, of Henderson, Neb., died Jan. 7, 2015, at York. She was born April 3, 1917, to Jacob J. and Anna (Penner) Baerg in rural Butterfield, Minn.
She married Pete H. Epp on April 22, 1949, at Mountain Lake, Minn.
She was a member of Bethesda Mennonite Church in Henderson, the Homemakers Club, and she enjoyed quilting, crocheting and gardening.
Survivors include four children, Del Epp and his wife, Lucy, of Niverville, Man., Rosie Epp and her husband, Ray Reimer, of Elbing, Kan., Ken Epp and his wife, Deana, of Henderson, and Waldeen Epp and his wife, Janet, of Rushville, Ill.; a daughter-in-law, Carolyn Epp of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; 20 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Pete; a son, LaMoine; five brothers and two sisters.
Graveside services were held at the Bethesda Cemetery, Henderson. Memorial services followed at Bethesda Mennonite Church.
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Robert L. Weaver, 78, of Lititz, Pa., died Feb. 16, 2015. He was born to Harry H. and Lottie Zimmerman Weaver of Blue Ball.
In his younger years he embraced the Mennonite faith and belonged to Forest Hills Mennonite Church in Leola. He served with Mennonite Central Committee in the Netherlands from 1959 to 1961.
He graduated from Upper Leacock High School in 1954, Goshen (Ind.) College in 1958, the University of Michigan in 1959 with a master's degree and Syracuse University in 1971 with a doctorate. After teaching at several colleges, he taught from 1972 to 2001 at Centre College, a Presbyterian college, in Danville, Ky., and also accompanied numerous choral works. At the end of his service he was named professor emeritus. He taught music history and theory, piano and a freshman humanities course. He wrote and compiled three books and several articles on a 16th-century Antwerp composer. He chaired the South Central Chapter of the American Musicological Society and was a member of the Mennonite Historical Society.
In Danville he attended the college church (Presbyterian Church, USA) where he was ordained as an elder. For several years he was the organist. Returning to Pennsylvania, he was a member of Highland Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, where he was a deacon, a member of the justice, peace and reconciliation committee, and the choir.
In his last years he was a resident of Moravian Manor in Lititz. He participated in the lancaster.history.org archives and in Booksavers, a project of MCC.
Survivors include a brother, Glenn Weaver and his wife, Anne Harnish, of Lititz; and a sister, Lois Friesen and her husband, Joachim, of Towanda, Kan.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Clair Ronald, in 1949.
Memorial services were held at Highland Presbyterian Church in Lancaster. Burial was in Weaverland Mennonite Church Cemetery.
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Wilfred David Ulrich, 94, of Eureka, Ill., died Jan. 24, 2015, at Maple Lawn Health Center. He was born Dec. 3, 1920, to Emanuel and Mathilda Schertz Ulrich in Eureka.
He married Betty Stutzman on May 2, 1944. She preceded him in death on Dec. 24, 2012.
He served as a pastor for several Mennonite churches in Illinois, Idaho, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Canada before he and Betty retired back in Eureka. He was a member of Roanoke Mennonite Church of Eureka.
Survivors include four sons, David (Dale) Ulrich of Brentwood, Calif., Daniel (Sandra) Ulrich of Kitchener, Ont., Ronald (Shirley) Ulrich of Henderson, Neb., and Ross (Jill)?Ulrich of Lenexa, Kan.; four brothers, Emanuel Ulrich Jr., Harold Ulrich and Kenneth Ulrich, all of Eureka, and Frank Ulrich of Archbold, Ohio; two sisters, Mildred Reeb of Eureka and Geneva Meyer of Wooster, Ohio; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Memorial services were held at Roanoke Mennonite Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.
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Alice Stutzman, 96, died Feb. 8, 2015, at Mennonite Friendship Communities of South Hutchinson, Kan. She was born June 5, 1918, to Edward and Fannie (Yoder) Bontrager in Thomas, Okla.
She married Roy Stutzman in 1939 and lived in the Hutchinson area most of her life.
She was a homemaker, enjoyed gardening, quilting and embroidery and had a passion for helping others. She was custodian for Yoder Mennonite Church for many years.
Survivors include a son, Gary Stutzman and his wife, Doris, of Sedgwick; four daughters, Eileen Burkholder and her husband, Howard, Marilyn Yoder and her husband, Leonard, all of Hutchinson, Nancy Neff and her husband, Del, of Ronks, Pa., and Arleta Martin and her husband, Ken, of Akron, Pa.; 13 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy; and all 10 of her siblings, brothers William and Paul Bontrager and sisters Lydia Ann Yoder, Edna Bontrager, Fannie Yoder, Nora Yutzy, Ida Kauffmna, Mary Ann Niller, Katie Bontrager and Dora Bontrager.
