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Lazarus Project

An expanded obituary project of MennObits.  Includes additional information of obituaries appearing in
The Mennonite and other newspapers.  
Source of individual obituaries given with each record.  Project managed by Thelma Martin.

1977  W to Z


  YODER, Esther Beachy;   YODER, Katie;   YODER, Lena A. Miller;   YODER, Mary;    Yoder, Rufus;    ZEHR, Esther Jantzi;   

YODER. - Esther (Beachy) Yoder, wife of Henry B. Yoder, was born July 18, 1899, in Moultrie County, Illinois; passed away Nov. 17, 1977, at the Goshen Hospital, Goshen, Ind., at the age of 78 years, 3 months and 30 days. In her youth she united with the O. O. Amish Church remaining faithful to the end. She leaves to mourn her depart-ure her bereaved husband, 6 sons and 5 daughters: Mrs. Amos D. (Bertha) Bontrager, Millersburg, Ind.; Allen, Jamesport, Mo.; Mrs. Enos (Emma) Swartzentruber, Goshen; Jonas, Jamesport: Mrs. Noah J. (Fannie) Gingerich, Plain City, Ohio, John, Jamesport; Ruby, Sarasota, Fla.; Ezra, Millers-burg, Ind.; Lester, Garnett, Kan.; Mrs. Glen S. (Alma) Miller, Goshen; and Henry H., Riverside, Iowa. Also 69 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, 7 step-grandchildren, 42 step-great-grandchildren; 4 sisters and 3 brothers: Mrs.. Jonas I. (Katie) Yoder, Mrs. Sylvanus (Martha) Miller, Mrs. Andy (Lizzie) Beachy, Mrs. Dan S. (Fannie) Yoder, all of Kalona, Iowa; Jonas J. Beachy, Riverside, Iowa: Ben Beachy, Sarasota, Fla.; and Ezra Beachy, Goshen, Ind. Preceding her were her parents, Jonas S. and Fannie (Miller) Beachy, 4 grandchildren, 1 sister and 3 brothers. Services were held in the home Nov. 20, by Min Freeman S. Miller of the home church, Bish. Firman Troyer of Jamesport, Mo., and Bish. Milo J. K. Miller of the home church. Also in the home of Freeman S. Miller (a neighbor) by Pre. Chester A. Miller, Bish. Jonas Bontrager, Sugarcreek, Ohio, and Jeff J. Troyer of Goshen. Ind. Burial in Miller Cemetery northeast of Goshen, Indiana.
From: Amish-Mennonite Church, Herold der Wahrheit, December 1977, p. 273
Issue donated by: Chris Yoder, Saugatuck, Michigan
Transcribed by: Thelma Hoover Martin



YODER.- Mrs. Katie (Yoder) of Arthur, Ill., daughter of John M, and Magdalena Yoder, was born June 14, 1881, and died in her home on July 4, 1977, at the age of 96 years and 20 days. She was married to Ben C. Yoder on Jan. 13, 1918. He pre-ceded her in death on Mar. 11, 1967. She was a member of the O. O. Amish Church. Surviving are one son Walter, and one daughter Mrs. Lonnie (Lena) Plank, both of Arthur; also two step-daughters, Mrs. Ananias (Drucilla) Herschberger of Arthur, and Mrs. Newton (Katie) Miller of Topeka. Ind.; three step-sons, Dan and Ura both of Arthur, and John B. of Kalona, Iowa; be-sides grandchildren and great--grand-children. Services were held on the home farm by Min. David D. Schrock of Arthur and Min. Freeman Otto of Kokomo, Ind. Burial in Yoder Cemetery southeast of Arthur.
From: Amish-Mennonite Church, Herold der Wahrheit, November 1977, p. 249
Issue donated by: Chris Yoder, Saugatuck, Michigan
Transcribed by: Thelma Hoover Martin



