Anabaptist World
July - September 2025
Mennonite World Review & The Mennonite merged September 2020
Anabaptist World, July 2025, pages 52-55, Vol.6, No. 7.
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Warkentin, Gertrude
January 5, 1934 - May 19, 2025
Warkentin-. Gertrude, 91, died May 19, 2025. She was born Jan. 5, 1934, in Luseland, Sask., to: Peter A. and Helen (Janzen) Warkentin and grew up on the family farm in Superb, Sask.
She was a psychiatric nurse trained at Saskatoon City Hospital School of Nursing, Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., and Prairie View Hospital in Newton, Kan. She received her master of social work degree at the University of Michigan in 1969. She was the nurse manager of the inpatient psychiatric unit at Chelsea Community Hospital from 1976 to 2000.
She lived in Ann Arbor, Mich., for 49 years ac: was a member of Shalom Community Church. In 2016, she moved to Greencroft Retirement Community in Goshen, Ind., where she attended the Eighth Street Mennonite Church.
She is survived by a brother, John Warkentin of Calgary, Alberta; and many nieces and nephews and their offspring. A celebration of life service was scheduled for June 28 at Eighth Street Mennonite Church, livestreamed on the church website. A gathering for storytelling and sharing will be held July 13 in Ann Arbor. See sites.google.com/view/gertrude/story/home.
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Goering, Homer D.
July 25, 1932 - June 7, 2025
Goering-. Homer D., 92, of Moundridge, Kan., died June 7, 2025, at Pine Village in Moundridge. He was born July 25, 1932, at Moundridge, one of six children of Christian S. Goering and Marie (Kaufman) Goering.
He attended Bethel College, where he enrolled in all ag-related and industrial arts classes and played football and basketball. He was given all-conference honorable mention in football in 1952 and basketball in 1953. The basketball team was KCAC champions in 1956 and 1957. He played town team basketball until age 40. He was baptized in 1948, becoming a member of Eden Mennonite Church and attending there throughout his life. He spent two years in 1-W service, working out of a unit house with 15 other 1-Ws. He had about 20 reunions with this group.
He married Dorothy Ewert on Dec. 20, 1956. They made their home on the farm where he was born, raised six sons and dairyed for 35 years. He built their dairy barn and several cattle sheds, two machine sheds and two garages, one in Busby, Mont., during his voluntary service years. He sang in church choirs, the Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus for nearly 50 years and two quartets for a time. He taught Sunday school and served as a trustee. His faith journey had its struggles: In his teens, he was attacked by a dairy bull; Dorothy nearly died during the delivery of their first child and dealt with Parkinson's disease for over 20 years; there were crop failures; and a family member experienced mental health issues. Each was a spiritual challenge, needing God's strength and help.
Survivors include sons Vaughn of Peabody, Larry (Sarah) of McPherson, Roy (Sheralyn) of Newton, Ron (Cecilia) of Moundridge and Sam )(Marcia) of Moundridge; brother-in- law Raymond Brandt of North Newton; 11 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his Wife; a son, Jerome; sisters Delia Graber, Erna Stucky and Lola Beth Ediger; brothers Olin and Gene Goering; sisters-in-law Janet Goering, Ruth Goering and Grace Brandt; and brothers-in-law Verne Graber, Ray Ediger and Harvey J. Stucky.
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Liechty, Loveda May Lederman
May 18, 1926 - April 19, 2025
Liechty-. Loveda May, 98, died April 19, 2025. She was born May 18, 1926, in Fort Wayne, 1nd., to Amos and Lillie )(Liechty ) Lederman. On June 8, 1947, she married Wayne Joseph Liechty and moved to Archbold, Ohio, where they built a life centered on family, faith and community.
They developed successful John Deere dealerships and shared 58 years of marriage until Wayne died Nov. 26, 2005. Her life was a testimony of steadfast faith, strength and service. Her door was always open, and there was always something good to eat in her kitchen. She was an accomplished seamstress. Her hospitality was pro- found, offering warmth and welcome. She and Wayne traveled throughout the U.S. and to many foreign countries.
