Mennonite Weekly Review, February 7, 2005, 83rd Year, No. 6, p. 8

Henry Z. Longenecker, 91, of Lancaster, Pa., and formerly of Middletown, died Jan. 10, 2005, at Mennonite Home. He was born to Harry and Irene Zimmerman Longenecker in Middletown.
He was the husband of Nancy Frey Longenecker. He worked as a farmer, produce and meat route salesman and also worked at the former Longenecker Meats of Middletown until the early 1980s.
He was an active member of Steelton Mennonite Church. He served as a district director for Mennonite Disaster Service and also directed the Elizabethtown Area Mennonite Chorus and the Singing Men of Praise. He was a well loved and respected song leader throughout Lancaster Mennonite Conference from the 1930s to the 1960s. He also sang with the men's quartet for WGCB, Red Lion radio station on Sunday afternoons.
He was instrumental in the beginning of Camp Hebron in Halifax and assisted as a volunteer with the Bible study ministry at Dauphin Manor of Harrisburg. He enjoyed gardening, bird-watching, people and word-search puzzles.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy; five daughters, Marian G. Burkholder and her husband, James, of Dillsburg, Carolyn M. Horst and her husband, Lowell, of Elizabethtown, Elaine M. Clymer and her husband, James, of Fresno, Calif., Gloria L. Lehman and her husband, Galen, of Singers Glen, Va., and Nancy Ellen Pellegrini and her husband, Wayne, of Glenmoore; a brother, Elmer Z. Longenecker of Chambersburg; 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Rachael A. Metzler, in 1965, and three brothers.
Services were held at Steelton Mennonite Church. Burial was in Shope's Mennonite Cemetery.

Irene Zimmerly Kauffman, 71, of Wichita, Kan., died Dec. 17, 2004. She was born May 12, 1933, to Clarence J. and Florence Miller Zimmerly in Orrville, Ohio.
She accepted Christ at age 9 and joined Smithville (Ohio) Brethren Church. She graduated from Smithville High School in 1951. She attended Goshen (Ind.) College and received her BSN degree in 1957. She attained two master's degrees, in education and in nursing, at Wichita State University.
On Aug. 11, 1957, she married Ellsworth Kauffman at Smithville Brethren Church.
She moved with her family to Kansas in 1968 and taught 12 years at Wesley School of Nursing. She was a consultant for Butler Community College at the inception of that nursing program. She taught for three years with the nursing school at St. Joseph Hospital. For 12 years she was director of health services at Friendly Acres Retirement Community in Newton. After retiring from Friendly Acres, she did patient assessment for five years at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita.
She was active in music and church. She was a charter member of Neil Avenue Mennonite Church in Columbus, Ohio. In 1968, she became a member of Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, Wichita, holding many offices and working on committees.
Her family took part in international exchanges, hosting people through the Mennonite Central Committee Trainee program and Wichita State University's English as a Second Language program. She had a keen interest in talking with these students, learning about their cultures, beliefs and lives.
Survivors include her husband, Ellsworth; five children, Judith Ann Kauffman of Albuquerque, N.M., Lisa Beth Kelley and her husband, Chad, of Overland Park, Eric Kauffman and his wife, Melody, Kurt Kauffman and his wife, Diane, and Kathleen Kauffman, all of Wichita; and nine grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a grandchild.

