Mennonite Weekly Review - August, 2005


Mennonite Weekly Review, August 1, 2005, 83rd Year, No. 31, p. 8


Jody Ray Jackson, 26, of Cheyenne, Okla., died June 28, 2005. He was born Dec. 8, 1978, to Harold and Lynn (Dobbs) Jackson in Thomas.
He was raised on a farm south of Thomas and attended Thomas Public Schools, graduating in 1997. He attended college and graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford in 2003.
He was living and working in Weatherford as an oil-field foreman for Eagle Oilfield Services. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, cooking and visiting with friends. He was baptized and became a member of Pleasant View Mennonite Church.
Survivors include his parents, Harold and Lynn Jackson of Thomas; his fiance, Sharon Hill, and her daughter, Emily, of Weatherford; two sisters, Dana Selzer and her husband, Jeff, of Henderson, Neb., and Betty Horsman and her husband, Rick, of Weatherford; and his grandparents, Howard and Ethel Dobbs of Americus, Kan.
He was preceded in death by grandparents LeRoy and Ruth Miller and Harold Sr. and Opal Jackson.


Nelson W. Good, 61, of Washington, D.C., died July 13, 2005, at his home after a six-month battle with cancer. He was born May 16, 1944, to Ruth and Ira Good at his parents' dairy farm near Lititz, Pa.
In 1968, he graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a bachelor's in sociology, later receiving a master's in urban sociology from Catholic University in 1973.
On Aug. 18, 1968, he married Betty Wenger and moved to Washington, D.C., as a conscientious objector and volunteer with Eastern Mennonite Missions.
He lived in Washington, D.C., all of his adult life. As a "practical visionary,'' he cultivated numerous forms of urban community, with programs related to Church of the Saviour; For Love of Children (FLOC); the Thurgood Marshall Center; an urban study program for Eastern Mennonite University (WSSY/WCSC's founding director); and the Rolling Ridge Study Retreat Community in West Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Volunteers under his direction have served with more than 40 social service agencies in Washington, D.C.
He was an active member of Community House Church, an ecumenical faith community in the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition.
Survivors include his wife of 36 years, Betty Wenger Good; a son Ryan and his wife, Hannah Dueck, of Elkhart, Ind.; a daughter, Deborah, of Philadelphia, Pa.; and a son, Jason, of Harrisonburg, Va.; and six brothers, Carl, Leon, Merle, Luke, Howard and Linford, all of whom reside in Pennsylvania.
Services were held at Capital Christian Fellowship, and hosted by Community House Church. Burial was at Mellinger Mennonite Church Cemetery in Lancaster, Pa.


Mennonite Weekly Review, August 8, 2005, 83rd Year, No. 32, p. 8


Maynard Clayton Rohrer, 82, of Phoenix, Ariz., died July 14, 2005, after several years of experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer's. He was born May 4, 1923, to Clayton and Martha (Knopp) Rohrer on a farm near Wadsworth, Ohio.
While attending Bible school at First Mennonite Church in Canton, Ohio, he met Awilda Miller. In 1948 they married and moved to Hartville, Ohio.
In 1958 the family spent three years in Brazil as missionaries and then returned to live in Louisville, Ohio, in 1961. He loved music and was involved in singing most of his life. He participated in choirs, quartets, was song leader at his church in Canton, and he sang in the presentation of the Messiah in the Canton Auditorium. After retirement from Jackson Bailey Electric Co. in 1988, he and Awilda moved to Phoenix in 1993. He was a gentle, kind-spirited, friendly man, always ready to greet everyone he met with a smile.
Survivors include his wife, Awilda; three daughters, Kathleen Basbagill and her husband, Fred, of Pickerington, Ohio, Sharon Zwick and her husband, Michael, of Phoenix, and Evelyn Watts and her husband, Rick, of Fountain Hills; a brother, Ivan Rohrer of Dayton, Va.; a sister, Ruth, Mumaw of Orrville, Ohio; five grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Elta Kilmer and Marjorie Landis; and a brother, Melvin Rohrer.
Memorial services were held at Sunnyslope Mennonite Church in Phoenix, Ariz., where he was most recently was a member.