A lifelong member of West Clinton Mennonite Church in Wauseon, Ohio, she taught vacation Bible school and Sunday school, served on church planning committees and enjoyed her Mennonite Women's sewing group. She and Wayne participated in five short-term voluntary service assignments, serving as far away as Florida and Brownsville, Texas. She lived her faith through relationships and liked to have fun. She showed love for her family by praying for each one, hosting holidays and having beautiful handmade quilts ready for all the high school graduations.
Surviving are children Shirlyn Jean (Randy ) Graber of Bel Aire, Kan., Ellen Marie (Neil) Lehman of Johnstown, Pa., and daughter-in-law Holly Beth (Christopher) Liechty of Archbold; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her husband; son Christopher Liechty; sister Kathryn Kauffman; and brother Cornell Lederman. A celebration of life service will be held at 5 p.m. July 2 at West Clinton Mennonite Church.
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Lofland, Norman L.
1932 - May 2, 2025
Lofland-. Norman L. died May 2, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. He was born in 1932 in Hugoton, Kan., to Theodore R. Lofland and Myrtle L. Willis. He grew up on a ranch in southwestern Kansas with five brothers. On Oct. 17, 1958, he married Betty Jean Baerg of Newton, Kan., whom he met in a Sunday school class.
He earned degrees from Wichita University, the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. His education was interrupted by the Korean War with two years in the U.S. Army. His first teaching job was at Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. He taught speech and theater and produced three major shows each year. He loved his work and helping students reach their potential. His relaxed style was appealing to students, so his classes were popular. While he taught at Bethel, daughter Natasha was born in 1962.
The international ambiance at Bethel and especially Elma Esau at Menno Travel encouraged the couple to broaden their worldview. They secured teaching jobs at Beirut College for Women - Norm in theater and speech, Betty in English. A moving incident occurred when John F. Kennedy's assassination was announced during the intermission of the play Antigone, which Norman was directing. In 1967 the family returned to Pittsburgh, Pa., where Norm completed his education.
With a Ph.D., he set forth on an adventurous teaching journey to Iran, Lebanon, Tunisia, China, Macau and North Cyprus, recounted in his book How Not to Travel. He was proud that the play he produced for his thesis earned enthusiastic reviews and was invited to be performed at both the Edinburgh and Holland festivals. He was also proud of having worked with the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture firm on the design of a theater. He and Betty spent half of the year in Pasadena and half teaching with the Anglican Church in Macau for 20 years. His faith was an important part of his life. He was a longtime member of Pasadena's Westminster Presbyterian Church.
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Mast, Allan Ralph
October 12, 1939 - December 26, 2024
Mast-. Allan Ralph, 85, of Hesston, Kan., died Dec. 26, 2024, at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan. He was born Oct. 12, 1939, in Harrisonville, Mo., to Jonathan M. and Sarah Alma (Hershberger) Mast. He graduated from Hesston College in 1959 and Goshen College in 1961 with a bachelor's degree. After college, he completed two years of voluntary service in Mennonite Central Committee's Pax program, living near Salzburg, Austria, where he and other "Pax Boys" built houses and a church for Yugoslavian refugees after World War ll.
He married Jeannene Reschly on Aug. 10, 1968, at Hesston Mennonite Church. They share over 56 years of marriage. He worked as a typesetter for the Hesston Record Newspaper from 1965 to 2003. In 1991, he and Jeannene became custodians at Hesston Mennonite Church, where they were members. Family and genealogy were important to him. He sang with the Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus. Every summer held at least one road trip to visit family, reunite with "Pax Boys" or see friends.
He is survived by his wife; daughter Anita Christian (Matt) of Hutchinson; son Timothy of Newton; one grandson; brother John (Margaret); sisters-in-law Linda Schrock and Lois Stauffer (Ken); and brother-in-law Don Diller (Debbie). He was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law John and Alice Reschly; sister-in-law Jane (Reschly) Diller; and brother-in-law Delbert Schrock.
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Harder, Gordon Leo
March 13, 1949 - May 16, 2025
Harder-. Gordon Leo, 76, of Mountain Lake, Minn., died May 16, 2025. He was born March 13, 1949, to Leo John and Ruth Anita (Burkhard) Harder. After graduating from Mountain Lake High School in 1969, he attended Bethel College before transferring to the University of Minnesota.
