ALUMNI CROSSINGS

Alumni News & Notes

1930-49

DEATHS

Florence Richer Aschliman ’37, Archbold, Ohio, died Aug. 13, 2019. Lauralyn Fountain Atz ’43, Venice, Fla., died June 22, 2019. Royal H. Bauer ’46, Goshen, died Dec. 29, 2019. Mary Alspaugh Bontrager ’42, Goshen, died Jan. 14, 2020. Gladys Hershberger Cone ’49, South Bend, Ind., died Jan. 16, 2020. Robert A. Ebersole ’48, Goshen, died Jan. 3, 2020. Ada Brenneman Fisher ’43, Kalona, Iowa, died Dec. 7, 2019. Anne Wenger Gunden ’40, Sarasota, Fla., died Nov. 20, 2019. Ruth Kreider Heatwole ’46, wife of Kenneth M. Heatwole ’46, 1401 Virginia Ave., Apt. 110, Harrisonburg VA 22802, died March 8, 2020. Klara Muntinga Hill ’43, Syracuse, Ind., died Feb. 19, 2019.

Rose Hutchinson ’35, Beaverton, Ore., died April 25, 2020, at age 106. She was Goshen College’s oldest living alumnus, and “a spark of vitality and joy for us at Goshen College through the years,” said GC President Rebecca Stoltzfus.

Donald R. Jacobs ’47, husband of Anna Ruth Jacobs, 2118 Lyndell Dr., Lancaster PA 17601, died Feb. 11, 2020. Ralph S. Lehman ’44, husband of Evelyn Lehman, 3039 Ivy Ct., North Newton KS 67117, died Nov. 21, 2019. H. Francis Schrock, husband of L. Eloise Miller Bontrager Schrock ’49, 1225 Greencroft Dr., Goshen IN 46526, died March 1, 2020. Charlene Heatwole Nielsen ’49, La Junta, Colo., died Feb. 24, 2020. Geneva Stamm Shetler ’40, Bluffton, Ohio, died Sept. 13, 2019. Russell D. Shriner, husband of Mabel Yoder Shriner ’46, 28340 County Rd. 32, Elkhart IN 46517, died Oct. 10, 2019. Mildred Yoder Troyer ’45, Goshen, died Feb. 20, 2020. Robert F. Weaver ’41, Anacortes, Wash., died Sept. 20, 2019. Marjorie Yoder Wideman ’47, Akron, N.Y., died Feb. 2, 2019.

1950-59

NOTES

Violet Keens Barr ’56 continues to listen to first graders read once a week for an hour at the Shippensburg (Pa.) Laboratory School. Joyce Eigsti Hofer ’53 and Samuel H. Hofer, Littleton, Colo., celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on a coastal cruise from Charleston, S.C., to Jacksonville, Fla. 1

DEATHS

Carol Teuscher Beachey ’58, wife of Donald Voth, 334 Buena Vista Pl., Memphis TN 38112, died Oct. 19, 2019. Moses A. Beachy ’57, Goshen, died Sept. 14, 2019. Charlotte Burkhart Biris ’54, Lancaster, Pa., died Jan.1, 2020. Ronald L. Birkey ’59, husband of Lorraine Stealy Birkey ’59, 16008 W. Vinewood Dr., Surprise AZ 85374, died Feb. 1, 2020. Grace Derstine Brunner ’54, Hesston, Kan., died Dec. 11, 2019. Marilyn Miller Burkey ’59, wife of Lester Burkey ’55, 572 W. 900 S., Hebron IN 46341, died Nov. 27, 2019.

John R. Burkholder ’52 (faculty ’63-85), husband of Susan Herr Burkholder ’52 (faculty ’75-77), 1801 Greencroft Blvd., Apt. 313, Goshen IN 46526, died Dec. 20, 2019. Ruth Kauffman Deweiler ’57, wife of Lowell Detweiler ’58, 1001 E. Oregon Rd., Lititz PA 17543, died Jan. 6, 2020. Julia Latta Dietz ’50, Austin, Texas, died Sept. 17, 2019. Charles E. Disher Jr. ’56, Nappanee, Ind., died Nov. 17, 2019. Doris Eberly Falk ’55, Mountain Lake, Minn., died Nov. 9, 2019. Rosemary Blosser Fry ’54, Goshen, died Sept. 9, 2019. Clark L. Gerber, husband of Phyllis Miller Gerber ’59, 5350 Mulberry Ln., Sheffield Village OH 44035, died Dec. 11, 2019. Clayton E. Gingerich ’51, Kalona, Iowa, died Jan. 19, 2020. Leona Parmer Grove ’50, Mechanicsburg, Pa., died Feb. 5, 2020. Bruce Hanna, husband of Iretta Bradford Hanna ’57, 8890 W. 575 S., Hudson IN 46747, died March 12, 2020. Bernice Rupp Hartzell ’55, wife of Ward Hartzell, 87 Mt. Vista Ln., Twisp WA 98856, died Oct. 31, 2019. Susan Walter Howard ’59, wife of James Howard, 15063 Birch Lakeshore Dr., Vandalia MI 49095, died Nov. 5, 2019.

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Visit goshen.edu/events for the most up-to-date information.

