Mennonite Weekly Review, December 5, 2005, 83rd Year, No. 49, p. 8

Ella Elizabeth Franz, 95, of Hesston, Kan., died Nov. 13, 2005. She was born Feb. 17, 1910, to John Janzen Franz and Elizabeth Ediger Franz on a farm near Buhler.
She was baptized on May 10, 1921, at the Mennonite Brethren Church in Hillsboro.
She attended grade school in Hillsboro and continued third grade when the family moved back to Chicago. She graduated from Waller High School at age 16, then entered the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, graduating in 1934 with a bachelor of music degree with a major in piano. She studied toward a master's degree at Kansas University, Iowa State University and Eastman School of Music in New York. She studied organ at Friends University in Wichita.
She began her teaching career at Tabor College in Hillsboro in piano and music theory. Between 1934 and 1950 she taught mostly at the college level, with two years in public schools. From 1950-51, she volunteered with Mennonite Central Committee, teaching English and piano in a mission Mexican school. Until 1968, she taught piano lessons privately in Wichita and served as church secretary at Sunnyside Baptist Church and later at Gideon Baptist Church. She was organist for Sunnyside Baptist Church and Old Manor Baptist Church.
In 1968, she moved to McPherson and became the organist at First Baptist Church and library clerk at McPherson College. She also led handbell ringers' groups. She organized the libraries of First Baptist Church, MCDS and the McPherson Licensed Practical Nursing School.
She and her sister Esther retired to Schowalter Villa, in Hesston, in 1994. They lived in an independent living duplex until June 2005, when health problems necessitated a move to health care for her.
She was a member of the Piano Teachers League, the American Guild of Organists and the American guild of English Hand Bell Ringers.
Survivors include two sisters, Esther Franz and Margaret Franz Kroeker, both of Hesston.
Services were held at Schowalter Villa Chapel in Hesston.

Arthur P. Claassen, 78, of Beatrice, Neb., died Oct. 28, 2005. He was born Nov. 11, 1926, in Beatrice, where he lived his entire life.
He was a 1944 graduate of Beatrice High School and served in the U.S. Army from 1946-49 in Germany.
He married Elfrieda Reinhart on Oct. 2, 1948, in Frankfort, Germany.
He was involved in commercial construction for 44 years with Beatrice Concrete Co., C & R Engineering, the University of Nebraska, the Essex Corp., as well as seven years operating Claassen Concrete Construction in Beatrice.
He was a member of Beatrice Mennonite Church and had served on the church board, was a member of American Legion Bitting-Norman Post 27, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Geddes-Thober Post 1077, both in Beatrice. He was a former member of the board of directors of the Beatrice Community Hospital and Homestead Village.
Survivors include his wife, Elfrieda; a daughter, Sylvia Elia and her husband, Frank, of Omaha; a son, Mark Claassen and his fiance, Athena Baldwin of Lufkin, Texas; a brother, Ernest Claassen of Holmesville; former daughter-in-law, Kathy Claassen-Burch of Lufkin, Texas; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Henry W. Claassen.

Mennonite Weekly Review, December 12, 2005, 83rd Year, No. 50, p. 11

Gilbert Harold Lind, 85, of Canon City, Colo., died Sept. 9, 2005. He was born Jan. 5, 1920, to N.A. and Sarah Lind in Dever, Ore.
He married Iola J. Slatter on Oct. 10, 1943, in Filer, Idaho.
He was a former elementary school administrator. He was a member of Gideons International.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Iola; two daughters, Lois Miller and her husband, Freeman, of Delaware, and Carroll Schoger and her husband, Dave, of Florida; two sons, Darrell Lind and his wife, Carol, of Nebraska, and Howard Lind and his wife, JoAnne, of Virginia; two foster children, Darlene Kropf and her husband, Floyd, of Oregon, and Richard and his wife, Maria, of Arizona; two brothers, Millard and Wilbert, who is Gilbert's twin; 13 grandchildren; 12 foster grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son, Harold; and four brothers, Lloyd, Marcus, Ivan and Norman Jr.
Funeral services were held at Skyline Mennonite Church of Canon City.

Alma K. Keyser, 85, of Souderton, Pa., died Nov. 19, 2005, in the skilled nursing unit of Souderton Mennonite Home. She was born Oct. 22, 1920, to Melvin H. and Sallie (Koffel) Ruth.
Her mother died within a few weeks of her birth, and at the age of five weeks she went to live with and became the adopted daughter of Nathan and Anna Mary Keyser.
She graduated from Souderton High School in 1938 and continued her education by attending Lansdale School of Business. She became a skilled typist. After her schooling she honed her skills in office support at the National Farm School of Business in Doylestown and Terry Mills in Souderton.
In 1952, she became part of the Brunk Evangelistic Team for seven years, where in addition to her clerical expertise she demonstrated her driving skills as she pulled the Brunk team mobile homes throughout the U.S. and Canada. Upon her return, she and Ella Ruth began sharing an apartment in Harleysville, and she joined the transcribing department of Harleysville Insurance, where she spent the next 23 years until retirement in 1982.
She was baptized Jan. 22, 1939, at Franconia Mennonite Church. In 1994 she answered the call to help in the ministry of the Spring Mount Mennonite congregation and served many years as a Sunday school teacher. Upon moving to Telford, she became an active member of Rockhill Mennonite Church.
She enjoyed travel, singing and embroidery work, completing and donating several quilt tops for fund-raising causes.
She and Ella Ruth moved into an apartment at the Souderton Mennonite Home community in 1993.
Survivors include a sister, Esther Landes, and a brother, Jacob Ruth, both of Sellersville; a stepbrother, Melvin Ruth of Souderton; and longtime housemate and caregiver, Ella Ruth of Souderton.
Two sisters, Sara Landes and Lydia Gross, preceded her in death.
Services were held in the chapel of Souderton Mennonite Home.