As this was during the Vietnam War, he enrolled in Pax as an alternative to military service. He served for a year in Bolivia before transitioning to Paraguay. There he met his soulmate, Eva S. Toews of Colony Menno. She was also a voluntary service worker through her local Mennonite mission committee. They married in the Mennoniten Gemeinde of Loma Plata on July 21, 1973. They served with Mennonite Central Committee and ASCIM (Association of Services within the Indigenous-Mennonite Cooperation)for numerous years, namely in agricultural development for the Campo Largo and Yalva Sanga Indigenous communities. Farming and stockmanship were his lifelong passion. He began farming in Minnesota on his own in 1986 and spent more than 30 years working the soil, raising livestock, baling hay, fixing machinery and teaching practical life skills to the next generation.
He was a lifelong member of First Mennonite in Mountain Lake. An integral part of his identity was a lived-out faith of daily Christian discipleship, including nonviolence and simple living. He served in numerous leadership positions in the local congregation and area conference committees. Anabaptist-Mennonite life and thought were of great interest to him. He read and studied broadly and loved discussing these topics with others. Perhaps his greatest faith legacy was based on the biblical belief that followers of Jesus were not meant to strive merely for a future salvation but to live out their witness of a new neaven and earth every day.
He is survived by his wife, Eva; children Willmar (Hannah) of Buhler, Kan., Elisabeth (Ramont) of Mountain Lake and David (Rachel) of Hutchinson, Kan; and eight grandchildren.
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Rempel, Mary Pankratz
September 19, 1926 - June 10, 2025
Rempel-. Mary, 98, of Hesston, Kan., died June 10, 2025, at Kidron Bethel Village in North Newton, Kan. She was born Sept. 19, 1926, in Leroy, Sask., to Abram and Maria (Wiebe) Pankratz. She married Dietrich Rempel on Aug. 29, 1953. She attended normal school, where she earned her teacher's license. Later, she and Dietrich were the first married couple to graduate from Canadian Mennonite Bible College.
Her life centered around children, and she ran a childcare service from her home. She was an educator as well as an editor and translator for Mennonite publications. A member of Shalom Mennonite Church in Newton, she embraced God's creation with wonder, appreciation and love. She never saw a crossword puzzle she couldn't master, and she and Dietrich continued biking together into their 90s.
She is survived by her husband of North Newton; daughters Nadine (John) Voth of Hesston and Nelda (Larry) Litwiller of Harrisonburg, Va.; five grandchildren; and sisters Clara Friesen and Anne Klassen, both of British Columbia. She was preceded in death by a son, Harvey; a stillborn daughter, Dorothy; and eight siblings. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. July 18 at Kidron Bethel Chapel.
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Rutt, Glenn Elvin
January 12, 1930 - February 3, 2025
Rutt-. Glenn Elvin, 95, of New Holland, Pa., died Feb. 3, 2025. He was born Jan. 12, 1930, the oldest son of Clarence H. Rutt Sr. and Elva S. Sauder. He married Pauline Landis on Sept. 13, 1952. They celebrated 71 years of marriage prior to her death in August 2024. He was a member of Stumptown Mennonite Church, Bird-in-Hand, Pa.
Earlier, he was an active member of East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church, Lancaster, Pa., for 49 years. He and a group of investors from the church were instrumental in buying and managing properties to provide affordable housing for Lancaster City residents. Glenn had a successful career in the insurance business and operated his own agency for many years.
He was affiliated with Goodville Mutual Casualty Co. for 44 years and served as secretary and treasurer of Mennonite Mutual Insurance Association in Intercourse, Pa., for 32 years. Prior to embarking on his insurance career, Glenn fulfilled 1-W alternative service during the Korean conflict at Fairfield State Hospital in Newtown, Conn. He served as a board member and treasurer of the Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale for 20 years. He also served as a board member and treasurer of the Intercourse Public Library during their 2004 capital campaign and for several years afterward.
He and Pauline volunteered with Church World Service, assisting with refugee settlement and developed lifelong friendships with refugee families. He was deeply loved for his generosity, kindness, thoughtfulness, compassion and sensitivity. He and Pauline enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, Canada and Southern Africa.