Grace L. Martin ’56, Orrville, Ohio, died March 15, 2020. Mildred Saltzman McGinnis ’58, Muncie, Ind., died Oct. 4, 2019. Mary Jo Bontrager Miller ’54, wife of Lloyd Miller ’56, 6450 Miami Cir., Unit 107, South Bend IN 46614, died Oct. 17, 2019. Donald L. Minter ’50, husband of Martha Minter, 1725 Juniper Pl., Apt 319, Goshen IN 46526, died Feb. 20, 2020. Nobuyuki Nakajima ’53, Amherst, Mass., died Sept. 19, 2019. Esther Moyer Neyer ’54, Lititz, Pa., died Oct. 27, 2019. Wesley J. Oyer ’58, husband of Virginia Oyer, 14 Green St., Fisher IL 61843, died Oct. 18, 2019. Robert Psolla, husband of Mary Wolber Steiner Psolla ’55, 853 Township Rd., 190 W., Bellefontaine OH 43311, died Oct. 24, 2019. Donald D. Reber ’51, husband of Elizabeth Glick Granfield Reber ’51, 1225 Greencroft Dr., Rm. 523, Goshen IN 46526, died Sept.16, 2019. Myron J. Roll ’56, husband of Thelma Ackerson Roll ’54, 217 S. 6th St., Goshen IN 46528, died Sept. 10, 2019. Oscar E. Roth ’50, Goshen, died Nov. 2, 2019. Paul E. Roth ’53, husband of Caroll Hostetler Roth ’53, 8678 U.S. Route 62, Killbuck OH 44637, died March 11, 2019. Cora Cable Schertz ’56, Kokomo, Ind., died Oct. 18, 2019. Arden E. Schmucker ’53, husband of Anna Belle Schmucker, 1882 Knob St., Apt. C2, Louisville OH 44641, died Feb. 18, 2020. Dean G. Slagel ’51, Elkhart, Ind., died Sept. 14, 2019. Doris Metzler Smeltzer ’58, wife of Walter E. Smeltzer ’58, 2026 W. Kellogg Ave., West Peoria IL 61604, died Sept. 4, 2019. Doris Yoder Spicher ’51, Glendale, Ariz., died Sept. 11, 2019. Norma Minter Stutzman ’58, wife of Dwayne H. Stutzman ’58, 773 Oak Oval, Mechanicsburg PA 17055, died Jan. 29, 2019. Margaret Kauffman Sutter ’52, wife of Earl Sutter ’52, 1212 Waterford Cir., Goshen IN 46526, died Dec. 23, 2019. James W. Walter ’57, husband of Betty Walter, Goshen, died Nov. 11, 2019. Harold L. Weaver ’51, Elkhart, Ind., died Nov. 15, 2019. Margot Stauffer Wiebe ’54, Dallas, Texas, died Jan. 16, 2020.

In Memoriam

J.R. Burkholder ’52

Professor Emeritus of Religion

1928 – 2019

John Richard (J.R.) Burkholder ’52, professor emeritus of religion, died Dec. 20, 2019, one day after his 91st birthday. He taught 22 years at Goshen College, from 1963 to 1985. An ethicist, church leader and social change agent, Burkholder’s work spanned and influenced dramatic changes in 20th-century Mennonite peace theology and ecumenical engagements. “In his modeling and teaching, J.R. inspired scores of students and colleagues toward peacemaking vocations, and I believe his voice still resonates for 21stcentury Jesus-inspired makers of peace,” said Keith Graber Miller, professor of Bible, religion and philosophy at Goshen College. Graber Miller was also the editor of “Prophetic Peacemaking: Selected Writings of J.R. Burkholder” (Herald Press, 2010), a collection of essays on pacifism, patriotism, public witness, Mennonite ethics, health care, stewardship, vocation, service and other issues of discipleship. After brief terms of mission work in Brazil and pastoral ministry in Pennsylvania, Burkholder worked at Goshen College and then taught another 12 years at the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana. He was cofounder of what is now the Goshen College Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies Department; founding director of the Dallas Peace Center; program administrator for Mennonite Central Committee and Fellowship of Reconciliation; coordinator of peace and social concerns for Mennonite Board of Congregational Ministries; and a visiting professor at a Costa Rican seminary and a South African university. He is survived by his wife Susan (Herr) ’52; five children, Kelli ’77 (John ’76) King; Lissa Burkholder ’77 (Alex Baró); Samuel Burkholder ’80 (Christine Wirkkala); Rebecca Burkholder ’82 (Blaine Derstine); and Peter Burkholder (Shannen Hill); eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a brother.

Rebecca Cunningham Goodhand Wilson ’57, Fremont, Ohio, died Aug. 2, 2019. Anna Marie Guth Yoder ’53, Goshen, died Sept. 20, 2019. Melvin A. Yoder ’50, husband of Betty Burkey Yoder ’55, 1212 Waterford Cir., Apt. 405, Goshen IN 46626, died Nov. 3, 2019.

1960-69

NOTES

Trinda Hirschey Bishop ’69, Greenwood Village, Colo., published a book about her father’s experiences in World War II, “Everything is fine with me … A ‘Big Red’ soldier chronicles his survival in WWII,” using letters he wrote home. 2 Bradley J. Boyd ’69 retired Dec. 31, 2019, as judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court in Atlanta, Ga., after 46 years in the Juvenile Court and the last 13 years as judge.

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