Lucille Hostetler Shetler, 85, of Mountain Home, Idaho, died Nov. 22, 2005, after a long battle with cancer. She was born Sept. 13, 1920, at Milford, Neb.
She married Leland Shetler on Feb. 8, 1944. In 1945 they moved from Nebraska to Filer, Idaho. In 1955 they moved to the Bruneau area, where they turned 250 acres of sagebrush and jack rabbits into a farm. She lived on that farm the rest of her life.
Her Christian faith was very important to her. She was active in Filer Mennonite Church and later in Indian Cove Mennonite Church and Bruneau Sunday School. When Leland was ordained to the ministry, she served at his side as he was pastor of Indian Cove Mennonite Church, Bruneau Community Church and Mountain Home Christian Center. At the time of her death she was an active member of Bruneau Community Church.
She loved to cook. For many years she was manager and cook at Hungry Onion Drive Inn in Mountain Home. In the 1970s, she and her husband spent two summers serving at Christian Retreat Campground in Strawberry Lake, Minn., where she was the cook. They spent two winters helping missionary friends in Mexico.
Survivors include her husband, Leland; three sons, Ivan and his wife, Janis, of Bruneau, Edward and his wife, Kathy, of Middleton, and Scott (Vernon) and his wife, Shari, of Melba; a daughter, Neva Hamilton and her husband, Sam, of Indian Cove; three brothers, Dale Hostetler of Milford, Neb., LeVoy Hostetler of Denver, Colo., and Larry Hostetler of Nampa; four sisters, Mary Schweitzer of Vanderhoof, B.C., Nadene Troyer of Nampa, Leora Gingrich of Phoenix, Ariz., and Ellen Mishler of McMinnville, Ore.; seven grandchildren; two step-grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by sons Norman and Waldo and an infant son, Duane.
A funeral service was held at the Bruneau Legion Hall, with burial at the Bruneau Cemetery.

Wayne J. Liechty, 82, of Archbold, Ohio, died Nov. 26, 2005, at Fulton County Health Center in Wauseon. He was born Feb. 11, 1923, to Joseph C. and Emma (Frey) Liechty near Pettisville.
On June 8, 1947, he married Loveda Lederman.
During World War II, he served with Civilian Public Service. Upon returning home, he worked with his father in the automobile business. He was owner and president of Liechty Farm Equipment of Archbold for 60 years.
A volunteer chaplain with jail ministries, he was a member of West Clinton Mennonite Church, rural Pettisville, and Gideons International.
Survivors include his wife, Loveda; a son, Christopher and his wife, Holly, of Archbold; two daughters, Shirlyn Graber and her husband, Randal, of Crawfordsville, Iowa, and Ellen Lehman and her husband, Neil, of Johnstown, Pa.; three brothers, Harold and Herman, both of Archbold, and Russel of Goshen, Ind.; a sister, Lorraine Wyse of Archbold; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial services were held at West Clinton Mennonite Church. Burial was in Pettisville Cemetery.

Mennonite Weekly Review, December 26, 2005, 83rd Year, No. 52, p. 9

Evan E. Brenneman, 81, of Stuarts Draft, Va., died Nov. 24, 2005. He was born March 4, 1924, to Ephraim and Anna Christner Brenneman in Kalona, Iowa.
He received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Eastern Mennonite College and a master's degree in education from the University of Virginia. He taught school for 28 years in Augusta County, Va. He served as pastor of Deerfield Mennonite Church for several years and as an associate pastor at Greenmonte Mennonite Church of Stuarts Draft for about 20 years. He was involved in prison ministry, Meals on Wheels and as a volunteer at Stuarts Draft Christian Home.
During World War II, he was drafted and served as a conscientious objector at the Terry, Mont., Civilian Public Service camp, and at the material aid project at Hesston, Kan., helping building the Mennonite Central Committee canner.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Anna (Miller) Brenneman; five children, Judith Vaughn and her husband, Silas, of New Carrollton, Md., Leland Brenneman and his wife, Tanya, of Stuarts Draft, Violet Layman and her husband, Dennis, of Everette, Wash., Byron Brenneman and his wife, Karen, of Beijing, China, and Ron Evan Brenneman of Stuarts Draft; a foster son, Rick Hoover of Moline, Ill., three brothers, Virgil Brenneman of Goshen, Ind., Ivan Brenneman of Marena, Calif., and Miford Brenneman of Anaheim, Calif.; three sisters, Mary Gingerich of Nashwauk, Minn., Mildred Yoder of Donnellson, Iowa, and Jane Miller of Kalona, Iowa; 13 grandchildren and three foster grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at Greenmonte Mennonite Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.