Funeral services were held at Journey@South Hutchinson Mennonite Church. Burial was in Yoder Cemetery.
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Juanita J. Janzen, 76, of Hesston, Kan., died Jan. 3, 2015. She was born Nov. 15, 1938, to Jacob Roy and Selma Miller Preheim on a farm near Freeman, S.D.
She attended a two-room rural elementary school, Freeman Academy and Freeman Junior College. She earned a teaching degree from Freeman Junior College, after which she taught for one year at a one-room elementary school in rural Freeman. She continued her education at Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., where she received a bachelor's degree in elementary education. While at Bethel she met Leon Janzen. They graduated in 1961 and were married on June 8, 1961, at Salem Mennonite Church near Freeman.
Her 29-year teaching career included positions in South Dakota, Kansas, Africa and Germany; 20 of those years were in Hesston. She was an excellent teacher and received much affirmation. She was deeply committed to her family. They enjoyed family trips, playing card games and many dinners and gatherings at her home.
She was a member of Whitestone Mennonite Church. She taught children's Sunday school and was active in the Whitestone on Wednesday children's program for many years. She loved to sing and being a part of the church choir. She enjoyed traveling, and their trips included cruises, road trips and a trip around the world. Landscape gardening and working in the backyard were a pleasant pastime.
Survivors include her husband, Leon, of Hesston; a daughter, Kim Janzen and her husband, Tim Buller, of McPherson; a son, Chad Janzen and his wife, Rhonda, of Wichita; a brother, Vern Preheim of North Newton; two sisters, Birdie Paine of Martinez, Calif., and Sally Senner of Durham, N.C.; and four grandchildren.
Memorial services were held at Whitestone Mennonite Church. Inurnment will take place at Eastlawn Cemetery at a later date.
Mennonite World Review - March 16, 2015 - 93rd Year, No. 6 - p. 15
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Anderson, Joan Elizabeth Balla Kiser
Joan Elizabeth Balla Anderson, 79, died Feb. 4, 2015, at Augusta Health in Fishersville, Va., after a valiant battle against colorectal cancer. She was born Jan. 12, 1936, to John and Emma Balla in Nanticoke, Pa.
She served Waynesboro Community Hospital for many years as head nurse of the pediatric service, where she taught and mentored many young women who advanced in their careers to become wonderful caregivers. She was an active and caring member of Waynesboro Mennonite Church and its Ladies Sunshine Club and also served as church pianist, organist and greeter.
Survivors include her husband, R. David Anderson, former director of pharmacy services and assistant/acting administrator of Waynesboro Community Hospital; a daughter, Deborah Lee Kiser of Waynesboro; two sisters, Isabel Westfried and Marge D'Quijano; and two step-grandchildren, Matthew Anderson and Ryan Anderson.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Dorothy Bray and Shirley Kelly; a brother, John Balla; and her first husband, Norman Kiser of Waynesboro.
Following cremation, a memorial service will be conducted at Waynesboro Mennonite Church on March 28.
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Roger R. Miller, 79, of Huntertown, Ind., died March 2, 2015. He was born to Menno and Ina Miller.
He was an avid prayer warrior. His passionate prayer ministry not only included specific prayers for each family member but also those who would someday marry into his family.
He was a dedicated umpire for 52 years, faithfully served on the Dove's Nest Board, the board of elders for North Leo Mennonite Church and the Fort Wayne Umpire's Board. He was the founder and director of the Mennonite Labor Day Softball Tourney.
Survivors include his wife, Sue (Schrock); a daughter, Janeen Schortgen and her husband, Tone; two sons, Rod Miller and Brad Miller and his wife, Brenda; a brother, Arnie Miller and his wife, Carol; a sister, Norma Ropp and her husband, Morris; 14 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his firstborn daughter, Lynda Eicher; and a sister, Ruby Miller.
A celebration of life service was held at Church of the Good Shepherd in Leo. Burial was in Huntertown Cemetery.
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Harnly, Raymond E.
Raymond E. Harnly, 85, died March 1, 2015, at the Mennonite Home, Lancaster, Pa. He was born to David and Lillian Harnly in Manheim.
He graduated from Manheim Central High School in 1947 and from Bethel College, North Newton, Kan., in 1955. He was of the Mennonite faith. He was employed by Warfel Associates in the accounting office for 34 years.
He married Ella Judy Harder on June 20, 1956.