Laura Ann Neufeld, 64, of Olathe, Kan., died July 25, 2005, after an 11-year struggle with ovarian cancer. She was born March 8, 1941, to Peter and Anna Pankratz at Mountain Lake, Minn., and grew up on a farm near there.
She met her future husband, Edward of Inman, while both were in Mennonite Voluntary Service in Hagerstown, Md. They were married June 9, 1961.
A member of Rainbow Mennonite Church of Kansas City for many years, she served there in a number of capacities, including as a deacon, chair of Women's Fellowship and as a member of the choir.
Survivors include her husband, Edward; two daughters, Kimberly Adwell and her husband, Mark, and Monica; a son, Jason; three brothers, Marlin, Loren and Robert; and a grandson.
She was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret Helen Gazda.
Memorial services were held at Rainbow Mennonite Church.



Mennonite Weekly Review, August 15, 2005, 83rd Year, No. 33, p. 8


Alvin F. Jantz, 88, of Newton, Kan., died Aug. 2, 2005, at Friendly Acres Retirement Community. He was born March 11, 1917, to Ferdinand and Anna (Friesen) Jantz in Inola, Okla.
On June 15, 1941, he married Marie F. Bergman at First Mennonite Church in Newton.
He proudly served his country during World War II as a Navy non-combatant. He was a member of First Mennonite Church of Newton. He was a loyal Boeing employee for more than 40 years, working as a machinist. He was also a charter member of Wheat Heritage Engine and Threshing Company of Goessel. He looked forward to and enjoyed working in his shop building, repairing and inventing various machines.
Survivors include his wife, Marie; three sons, James A. Jantz and his wife, Cathie, of Wichita, Allen E. Jantz and his wife, Darlene, of Sacramento, Calif., and Jerald C. Jantz of Newton; a daughter, Janice M. Donovan of Salt Lake City, Utah; a brother, Ted Jantz of Reseda, Calif.; two sisters, Selma Ladwig of Ponca City, Okla., and Elvera Pankratz of Inola, Okla.; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by three brothers and four sisters.
Services were held at First Mennonite Church of Newton. Burial was in Haven of Rest Cemetery of rural Hillsboro.


Gilbert W. Alliman, 86, of Goshen, Ind., and formerly of Iowa City, Iowa, died Aug. 3, 2005, at Goshen General Hospital. He was born Aug. 31, 1918, to Daniel and Sarah (Wyse) Alliman in Wayland, Iowa.
He graduated from Wayland (Iowa) High School in 1935 and attended Washington (Iowa) Junior College and Davenport (Iowa) Business School. He was in Civilian Public Service 1945-46 in Denison, Iowa, and Beaver Dam, Wis.
He married Mae Richard on May 31, 1941, in Wayland.
He was the chief financial officer at Yoder Inc. of Frytown, Iowa, and owned and operated All-Tax Service in Iowa City.
He and his wife moved to Goshen in 1997. He was a member of College Mennonite Church.
Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Mae; a son, Kirk G. Alliman and his wife, Jean, of Louisville, Ky.; a daughter, June A. Yoder and her husband, John D., of Goshen; a brother, Wayne Alliman of Winston, Ore.; and three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Frances Miller.
Funeral services were held at The Meetinghouse at Greencroft in Goshen. Burial was in Sugar Creek Cemetery of rural Wayland.


Robert Warren Hege, 19, of Richland Center, Wis., died July 26, 2005, at his place of employment where another employee shot him. He was born April 7, 1986, to Warren and Dorothy (Hoover) Hege at Richland Center.
He was home schooled and recently was awarded a high school equivalency diploma with honors.
He was most recently employed by A-One Pallets in Richland Center. He had worked for a Kansas custom harvester on the corn crew. Prior to that he helped his uncle David Hege building custom log homes. For the past three years he also helped his uncle Bob Wimer with spring planting.
He attended Buck Creek Mennonite Church of Rockbridge all his life and was an active participant in the youth group there.
Survivors include his parents, Warren and Dorothy Hege; a sister, Myranda Hege; two brothers, Franklin and George Hege; and a grandmother, Ella Hege.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Noah Hege and Arthur and Gladys Hoover.
Funeral services were held at Richland Center Fellowship Church. Burial was in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Willow Township, Richland County.


There are no obits in issue 34 of Mennonite Weekly Review, August 22, 2005.

There were no obits in the August 29, 2005 issue of MWR.


Copyright 2005 - All rights reserved - Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, PA
Used with permission by the Archives of the Mennonite Church, Goshen, INDIANA
Permission granted to private family researchers to use selected portions of these files to tell their family stories.
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