Duerksen, Mildor F. (1921-2005)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2005 May 30 p. 8

Birth date: 1921 Aug 1

text of obituary:

MILDOR F. DUERKSEN

Mildor F. Duerksen, 83, of Inman, Kan., died April 11, 2005, at Pleasant View Home. He was born Aug. 1, 1921, to C. R. and Martha (Funk) Duerksen in Hillsboro.

He graduated from Lehigh High School.

On Sept. 8, 1943, he married H. Bernice Unrau at Goessel Mennonite Church.

They established their first home together at the Duerksen home place at Lehigh. They moved to Goessel for a short period of time and then returned to Lehigh. In 1997, he moved to Pleasant View Home in Inman.

Church was an integral part of his life. He served as a trustee of Lehigh Mennonite Church and Sunday school superintendent of Goessel Mennonite Church. He was currently a member of First Mennonite Church in McPherson. He was a former member of the Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus.

He was primarily a farmer and rancher, often exchanging work with fellow farmers. He also supplemented the farm income by working as an electrician for Koehn and Associates and the Rural Electric Association. He operated heavy equipment for Shears Construction and Hess Oil Co. He enjoyed woodworking and created furniture for his family and friends. He bred small draft horses and built a stage coach that they pulled for people to have rides at Mennonite Central Committee gatherings.

Survivors include his wife, Bernice, of Inman; four sons, Larry and his wife, Bobbie, of Indianapolis, Ind., Merle and his wife, Patricia, of Dacona, Colo., John and his wife, Sarita, of McPherson, and Brian of Pine Valley, Calif.; three brothers, Harlin and Willis, both of Newton, and Gerald of Dallas, Texas; three sisters, Elfrieda Gaeddert of Buhler, Irma Groening of Hillsboro and Luetta Enns of rural Hillsboro; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Roland.

Services were held at First Mennonite Church of McPherson. Burial was in Lehigh Mennonite Church Cemetery.