Survivors include his wife, Ella; four children, Don Harnly of Houston, Texas, Diane Harnly and her spouse, Erik Grann, of Portland, Ore., Carolyn Mosher of Cleona and Keith Harnly and his spouse, Kristen, of Philadelphia; a brother, Jake Harnly of Lititz; and five grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Barbara Harnly and Dorothy Hart; and two brothers, David and Lester Harnly.
In keeping with his wishes, there was no formal service. Burial was private at the convenience of his family.
Mennonite World Review - March 30, 2015 - 93rd Year, No. 7 - p. 15
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Salome Anna (Fast) Holsinger, 98, of Hesston, Kan., died March 3, 2015, at Schowalter Villa. She was born Feb. 5, 1917, to David H. and Justina (Warkentin) Fast in Mountain Lake, Minn.
Her mother died when she was 10 years old. She was baptized and received into membership at Bethel Church of Mountain Lake in 1933. After high school, she completed nursing studies at Bethel Deaconess Hospital in Newton, receiving her RN certification in 1939.
She worked at Bethel Hospital in Mountain Lake, followed by nursing positions in Bluffton, Ohio, and at Ypsilanti State (Mental) Hospital in Michigan. In 1944 she accepted an assignment with Mennonite Central Committee as one of the founding nurses at the La Plata hospital and clinic in Puerto Rico.
On Dec. 16, 1944, she married Justus G. Holsinger in Santurce, Puerto Rico. After two years in Bluffton, they returned to Puerto Rico in 1948 for another MCC assignment, followed by their move to Hesston in 1952. She was a member of Hesston Mennonite Church since 1952.
In addition to being a homemaker, she worked as a nurse at Bethel Deaconess Hospital, followed by more than 15 years of nursing at Schowalter Villa. In 1976 she and Justus accepted a three-year assignment with MCC in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, followed by a two-year assignment with Academia Menonita, Summit Hills, Puerto Rico. She served as interim secretary for Justus in South Central Conference. She volunteered at the Et Cetera shop, Schowalter Villa, Hesston Area Senior Center, and was an ESL tutor in the years prior to moving in 2012 to assisted living.
Survivors include four children, Dave Holsinger and his wife, Jan, of Houston, Texas, Don Holsinger and his wife, Ruth, of Edmonds, Wash., Betty Shenk and her husband, Keaton, of Harrisonburg, Va., and Becky Rand of Fraser, Colo.; a sister, Elizabeth McBride and her husband, Gene, of Hesston; a sister-in-law, Catherine Miller of Harrisonburg, Va.; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Justus, in 2007; stepmother, Elizabeth; sister Erna Fast; and brothers Ferd, Marvin and Willard Fast.
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Vera Ellen Garber died Jan. 21, 2015, in Woodburn, Ore. She was born to Dan and Ella Lais in Hubbard.
She lived her entire life in the Hubbard/Whiskey Hill area. She was the 13th of 14 children and gained a great work ethic from having grown up in a hard-working family during the Depression. She had happy memories of picking berries and hops with her siblings to earn money to help the family. She spent some time at Hesston (Kan.) Academy as a teenager.
She married John Garber in 1946 in Hubbard. They were married 59 years before he died in 2006.
Besides her beautiful smile, one of her most endearing characteristics was her giving of time and service to others. She helped many friends and neighbors, and everyone felt welcome in her home. She loved the Lord and was a lifetime member of Zion Mennonite Church of Hubbard.
Survivors include eight children, Phyllis Early of Harrisonburg, Va., Paul and David of Woodburn, John of Aurora, Mary Garber-Saleh of Woodbridge, Conn., Joy Yoder of Lebanon, Ruth Claassen of Truth or Consequences, N.M., and Richard of Eagle, Idaho; a sister, Frances Hoover of Indianapolis, Ind.; 26 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by 12 siblings: Orpha Fisher, Celestia Lais, Lena Blair, John Lais, Mary Kenagy, Susan Stanerson, Lilly Berkey, Dorothy Gingerich, Frank Lais, Ruth Zehr, Marjorie Birky and Evelyn Birky.
Funeral services were held at Zion Mennonite Church.
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Alvin Harold Dick, 79, of Mountain Lake, Minn., died Feb. 27, 2015. He was born April 25, 1935, to Jacob and Lena (Schultz) Dick in Bingham Lake.
He attended Mountain Lake Bible School (now MLC), junior high at Bingham Lake Public School and senior high at Mountain Lake Public School. After graduating from Tabor College in 1957, he did alternative service in Denver, Colo., where he met Bernice Gregory. They were married Aug. 26, 1960.