Frederick James Swartzendruber, 80, of Pleasant Lake, Mich., and formerly of Sarasota, Fla., died Nov. 30, 2004. He was born Aug. 17, 1924, to Frederick and Ella May (Augsburger) Swartzendruber in rural Delevan, Ill.
He graduated from Goshen (Ind.) College and the University of Illinois Medical School. At the University of Illinois he set a Big Ten record in distance running. He completed his general surgery residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
In 1948 he married Dolce Bell of Toronto. One year later they moved to Puerto Rico, where he was the medical director of a small hospital.
Volunteering his skills as a physician became a mission for him. He provided medical services in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Belize, Honduras and China. He maintained a private surgical practice in Sarasota for 30 years and was a chief of surgical staff at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He was a compassionate, gentle and skilled physician, highly respected by his patients and colleagues.
After retirement, he and his wife, Dolce, taught English to Spanish- speaking people and helped start a Spanish Mennonite church in Sarasota. They traveled extensively, including many overseas trips. He loved to read and was an avid photographer. Other interests included astronomy, classical music, horticulture and travel.
In later years he suffered a series of strokes. In January 2004 he moved from Sarasota to his daughter's home in Michigan.
Survivors include four children, Frederick D. and his wife, Jann, of Roanoke, Va., Anita Fobes of Pleasant Lake, Mich., Galen P. and his wife, Cindy, of Sarasota, and Stephen J. of Oahu, Hawaii; a brother, John D. Swartzendruber, and a sister, Edith Nafziger, both of Goshen, Ind.; nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Dolce; and a sister, Esther Glick.
Services were held at Bahia Vista Mennonite Church of Sarasota.

Sherrill Ann Wedel, 62, of McPherson, Kan., died Jan. 26, 2005, at Hospice House in Hutchinson. She was born Aug. 1, 1942, to Walter and Margaret Schrag in McPherson.
On Aug. 6, 1961, she married Tony Wedel at Moundridge.
She was a homemaker and helped with the family farm. In 1976, she founded Canterbury Tails Inc. She graduated from the McPherson School of Practical Nursing in 1992. She was a member of First Mennonite Church of McPherson.
Survivors include her husband, Tony; two sons, Kip of Salina and Troy of McPherson; a daughter, Lauri Wedel-Isaacs and her husband, Mike, of Hesston; a brother, Bob Schrag of Galva; her parents, Walter and Margaret Schrag of Moundridge; and two grandsons.
Services were held at First Mennonite Church of McPherson. Burial was in Eden Mennonite Cemetery, Moundridge.

Frances Elizabeth Wyse, 90, of Wayland, Iowa, died Dec. 3, 2004, at Parkview Home. She was born July 18, 1914, to Edd and Elizabeth Good Wenger in Washington County.
She attended Sommers Country School in Washington County. On Nov. 20, 1934, she married Mahlon S. Wyse at her home in Wayland. He preceded her in death on Nov. 25, 1991.
She was baptized in Sugar Creek Mennonite Church near Wayland. In 1950, she transferred her membership with her family, as part of a group from Sugar Creek Mennonite Church who chose to help start Bethel Mennonite Church. In 1958, she chose to do the same thing in order to start Pleasant View Mennonite Church in Mount Pleasant, where she was a member at the time of her death.
She was a homemaker and mother, and later in life a grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved spending time with her family. She enjoyed singing, sewing and quilting. She had a large garden and did a lot of cooking, baking and canning. She had an artistic talent and always hand drew birthday cards for her grandchildren. She also worked for many years at the J & L Steakhouse in Mount Pleasant.
Survivors include three sons, Gene Wyse and his wife, Alice, Ronald J. Wyse and his wife, Barbara, and Richard Wyse, all of Mount Pleasant; two daughters, Sharon Miller and her husband, Duane, of Ambler, Pa., and Rebecca J. Wyse of San Mateo, Calif.; a sister, Margaret Richard of Mount Pleasant; a brother, Clarence Wenger of Wayland; seven grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Mahlon; a grandson, Curt Wyse; a sister, Minnie Roth; and a brother, Elmer, in infancy.
Services were held at Pleasant View Mennonite Church of Mount Pleasant. Burial was in Bethel Cemetery.

