Mennonite World Review - December 3, 2018 - 96th Year, No. 25 - p. 15

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Mark, Scott Joseph

Scott Joseph Mark, 52, of Muskego, Wis., whose appetite for cooking white plate dinners for neighbors and family was surpassed only by his hunger for knowledge, died Nov. 9, 2018. He was born March 12, 1966, to Arlene and George Mark in Elkhart, Ind., where he was raised.

He was a lifelong member of Prairie Street Mennonite Church, Elkhart, where he and his wife, Summer, were youth sponsors.
He excelled at taking things apart, putting them back together better, reading, getting lost on family trips, helping others and pithy comments. His five-person bike made it possible for the whole family to tour together.

His first paid work in his field was to write an article for a computer programming magazine before he could drive. He coded a complete custom financial accounting system for hire before he graduated high school.

He attended Goshen College and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from Purdue University. At Purdue he worked with the Shadow Lab networking group, which wrote the book on TCP/IP. He was employed by Miles Laboratories (later Bayer) from 1991 to 1999 as an embedded systems programmer for medical instruments.

In 2000 he became an independent consultant. In this capacity he worked on Proton Therapy Cancer Treatment Centers. He led the validation effort for the first Proton Therapy Treatment Center in the Midwest. His clients included Indiana University Cyclotron Facility in Bloomington, Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute, ProCure Proton Therapy Centers, Massachusetts General Hospital, and CNAO, the first Proton Therapy Treatment Center in Italy.

Survivors include his former wife, Summer Mark; three children, Anne, John and Brian; his mother, Arlene Mark; and three siblings, Susan Mark (Dennis) Landis, David Mark and Paul (Kim) Mark.

A private service and burial was held. The family asks that donations go to Heifer International.

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Bontrager, Susie Ellen

Susie Ellen Bontrager, 89, died Oct. 25, 2018, at Mennonite Friendship Communities in South Hutchinson, Kan. She was born April 26, 1929, in Yoder, the ninth of 10 children of David K. and Mary (Bontrager) Bontrager. She was the last surviving sibling of the family.

Her professional life was spent in kitchens, both cooking and directing food service operations in public schools in South Chicago from 1965 to 1974, food services manager at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center outside Pittsburgh, Pa., from 1975 to 1984, and food services director in the Hutchinson public schools from 1984 until retirement in 1995. In addition, she volunteered more than 15 years with the Hutchinson Red Cross Chapter by coordinating food services for their five annual drives. She received the 2012 Marjorie Piper Award for this distinguished service. She also volunteered with other nonprofit community groups as well as with her church. She was a longtime member of Journey at South Hutchinson Mennonite Church.

Survivors include 26 nieces and nephews of the 36 born to her siblings; many great-great- and great-great-great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her nine brothers and sisters, Eli (Opal) Bontrager, Lizzie (David) Hostetler, Enos (Mabel) Bontrager, Rudy (Lizzie) Bontrager, Katie (Samuel) Yoder, Clara Bontrager, Jonas (Alma) Bontrager, Mary Bontrager and Sarah (Freeman) Eash.

Funeral services were held at Journey at Yoder Mennonite Church. Burial was in the adjacent cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to the Journey@Yoder Children’s Ministry or the Mennonite Friendship Communities Endowment Fund to assist residents needing resources for their care.

Mennonite World Review - Dec. 17, 2018 - 96th Year, No. 26 - p. 15

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Weaver, Kenneth L.

Kenneth L. Weaver, 97, of Metamora, Ill., died Nov. 24, 2018. He was born Dec. 18, 1920, to Floyd and Hazel (Lehman) Weaver in Northern Indiana.

He married Irma Frey on April 8, 1942.

Being raised in a Mennonite home as the son of a pastor helped form his belief in salvation through faith. His faith in Jesus Christ was central to his life. He enlisted in Civilian Public Service during World War II and served as head accountant in a mental health institution in Norristown, Pa. His accounting skills, honed at Norristown and later at Ulrich Manufacturing in Roanoke, led to a job as an accountant with Morton Buildings in 1960. At Morton, he reached the position of executive vice president and served on the board of directors. He retired in 2001 at age 80.

