The Mennonite - March 2016

"for the record" - Deaths:


The Mennonite, March 2016, pages 34-35, Vol. 19, No. 3.

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Adrian, Lorraine Helen Radtke, 93, Mountain Lake, Minn., died Feb. 13. Spouse: Abraham "Abe" John Adrian (deceased). Parents: Carl W.R. and Kathryn Penner Radtke. Children: Richard Adrian, Verlo Adrian; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild. Funeral: Feb. 16 at Sturm Funeral Home, Mountain Lake.

Alderfer, Warren Hendricks, 97, Lansdale, Pa., died Jan. 27. Spouse: Naomi Freed Derstine (deceased). Parents: Warren K. and Martha B. Hendricks Alderfer. Children: Rachel Hinz, Rhoda Kauffman, Glenda Moyer, David Alderfer; 11 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren. Funeral: Feb. 1 at Souderton Mennonite Homes, Souderton, Pa.

Allebach, Darwin F., 78, Perkasie, Pa., died Dec. 21, 201 5. Spouse: A. Lorraine Allebach. Parents: Norman F. and Stella K. Fulmer Allebach. Children: Cynthia D. Nyce, Sherry L. Yothers, G. Darlene Nolen; stepchildren: Tamara R. Giesbrecht, Kendall J. Ruth, Sid J. Ruth; eight grandchildren; eight step-grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren. Funeral: Jan. 3 at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, Blooming Glen, Pa.

Anders, Donald N., 79, Telford, Pa., died Jan. 11, of head and neck trauma from a vehicle accident. Spouse: Catherine L. Derstine Anders. Parents: Earl M. and Mary B. Nyce Anders. Children: D. Philips Anders, David Anders, Cathy Weaver, Connie Hunsberger; 13 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren. Funeral: Jan. 17 at Franconia Mennonite Church, Telford.

Arnold, Janice Eileen Buller, 71, Hesston, Kan., died Feb. 9. Spouse: George Dean Arnold. Parents: Marvin and Myrle Goossen Buller. Children: ScottArnold, DerekArnold; seven grandchildren. Funeral: Feb. 15 at Hesston Mennonite Church.

Crouch, Mary Ellen Blackmun, 84, Goshen, Ind., died Feb. 2. Spouse: Jack Crouch. Parents: Harold and Ruth Carnes Blackmun. Children: Laurie Crouch Dowling, Marti Crouch. Funeral: Feb. 6 at Greencroft Evergreen Gathering Place, Goshen.

Godshalk, Paul H., 91, Chalfont, Pa., died Jan. 16. Spouse: Elsie Rush Godshalk (deceased). Parents: Horace S. and Elsie Hockman Godshalk. Children: Donna Barndt, Judith Martin Godshalk, Lorene "Lory" Blank; seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild. Funeral: Jan. 23 at Deep Run East Mennonite Church, Perkasie, Pa.

Graber, Clark Eldor, 76, Freeman, S.D., died Jan. 11. Spouse: Lerace Boshart Graber. Parents: Edwin "Naz" P. and Louise Preheim Graber. Children: Ron Graber, Danielle Vachel; six grandchildren. Funeral: Jan. 23 at Salem Mennonite Church, Freeman.