Mennonite Weekly Review, February 14, 2005, 83rd Year, No. , p. 12

Velma J. Loewen, 51, died Jan. 10, 2005. She was born March 4, 1953, to Harry and Verna Loewen in Mountain Lake, Minn.
She was baptized in May 1971 at Bethel Mennonite Church of Mountain Lake and later maintained her membership at Mennonite Church of Normal, Ill.
After graduating from Mountain Lake High School, she received a bachelor of arts in music education and organ from Goshen (Ind.) College in 1975 and a master of arts in hospital and health administration from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, in 1983.
She served as administrative resident, including acting vice president of finance and acting director of medical records at Mennonite Hospital, now BroMenn Healthcare, 1983-84; assistant administrator and director of materials, 1984-87, at Fairbury (Ill.) Hospital; administrator at Meadows Mennonite Home, Chenoa, Ill., 1987-98; and adminsitrator from 1999 to the present at Good Samaritan Home, Flanagan, Ill. She was a member of the Mennonite Health Association, the Inter-Mennonite Council on Aging, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, as well as the American Association of Hospital Administrators.
She was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease in her 20s, and lived with declining kidney function over the next 20 years. She required dialysis for three years before receiving the gift of a kidney transplant on June 12, 2004. She felt well and returned to work for the next six months, yet subsequently developed lymphoma, which quickly progressed and caused her death.
She enjoyed singing, playing organ and piano, attending concerts, watching car races and playing with her cats. She loved her friends and family and often traveled to be with them.
Survivors include her stepmother, Mildred Quiring; and a brother-in-law, John Blosser.
She was preceded in death by a sister, Janlee Loewen Blosser.

James O. Faul, 74, of North Newton, Kan., died Feb. 7, 2005. He was born May 17, 1930, to Harry and Anna (Klaassen) Faul in Minneapolis, Minn.
He married Marlene Cole on Sept. 6, 1958, in Hanley Fauls, Minn.
He graduated from Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minn., with a bachelor's degree, and received his master's degree at the University of Minnesota. He also attended Goshen Biblical Seminary for one year.
He was a music teacher and piano tuner. He taught in Eagle Bend, Minn., Breck School for Boys in Minneapolis, and Freeman (S.D.) Academy. In Kansas he taught at Bethel College in North Newton, Walton High School, Newton Unified School District, Peabody-Burns Public Schools and Hillsboro Public School.
He was a church choir music director for many churches. An active member of Bethel College Mennonite Church, he was a member of the chancel choir, an usher and on the music committee.
He was a member of the Wichita Area V-8 Club, the Heartland Cougar Club of Wichita, the Scandinavian Society of Wichita and the Kansas Association for Family and Community Education. He loved cars, music, family and friends.
Survivors include his wife, Marlene; two daughters, Sharon Morris and her husband, Steve, of Hutchinson, and Mary Sue Faul of San Antonio, Texas; and three grandchildren.
Memorial services were held at Bethel College Mennonite Church. Burial was in Gnadenau Church Cemetery near Hillsboro.

Mennonite Weekly Review, February 21, 2005, 83rd Year, No. 8, p. 11

Truman Beckler, 82, of rural Mount Pleasant, Iowa, died Jan. 31, 2005. He was born Jan. 1, 1923, to Ira and Marian Boshart Beckler in Wood River, Neb.
He spent his formative years in Nebraska and Colorado. The family moved to Oregon when he was in the eighth grade. He lived in the Albany and Lebanon, Ore., areas for several years.
On Dec. 12, 1948, he married Edna Unternahrer in Wayland.
He farmed in Oregon for four years after his marriage and then returned to Wayland. He was a farmer and carpenter in the Wayland area for more than 40 years.
He was a member of Bethel Mennonite Church of rural Wayland, where he taught Sunday school and was a song leader. He loved singing and sang bass in the Bethel men's quartet for many years. He was a member of the Wayland Antique Tractor Club. He enjoyed raising sheep and fishing and loved woodworking.
Survivors include his wife, Edna; a son, Gerald of Webster, N.Y.; three daughters, Mary Stutzman of Buhl, Idaho, Jane Leichty of rural Mount Pleasant, and Elaine Stutzman of Filer, Idaho; two brothers, Delmar of Noble and Clifford of Mount Pleasant; two sisters, Naomi Roth of Albany, Ore., and Opal Hamilton of Sheridan, Ore.; and 10 grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister and an infant brother.
Memorial services were held at Bethel Mennonite Church. Burial was in Bethel Cemetery.