YODER.- Lena A. (Miller) Yoder, daughter of Joel and Amelia (Yoder) Miller, was born Dec. 7, 1910, in the Kalona area, where she spent her entire life. She departed this life Mar. 7, 1977, in her late home in Kalona, at the age of 66 years and 3 months. At the age of 16 she accepted Christ as her Saviour and united with the Old Order Amish Church remaining faithful to the end. On Dec. 12, 1929, she was united in mar-riage to John S. Yoder Jr., who survives. To this union were born 14 children, 6 sons and 8 daughters. Two sons and one daugh-ter died in infancy. Surviving are: Mrs. John M. (Lydia) Borntrager, Anabel, Mo.; Ruben of the Johnson County Home; Albert, of Richland Center- Wis.; Ida, of Kalona; Amelia at home; Mrs. Lester (Anna Mae) Coblentz, Mrs. Cephas (Emma) Yoder, both of Kalona; Mrs. Christy V. (Mary) Yoder, Fairbanks, Iowa; Mrs. William L. (Nina) Bontrager, Windsor, Mo.; Simon and Dennis both of Kalona, living on the home farm. Also 31 grandchildren and 1 great-grand-child, 1 uncle (Mose P. Yoder), 3 sisters--in-law: Mrs. Noah (Lizzie) Miller, Mrs. Ezra (Edna) Miller, and Mrs. Joe L. (Gertrude) Miller. She was preceded in death by her parents, eight brothers, one son-in-law, (John M. Bontrager), and two grandsons. Services were held in two houses on the home farm by Bish. Henry B. Miller, and Bish. Dan Stutzman of Windsor, Mo. (My information was incomplete. jjb.) Burial in Gingerich Cemetery north of Kalona.
From: Amish-Mennonite Church, Herold der Wahrheit, April 1977, p. 81
Issue donated by: Chris Yoder, Saugatuck, Michigan
Transcribed by: Thelma Hoover Martin




YODER. - Mary, daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Schrock) Hochstetler, was born July 14, 1886; and died July 4, 1977, in the home of her two nieces, where she had been staying for the last 6 months, at the age of 90 years, 11 months and 20 days. She united with the Old Order Amish Church in her youth remaining faithful to the end. On Dec. 11, 1913, she was married to John S. Yoder, who preceded her in death in 1956. She had been making her home with Alvin T. Millers, who had pur-chased her home farm, until she became sick in January. She is survived by 15 nephews and nieces. Services were held in her former home at Alvin T. Millers, by Min. Dan J. Hershberger, and Bish. Elmer T. Miller in the house, and Min. Emanual Borntrager, and Bish. Henry B. Miller in the barn; burial in the East Union Cem-etery.
From: Amish-Mennonite Church, Herold der Wahrheit, August 1977, p. 177
Issue donated by: Chris Yoder, Saugatuck, Michigan
Transcribed by: Thelma Hoover Martin



Yoder, Rufus
, 78, 2000 South Fifteenth Street, died at 1 p.m. Wednesday* at the Greencroft Nursing Center. He had been in failing health for the past year. Born May 24, 1899, Route 1, Topeka, he lived there all his life until March, 1974, when he moved to Greencroft Retirement Center. He was the founder of Yoder Popcorn Company, which began operation in 1936. He married Modella Mishler March 26, 1920.
The widow survives, as do one daughter, Mrs. Pauline Yoder, Goshen; one son, Larry, Bakersfield, Calif.; five grandchildren; two, great-grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Cedric (Mima) Moschel, Syracuse, and Mrs. Elmer (Lizzie) Schrock, LaGrange; and three brothers, Valentine, Moses Lake, Wash., Amzie, Wallstock, Iowa, and Milo F., Millersburg.
Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 2 to 9 Friday at the Miller Funeral Home, Middlebury. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Emma Mennonite Church, with Rev. Ken Bontreger, Rev. Ivan Miller and Rev. Amos Hostetler officiating. Burial will be at the Forest Grove Cemetery. The body will lie in state at the church for one  hour before services.
*[Posting note: July 20, 1977]
Submitted by daughter: Pauline Yoder Kauffman, Dec. 4, 2006
From a clipping published in a local newspaper, July 21, 1977.




ZEHR. - Esther (Jantzi) Zehr, daughter of John W. and Mary (Gerber) Jantzi, was born in Wilmot Twp., near Wellesley, Ont., Canada, on Nov. 18, 1923, and died in her home in Crosshill, Ont., on Aug. 27, 1977, at the age of 53 years, 9 months and 9 days. In 1941 she was baptized upon the con-fession of her faith in Jesus Christ and became a member of the Cedar Grove Amish Mennonite Congregation, remaining faithful to the end. On Sept. 10, 1944, she was united in marriage to John L. Zehr, with whom she shared the joys and sorrows of life for almost 33 years. She is survived by her husband, two sons and two daughters: Mahlon and Laverne of Millbank, Ont., Mary and Florence at home; four grandchildren; two brothers, David and Delmar, Wellesley, Ont.; four sisters, Mrs. Ralph (Katie) Ger-ber, Mrs. Roy (Madeline) Gerber, Mrs. Jacob L. (Alma) Zehr, all of Millbank, and Mrs. Raymond (Edna) Jantzi of Wellesley. Her mother and one brother preceded her in death. Services were conducted on Aug. 29, 1977, by the home ministry, Bishop Ar-thur Gerber, Min. Noah Gerber, and Min. Melvin Jantzi; burial in adjoining cemetery.
From: Amish-Mennonite Church, Herold der Wahrheit, October 1977, p. 225
Issue donated by: Chris Yoder, Saugatuck, Michigan
Transcribed by: Thelma Hoover Martin

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