Grasse, Anthony Meryl, M.D., 92, passed away peacefully in Chambersburg, Pa., on Jan. 29. Born May 16, 1923, in Chalfont, Pa., to the late Anthony Myers Grasse and Lillian Landis Grasse, Dr. Grasse was an accomplished physician in family practice, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, dedicated to health-care service. He lived most of his life in Calico Rock, Ark., from 1952 to 2015. Dr. Grasse retired from being a physician at the age of 88, having delivered at least three generations of babies over his medical career. Dr. Grasse was the husband of Gladys Landis Grasse, a nurse, for 63 years. In 1940, Dr. Grasse graduated from Souderton High School in Bucks County, Pa. He graduated with a B.A. from Goshen (Ind.) College in 1943, where he was editor of the Maple Leaf, the college yearbook. In 1947, he received an M.D. from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia; he interned at St. Luke's Hospital in Philadelphia in 1948. From 1948 to 1951, he served in overseas medical work in Ethiopia and Indonesia with the Mennonite Church. When he returned to the United States in 1951, he spent one year in surgery residency at York (Pa.) Hospital. After his marriage to Gladys Landis in July 1952, they moved to Calico Rock, Ark., in Aug. 1952. Meryl had previously visited the area of Culp and Calico Rock as a potential location to establish a medical practice based on the local health-care needs, which influenced his decision to locate in Calico Rock. The Mennonites had set up a school and clinic in Culp, Ark., and were looking for a physician to serve in the area. Dr. Meryl and Gladys, with Meryl's brother, John L. Grasse, and his wife, Mary Margaret, as a team effort, set up a medical clinic for outpatient care in Calico Rock in 1952. Meryl was active in the Mennonite church in Arkansas, and was a founding member of Calico Rock Mennonite Fellowship. In 1956, the Izard County Hospital in Melbourne, Ark., closed suddenly, leaving the county without a hospital. Since there were signs it might not open again, Dr. Grasse decided to build the Medical Center of Calico Rock, a 10-bed hospital and clinic on 12 acres of land he had purchased, and it opened in 1959. Throughout the years, there were several additions to the original hospital building to a total of 22 beds. Dr. Grasse and shareholders of the hospital donated the hospital to the community and created a not-for-profit organization, with a community advisory board of directors. The hospital was renamed the Community Medical Center of Izard County. In 1964 to 1966, Dr. Grasse and Gladys moved to Nigeria, West Africa, with their six children, to work at the Akahaba-Abiriba Joint Hospital and in rural health care. Meryl loved to travel with his wife and family, exploring many different areas of the world. He was an avid reader, gardener and farmer in addition to his medical work and was a lifelong learner. During his life, Dr. Grasse received many awards acknowledging his dedication to health-care service: Distinguished Service Award, Arkansas Hospital Association; Allen Esh Award from Mennonite Health Association (joint award with John L. Grasse, Meryl's brother); Culture for Service Award, Goshen College (joint award with John L. Grasse, Meryl's brother); Retired Teachers Association for Health Care in Izard County (joint award with Dr. Harold Tatum of Melbourne, Ark.). He was a member of the White River Area Agency on Aging for three years, and Calico Rock City Council for 25 years (1967-1993). He was awarded a Key to City of Calico Rock in 2015. ln addition to his wife, he is survived by six children: Karen Grasse of Philadelphia; Chloe Grasse and husband, Linford Martin, of Greencastle, Pa.; Carol Grasse of Boulder, Colo.; Gwendolyn Grasse and husband, Steve Voran, of Boulder, Colo.; Joel Grasse and wife, Susan, of Rogers, Ark.; Mark Grasse of Dallas, Texas; five grandchildren, Joseph Grasse and wife, Angela, of Omaha, Neb.; Joshua Grasse and wife, Dana, of Spokane, Wash.; Hannah and Mariah Martin of Greencastle, Pa.; and Elleanna Voran of Boulder, Colo.; two great-grandchildren, Jayden and Olivia Grasse of Omaha, Neb.; two brothers, Willard Grasse and wife, Gladys, of Chalfont, Pa.; Warren Grasse and wife, Linda, of Telford, Pa.; two brothers were previously deceased, John Grasse and Alvin Grasse. John is survived by his wife, Mary Margaret, of Calico Rock, Ark.; Alvin is survived by his wife, Ruth, of Lacombe, Alberta. A worship celebration of life service is planned for Feb. 27 at the United Methodist Church in Calico Rock, Ark. ln addition, a worship celebration of life service is being planned for June 18 at Blooming Glen (Pa.) Mennonite Church in the area where Dr. Grasse was born and grew up.

Harder, Evangeline May Strenge, 93, Mountain Lake, Minn., died Jan. 12. Parents: Eilert and Gerdena Siefkes Strenge. Funeral: Jan. 16 at Bethel Mennonite Church, Mountain Lake.

Heese, Clara Doreen Harder, 77, New Holland, Pa., died Jan. 21. Spouse: John Heese. Parents: Walter and Edna Lesser Harder. Children: Garrett Heese, Jeffrey Heese, Joylynn Keener; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild. Funeral: Feb. 6 at New Holland Mennonite Church.

Long, Byron Fay, 90, Sterling, ll, died Jan. 31. Spouse: Elsie Catherine lben Long. Parents: Menno A. Pearl Landis Long. Children: Carol Zehr, Melvin Long, Rick Long; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren. Funeral: Feb. 20 at Science Ridge Mennonite Church, Sterling, lll.

Rice, Anna Miller, 85, Perkasie, Pa., died Jan. 11. Spouse: Howard Rice (deceased). Parents: John and Edna Kulp Miller. Children: Dennis Rice, Daryl Rice, Timothy Rice, John Rice, Philip Rice, Larry Rice, Garry Rice; 10 grandchildren. Funeral: Jan. 24 at Deep Run East Mennonite Church, Perkasie.

Riegsecker, Lois Irene Miller, 87, Archbold, Ohio, died Nov. 17, 2015. Spouse: Orval Riegsecker. Parents: Henry and Amanda Short Miller. Children: Ardis Stephenson, Delvin Riegsecker, Joetta Pugh, Doneta Riegsecker, Vonda Smith, Angie Wyse, Amy Frey, Karla Hatley; 15 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren. Funeral: Nov. 21 at Central Mennonite Church, Archbold.


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