Duerksen, J. F. (d. 1932)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1932 May 11 p. 1

Birth date:

text of obituary:

Mennonite Educator Passes Away at Corn, Okla.

Prof. J. F. Duerksen, well-known Mennonite educator and former head of the Bible school at Corn, Okla., passed away at his home there Sunday evening, May 1. The immediate cause of his death was a stroke of paralysis.

Prof Duerksen was a native of Russia, born in Alexanderdorf in 1863. There he served as teacher for several years until he came to America in 1887. For six years he was instructor in a parochial school at Buhler, Kansas, and later held a professorship in German and Bible at McPherson College, McPherson, Kansas, for another six years. Moving to Corn, Okla., he was elected principal of the Corn Bible school, which position he held for eleven years.

Being a member of the Mennonite Brethren conference he was entrusted with several responsible positions in that conference, such as Editor of the Mennonite Brethren Sunday school quarterly, member of the Foreign Mission Board and director of Tabor College.

He is survived by his family, a number of more distant relatives, and the large group of friends which he gained through his useful life. Funeral services were held at the Mennonite Brethren church in Corn, Okla., Friday afternoon, May 6.