Edward Menno Siemens, 85, of Hesston, Kan., died Jan. 14, 2005. He was born Dec. 22, 1919, to Abe R. and Katie L. (Regier) Siemens on the family farm near Burrton.
He grew up helping on the family farm. He attended Wildrose Country School and graduated from eighth grade. After finishing school, he learned to weld from a neighbor. He used this skill the rest of his life, making many projects.
As a young boy he accepted Christ. He was baptized at Finnimore Lake on July 20, 1941, and joined Hebron Mennonite Church east of Buhler.
During World War II he got an agricultural deferment. In 1947, he and his brother Wilbur started Siemens Brothers and were one of the first to do soil conservation work in the area.
He married Alma Irene Bergen on Aug. 30, 1951, at Bethesda Mennonite Church in Henderson, Neb.
They settled near the Alta Mills. In 1956-58 they spent the winter months at Henderson, and he did land leveling for irrigation.
In the late 1950s, they moved to the Hesston area. Over the years he did soil conservation work. He also farmed, raising wheat and milo, and ran the township grader for more than 20 years.
After Alma suffered a stroke in September 1994, he helped with her care. They celebrated 52 years of marriage before she preceded him in death on March 8, 2004.
In February 2004 he was diagnosed with leukemia. In November he entered Showalter Villa.
He was a quiet, reserved, hard- working man. There are many land improvements that will be reminders of him for years.
Survivors include four sons, Kenneth and his wife, Teresa, Karl and his wife, Jacquie, Kelvin, and Klifford and his wife, Fran; a sister Welma V. Stucky; in-laws Elda and Kerwin Jantz and Marieanna Siemens; and eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Alma; two brothers, Wilbur and Marvin; and a brother-in-law. Marion Stucky.
Funeral services were held at Buhler Mennonite Brethren Church. Burial was in Hebron Cemetery.

Robert A. Franz, 90, a lifetime resident of eastern Washington, died Jan. 27, 2005. He was born Dec. 18, 1914, on the family farm west of Ritzville, and lived for 86 years in the house he was born in, moving to Spokane in 2000.
He graduated from Lind High School in 1932.
He married Minnie C. Lund on May 28, 1944. Together they operated the family farm, raising wheat, barley and potatoes. He was one of the first farmers in the area to water crops by deep-well irrigation. He invented and built equipment to make early sprinkler systems more efficient. He was active in efforts to bring electricity to rural areas of Adams county in the 1940s. He served on the board of directors of Big Bend Electric Co-op in Ritzville for 43 years.
He was a member of Menno Mennonite Church, where he sang in the choir, served as deacon and in many other positions. He was active in Mennonite Church USA. He was treasurer of Pacific District Conference and served on the national boards of the Board of Christian Service, Commission on Home Ministries, Church Extension Services and Mennonite Mutual Aid Association. He served 12 years on the board of directors at Bethel College of North Newton, Kan. He served on the committee that got the land and oversaw construction of Mennonite Camp Camrec in the Cascade Mountains.
He and his wife loved to travel, visiting all 50 states, most Canadian provinces, Mexico and all the continents except Antarctica.
Survivors include his wife, Minnie; two sons, Jay Franz of Spokane and Delwin Franz and his partner, Mark Falango, of New Hope, Pa.; two daughters, Roberta Hodgson and her husband, J.C., and Carma Franz, all of Spokane; and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Othielia Claassen; and three brothers, Julius, Edward and Arthur.
Memorial services were held at Menno Mennonite Church. Burial was at Menno Church Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to Bethel College, North Newton, KS 67117; or the Camp Camrec Building Fund, in care of Menno Mennonite Church, 1378 N. Damon Road, Ritzville, WA 99169.