He was an active member of Metamora Mennonite Church for more than 60 years, and he served in many positions. His life was a testimony to serving others through volunteerism. Even into his 90s he could be found serving at the local food pantry, the Etcetera Shop in Eureka or delivering Meals on Wheels. A lifelong dream came true at age 91 when he and a group visited Israel.

Survivors include five children, Duane (Carole)?Weaver of Bloomington, Doug (Mary)?Weaver of Albuquerque, N.M., Rod (Karen)?Weaver of Gettysburg, Pa., Bev (Ron)?Riggins of Washington and Greg Weaver of Webster Groves, Mo.; two brothers, Stan and Herb; a sister, Margaret; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife of almost 70 years, Irma, in 2011; and by a brother, Herm.

Memorial services were held at Metamora Mennonite Church. A private burial preceded the service. Memorials may be made to Mennonite Central Committee.

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Blount, Deborah Jean Hecathorn

Deborah Jean Blount, 68, of Auburn, Ind., died Nov. 13, 2018, at home. She was born July 1, 1950, to Earl and Reva (Utz) Hecathorn in Dayton, Ohio.

She married Kenneth Blount on Dec. 26, 1971.

She graduated from Wright State University with a degree in elementary education. She worked in many roles over the years from volunteer to teacher to the director of the gifted and talented program. She loved and was greatly loved by her family and friends.

Her faith and church were very important to her. She was active in Mennonite Women and their projects to support Mennonite Central Committee. She treasured the relationships that grew out of her experiences with church small groups.

She was an excellent cook and baker who enjoyed preparing family dinners. Sewing and quilting were favorite hobbies. Quilting retreats were favorite times of fellowship with friends and her sister Pam. She was a devoted grandmother who loved spending time with her three grandsons. She and Kenneth loved to travel and visited all 50 states and 26 countries. She researched and published a book on her family genealogy.

Throughout her nine-year struggle with cancer she maintained a positive attitude, never doubting her faith, which inspired many people in how to face adversity.

Survivors include her husband, Kenneth; sons Andrew (Rebecca Kauffman), Philip and John (Tara Sparks); sister Pam (Louis) Becker; father-in-law Everett Blount; sister-in-law Kathryn Damron; brother-in-law Raymond (Bonnie) Blount; and three grandsons.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Ronald; and brother-in-law Roger Damron.

A celebration of her life was held at North Leo Mennonite Church. She will be buried next to her grandparents in Lewisburg, Ohio.

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Hostetler, Leona Pearl Gerber

Leona Pearl Gerber Hostetler, 91, of Rocky Ford, Colo., died Nov. 1, 2018. She was born Feb. 12, 1927, to Joe and Ida (Yoder) Gerber in Harper, Kan.

She grew up in rural Harper. Her father died when she was 18, and the family moved to Hesston, Kan. She finished high school in Hess­ton and obtained her associate’s degree from Hess­ton College in 1949. In between she served in Mennonite Voluntary Service in Naubinway, Mich., and worked as a housekeeper around Wichita, Kan.

In 1949 she entered voluntary service, working as a nurse aide at Kansas City General Hospital, where she met George Hostetler. They married Aug. 18, 1951, at Hesston College.

They lived four years in Harrisonburg, Va., where George attended Eastern Mennonite College, then four years in Richmond, Va., while he went to medical school at Virginia Commonwealth. Those were poor years, and she showed her skills feeding and clothing the growing family with minimal resources.

The family moved to Wichita in 1959 for an internship, Halstead in 1960, then Rocky Ford in 1962. From 1968 to 1975 they lived in Harper, where they built a home on the farm where she grew up. In 1975 the family returned to Rocky Ford and lived there since then.

She enjoyed being a homemaker. She had a strong Christian faith and read the Bible daily.

Survivors include her husband, George; eight children, Nina Hostetler of Spokane, Wash., Rachel (Les) Stockton of Tulsa, Okla., Robert (Clarice) Hostetler of Dodge City, Kan., Nancy Hostetler of Albuquerque, N.M., Calvin (Deanna) Hostetler of Rocky Ford, Catherine Joy of Albuquerque, Leon Hostet­ler of La Junta and Ken Hostetler of Rocky Ford; four grandchildren and a great-grandson.

She was preceded in death by all her siblings, Earl Gerber, Lela Cornett, Mariam Gerber, Emery Gerber and Clayton Gerber.
Funeral services were held at Emmanuel Mennonite Church in La Junta.