Bontreger, Eli J. (1868-1958)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1958 Mar 6 p. 8

Birth date: 1868 Jan 19

text of obituary:

ELI J. BONTREGER

On Sunday evening, Jan. 19, 1868, a third child and second son, Eli, was born to John E. and Barbara (Mishler) Bontreger, who lived four miles east of Middlebury, Ind.

He grew to manhood in his home community. He proved to be among the fortunate in that he had a father who took great concern to teach his children from the Bible, and thus Eli was able to exercise his talent regardless of evil environments around him. His parents believed in discipline and indoctrinating their children.

Eli found encouragement in meditating on the Bible in his early youth and memorized Scriptures and Christian poems which remained with him and delivered him victoriously through the critical years of his youth. The gift within him did not lie dormant. He quit school at the age of 15 and took to the axe, as well as to the plow and cultivator.

The Heavenly summons were answered on Feb. 15, 1958, at his winter home at 711 South Palm Ave., Sarasota, Fla. The remains were taken to the Indiana home for burial and were laid to rest in the cemetery on the old home place where he was born.

Through a real experience of conversion he was baptized and united with the Amish Church in his youth.

At the age of 23 he was married to Mattie Miller, daughter of Isaac D. and Mary (Hochstetler) Miller. They shared joys and sorrows for nearly 28 years, until Sept. 24, 1918, when she was killed instantly in and accident in their home barnyard.

Eight children were born to this union. Three died when young and five grew to maturity: John of Belleville, Pa., Manasseh of Calico Rock, Ark., Levi of Middlebury, Ind., Lydia of Milo, Mich., Katie of Millersburg, ind. His second marriage took place Dec. 20, 1920, to Amanda Miller, daughter of Jacob C. and Elizabeth (Bontrager) Miller. One son, Edwin, was born to them and lives on the home place near Shipshewana, Ind. One sister Katie, 93, and five brothers also remain.

He was ordained minister May 13, 1894, and bishop June 18, 1901, serving faithfully for nearly 64 years. in the winter of 1894-95 he moved with his family to Rolette County, N. Dak., on land they homesteaded and with good crops and some poor ones, they nevertheless prospered. In the fall of 1910 they moved to Exeland, Wis., carving out another desirable home. After six years of labor they moved back to Indiana on the old home place where he was born.

He was the oldest Amish bishop in America at the time of his death and possibly did more railroad traveling than any Amish bishop in the past. He was a representative on the M. C. C. and visited many C. P. S. camps. His records show (1953) that he had traveled more than 466,000 miles on railroads and nearly 60,000 miles by bus and car. He preached about 2,600 sermons, of which over 260 were communion sermons and over 136 funeral sermons, and baptized 473 persons, officiated in 197 marriages, ordained 36 ministers and 15 bishops.

At the end of his life he was nearly blind. He wrote: “Should it be the Lord's will that my eyesight should not improve and I should get to the point where I could no longer see to read and take care of myself, I hope and trust that I will patiently adjust myself to His will and continue to praise Him for his goodness and mercy.”

He wrote many poems. Among the last ones was this one:

My race on earth was nearly run,
My eyesight now is nearly gone;
My work on earth is nearly done,
I now await life's setting sun.

— By a brother, Levi Bontrager.