Mary E. Wollmann, 82, of Huron, S.D., and formerly of Carpenter, died Jan. 28, 2005, at Violet Tschetter Memorial Home. She was born July 9, 1922, to Joshua and Anna (Hofer) Hofer on a farm near Carpenter.
She attended rural school and graduated from Yale High School in 1940. She attended Huron College for two years and earned a teaching certificate.
She taught at Logan Consolidated School near Raymond for a year, at Yale for two years and one year at Liberty Township School.
She married Sam Wollmann on May 27, 1945, at Bethel Mennonite Brethren Church.
They served in Civilian Public Service in Montana, Colorado and Nebraska for 18 months. They then returned to the Yale area in 1947 and farmed on her family's farm for 50 years, retiring in 1997. In 1992 they moved off the farm to live on an acreage. Her physical health declined steadily the past four years. She was a member of Bethel Mennonite Brethren Church of rural Yale.
Survivors include her husband, Sam; a son, Daniel Wollman and his wife, Meredyth, of Nappanee, Ind.; a daughter, Barbara Jantz and her husband, Arlan, of Carpenter; two sisters, Ida Hohm of Yale and Goldie Wedel of Carpenter; a brother, Ben Hofer of Huron; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a brother-in-law, Palmer Wedel; and a sister-in-law, Elsie Hofer.
Funeral services were held at Bethel Mennonite Brethren Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Mennonite Weekly Review, February 28, 2005, 83rd Year, No. 9, p. 8

Arthur J. Griffin, 53, of Newton, Kan., died Feb. 13, 2005. He was born Jan. 15, 1952, to James Thomas "J.T." and Bennie Ruth (Jackson) Griffin in Norristown, Pa.
He was a social worker. He was a member of Hesston (Kan.) Inter-Mennonite Fellowship Church and Norristown (Pa.) New Life Church.
Survivors include his mother, Bennie Platts of Norristown; his father, J.T. Griffin, and his stepmother, Julia, of Lexington Park, Md.; a caregiver, Julie Griffin of Newton; two daughters, Stacy Ruthann Griffin and Briana Grace Griffin, both of Newton; a brother, Nick Platts Jr. of Philadelphia, Pa.; and three sisters, Yvonne Platts, Ruth Ann Platts and Yvette Platts, all of Norristown.
Services were held at Hesston Inter-Mennonite Fellowship Church.

Dorthy Goossen, 85, of Beatrice, Neb., died Feb. 9, 2005, at Good Samaritan Center. She was born Aug. 9, 1919, in Beatrice, and lived in the Beatrice area her entire life.
She was a 1937 graduate of DeWitt High School and had taught country school.
She married Theodor A. "Ted" Goossen on May 27, 1941, at Bea- trice. They lived on a farm west of Beatrice until they moved to Bea-trice in 1994.
She was a member of First Mennonite Church of rural Beatrice, where she directed the children's choir and was Sunday school superintendent and a teacher for many years. She was an active member of Mennonite Women's Mission Society and was a past member of the Homestead Extension Club. She enjoyed cooking and gardening, entertaining friends and family and was always a gracious host.
Survivors include a son, Ronald Goossen of Los Angeles; a daughter, Darlene Dieckhoff of Lincoln; a daughter-in-law, Janet Goossen of Buffalo Gap, S.D.; four grandchildren; three step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Gertrude Claassen of Beatrice.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Theodor, on Oct. 29, 2004; a son, Harvey, in 2000; and a sister, Frieda Claassen.
Funeral services were held at First Mennonite Church of rural Beatrice. Burial was in the church cemetery.