He and Bernice farmed west of Mountain Lake with his father until his father's retirement in 1972, at which time his brother Willard joined the partnership until Alvin's retirement in 2000. His life of service included board secretary of MLC, church council member, deacon and Sunday school teacher at Community Bible Church. He was a member of Gideon's International. His love of history extended from restoring Farmall tractors to reading about Anabaptist history. During his 16 years on the Heritage Village board, he enjoyed the practical side of keeping the Village functioning. He served as a tour guide, sharing about history in general and Mountain Lake in particular.
Survivors include his wife, Bernice, of Mountain Lake; three sons, Steven Dick and his wife, Tania, of Cartersville, Ga., Johnathan Dick and his wife, Vicki, of Fresno, Calif., and James Dick and his wife, Shannon, of Mountain Lake; his mother, Lena Dick of Mountain Lake; a brother, Willard Dick and his wife, Margaret, of Mountain Lake; a sister, Dorothy Beier and her husband, Arlie, of Glasgow, Mont.; and seven grandchildren.
Services were held at Community Bible Church in Mountain Lake.
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Harvey Chupp, 77, of Shipshewana, Ind., died Feb. 13, 2015, after an 11-month struggle with cancer. He was born June 20, 1937, to Malinda (Wingard) and Levi Chupp in Thomas, Okla.
He married Carolyn Myers on July 28, 1962, at Salem Mennonite Church in New Paris.
After graduating from Nappanee High School, he became a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, serving in the 1-W program in Indianapolis. He then attended Ontario Mennonite Bible Institute in Kitchener, which became his inspiration for a lifelong ministry. He attended Eastern Mennonite College and Seminary.
Over a span of 30 years, he served four Mennonite congregations - Burr Oak, Gospel Hill, Shore and North Goshen - as pastor. He was instrumental in helping create Menno-Hof, an Amish and Mennonite visitors center; the Depot, a resource center for Mennonite Central Committee in Goshen; and Menno-Clinic India, a medical facility in Chiluvuru, India. He served the larger Mennonite church in many ways, including as overseer of several congregations and on three MCC boards.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Carolyn; three children, Brenda Chupp and her husband, Kent Hershberger, of Mishawaka, Nancy Chupp and her husband, Ron Krabill, of Seattle, Wash., and Gary Chupp and his wife, Melissa, of Goshen; three brothers, Samuel Chupp and his wife, Donna, of Peoria, Ariz., Leroy Chupp and his wife, Shirley, of Portland, Ore., and Melvin Chupp and his wife, Beth, of Hagerstown, Md.; four sisters, Mary Lou Martin and her husband, Arlin, of Greencastle, Pa., Linda Hostetler and her husband, Ernest, of Middlebury, Dorothy Hoover and her husband, Wendell, of Nappanee, and Carol Keener and her husband, Doug, of State Line, Pa.; a brother-in-law, Robert Bender and his wife, Sue, of Kirkwood, Pa.; and seven grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Viola Bender; and a sister-in-law, Pat Chupp.
Memorial services were held at Shore Mennonite Church in Shipshewana.
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Arn, John Willard Jr.
John Willard Arn Jr., 75, of Lansdale, Pa., died Jan. 15, 2015. He was born May 18, 1939, to J. Willard Arn Sr. and Ruth (Prindle) Arn in Norristown.
He was a graduate of Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., in 1960 with a bachelor's degree in natural sciences. He earned a bachelor of divinity degree at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in 1965 and a master of divinity degree in 1974. He was ordained at Grace Mennonite Church of Lansdale on Sept. 25, 1965.
He served with Pax in Austria, Greece, Germany and Switzerland from 1960 to 1962. He was assistant pastor at Eighth Street Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Ind., 1964-65; pastor at Faith Mennonite Chapel, Quakertown, 1965; senior pastor at Herold Mennonite Church, Cordell, Okla., 1965-75; pastor at Bethlehem Mennonite Church, Bloomfield, Mont., 1975-81; and a missionary consultant in Taiwan with the Commission on Overseas Mission, 1981-85.
He was president and vice president of the Oklahoma Convention of Western District Conference, 1967-75; a member and chair of the Northern District Conference Ministerial Committee, 1979-81; a member and chair on the Eastern District Conference Missions Committee, 1986-94 and 1999-2002; and a board member of the Germantown Historic Trust, 1988-91 and 1994-2014.
While serving in Montana, he lost his leg in a tractor accident. Through God's grace he lived an additional 35 years. He was an active historian and genealogist and a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was a member of Grace Mennonite Church.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Arn; three children, Christel Boysel of Ephrata, Kendra Hosgood and her husband, Christian, of North Wales, and Nathan Arn and his wife, Robin, of Concord, Ohio; and six grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Sarah K, Arn.
Services were held at Grace Mennonite Church, Lansdale. Burial was in Lower Skippack Cemetery, Skippack Township.