He is survived by sons G. Roger Rutt (Pamela Rohrer Rutt) and Robert D. Rutt (Regina Brunk Rutt); daughters Ann L. Rutt (Richard L. Buckwalter) and Jane M. Rutt (D. Richard Augsburger); five grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; sisters Mary Rutt Enck and Barbara Rutt Longenecker; and a brother, Carl Rutt(Lovina Gingerich Rutt). He was preceded in death by his wife; grandson Tyler (Robert and Regina Rutt); brother-in-law Daniel Enck (Mary Rutt Enck); brother Clarence Rutt Jr. (Helen Althouse Rutt); brother-in-law Charles Longenecker (Barbara Rutt Longenecker); brother John Rutt (Rebecca Hertzler Rutt); and sister Joyce Rutt Eby (John Eby).
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Deibler, Martha King
June 10, 1934 - February 5, 2025
Deibler-. Martha King, 90, died Feb. 5, 2025, at Go Ye Village in Tahlequah, Okla. She was born June 10, 1934, in Crawford County, Pa., to Nelson and Anna (Roth) King. After high school, she worked for a number of years in a small church in eastern Ohio. After graduating from Ontario Mennonite Bible Institute in 1964 and Malone College in 1967, she served in Guatemala for 25 years with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Known for her energy and kindness, she was quick to share Jesus or pray with anyone in need.
Her first assignment was the revision of the New Testament that Wycliffe founder William Cameron Townsend had done in a dialect of Cakchiquel. Then she served as translation supervisor in two other dialects and as a translation consultant. In 1992 she came to Ohio to care for her widowed mother. After her mother's death in 1997, she felt led of God to remain in Ohio, which she did until she married Ellis Deibler in 2004.
Together they worked in Bible translation at the mission agency JAARS in North Carolina and traveled to various countries checking translation of books of the Bible in a number of languages, including trips to India and Papua New Guinea. On the JAARS campus, they loved meeting younger workers and sharing their home for friendship and mentoring. In 2015 they moved to Go Ye Village, where they continued working in Bible translation. Martha was a member of Hillside Church in Tahlequah. She had a big heart for her Lord and Savior, his Word and those around her.
She is survived by Ellis' five children, 18 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2020, a brother who died in infancy, six half-brothers and sisters and several nieces and nephews.
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Balzer, Abe LeVon "Lee"
May 31, 1937 - May 11, 2025
Balzer-. Abe LeVon "Lee", 87, died May 11, 2025, in Tulsa, Okla. He was born May 31, 1937, in Liberal, Kan., to Abe and Helen (Hamm) Balzer of Hooker, Okla. He attended Meade Bible Academy in Kansas, where he met his future wife, Alice Zielke. They were married June 14, 1957.
He attended Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Neb., for two years and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Oklahoma in 1959 and 1960. He taught high school science in Mission, Kan., from 1960 to 1964. Then the family moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he worked for the National Science Foundation and completed his doctorate at Ohio State University in 1968. Then the family moved to Bellingham, Wash., where he taught biology at Western Washington University.
At each of the places they lived, Lee served in many capacities in church and community, including choir, church council, long-range planning and advisory boards. After seven years in Bellingham, they relocated to Seattle to teach at Seattle Pacific University. During 13 years there, he became assistant dean of education and then dean of arts and sciences. In 1988 the call came to serve as president of Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan., where he served until 1994. Then he received a call to the presidency of John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark.
In his years of service to Christian higher education, Lee's leadership was characterized by his conviction that scripture and science are not in conflict but support each other in the pursuit of truth and point to God as Creator. His other great passion was the spiritual formation of the whole person. He believed professors must integrate their faith with their teaching in ways that foster students' faith development. In 2004, after 10 years at John Brown, Lee and Alice retired to Bella Vista, Ark. In 2020 they returned to Siloam Springs to be closer to family. In December 2024 they moved to an assisted living facility in Tulsa.
Survivors include his wife; son Cary (Tracy) Balzer; daughter Tanya (Todd) Reichert; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; brother Bob (Elda) Balzer; and sister-in-law Carol (Charles) Regier.
Transcribed by: John Ingold