L. Glen Guengerich, 95, of Harrisonburg, Va., and formerly of Kalona, Iowa, died Jan. 24, 2005, in his home after a lengthy illness. He was born April 14, 1909, to Elmer J. and Magdalena (Yoder) Guengerich near Centralia, Mo.
He moved to the Kalona area with his family when he was 6 years old. He graduated from Kalona High School and earned bachelor's degrees in biology education and English from Goshen (Ind.) College and a master of arts degree in philosophy from the University of Iowa.
He married Allie Davison of Wayland, Iowa, Feb. 27, 1943, in Chicago. The couple lived in the Kalona area until 1999, when they moved to Harrisonburg.
He was a teacher and coach from 1932 to 1977. He taught physical education at Goshen College, taught science and literature and coached at Wayland High School, and he taught all elementary subjects at Prairie Dale School, Hazel Green School, Solon, Evergreen, Brush, Pacific Summit and Middleburg country schools. He finished his teaching career by teaching Bible, science and literature at Iowa Mennonite School.
He was a member of East Union Mennonite Church, where he served as superintendent and taught Sunday school for many years. He also served as the church historian. After moving to Virginia, he attended Harrisonburg Mennonite Church.
He loved music and sang with college choruses and the Kalona Gospel Singers. He enjoyed the arts and was both a painter and writer, painting more than 100 oil paintings. In 1984, his book Our Goodly Heritage, a history of the Mennonite church in general and a celebration of East Union's centennial, was published.
Survivors include his wife, Allie Guengerich of Harrisonburg, Va.; five children, Lowell and his wife, Susan, of Harrisonburg, Elaine Miller and her husband, Verlin, of Bristol, Ind., Galen and his wife, Beverly, of Telford, Pa., Annette Ritter and her husband, Eugene, of Harrisonburg, and Audrey Baylor and her husband, Corydon, of Richmond; a brother, Paul T. Guengerich of Harrisonburg; 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Laura Gingerich; and two brothers, Willis Guengerich and Edwin (Jack) Guengerich.
Services were held at East Union Mennonite Church of rural Kalona. Graveside services were in East Union Cemetery.


Sara Rebecca Haffley of Evans City, Pa., died at birth Feb. 12, 2005, in West Penn Hospital, Pittsburgh.
She was the daughter of Bishop R. Paul Hostetler-Haffley and Sara Kauffman Rowley Haffley.
Survivors include her parents; a sister, Danielle M. Bain; two step-sisters, Victoria L. and Jennifer A; and her maternal grandparents, Robert L. Rowley and Ellen L. Clark of Wampum.
Services were held at the Kinsey-Volz Funeral Home in Evans City. Burial was in Grace Church Cemetery.

Verna Irene Zuercher, 82, of Wooster, Ohio, died Feb. 2, 2005. She was born Jan. 26, 1923, to Edwin and Anna (Gerber) Zuercher in Orrville.
She remained a Wayne County resident all her life. She retired from International Paper Co. in Wooster after 33 years of service. She enjoyed meeting with the retirees' group throughout the years.
She was a member of Wooster Mennonite Church. She was active in Wooster Mennonite Women and in Bible study groups. She also participated in Bible studies in Wadsworth and Shreve. She enjoyed quilting, traveling and visitation. She enjoyed coming to church and was a willing helper. Her strong commitment and steadfast courage will be greatly missed.
Survivors include a son, Joe Zuercher and his wife, Mary Beth, of Wooster; a grandson; two step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Dorothy Gerber of Dalton.

David A. Sommer, 89, of Santa Ana, Calif., died Feb. 11, 2005. He was born Sept. 25, 1915, to Simon W. and Sarah (Lehman) Sommer at Comins, Mich.
After attending Goshen (Ind.) College for one year, he moved to California in 1936. He worked for six months as a taxi driver and for 41 years as a machinist for U.S. Electric Motors and for the Los Angeles Community Colleges.
He married Margaret Carlson on Aug. 21, 1938. Later that year, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and was baptized at Calvary Mennonite Church in Los
Angeles. He served the Lord as a Sunday School teacher, deacon and quartet member for many years at Immanuel Mennonite Church in Downey.
After retirement in 1980, he was busier than ever even though he struggled with the complications of diabetes. He was never too busy to soothe a grandchild, provide advice
and fun activities for older grandchildren, aid all who needed help with household repairs, serve elderly folk through Meals on Wheels, to serve wherever there was need and to provide hospitality for all in his path. He always loved to praise the Lord through music, especially singing hymns around the piano at family gatherings. He said that since we know there will be music in heaven, time spent in musical training and expression is of eternal value.
Survivors include a sister, Alma Crilow of Goshen, Ind.; a son, John and his wife, Jan, of Newton, Kan.; two daughters, Arlene Fortney of Upland and Karen Dirks and her husband, Dennis, of Fullerton; six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret; and eight brothers and sisters.
Memorial services were held at Community Bible Church in Santa Ana.