Entz, Justine Claassen (1870-1951)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Aug 2 p. 9

Birth date: 1870 May 2

text of obituary:

MRS. JOHN ENTZ

Funeral services for Mrs. John Entz, McAllen, Texas, were held at the Bethel Mennonite church, Hydro, Okla. Sunday afternoon, July 15, Rev. Waldo Kaufman, minister of the church, officiating, assisted by the Rev. Henry Hege, Corn, Okla.

The great throng of relatives and friends who came to pay their last respects, overflowed the church and grounds.

Hubert Schmidt sang “Going Down The Valley”, and a quartet composed of Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Thiessen and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Froese sang “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder”. At the cemetery, Rev. and Mrs. Kaufman sang a German hymn, “Let Me Go. Let Me Go”.

Burial was in the Bethel Mennonite cemetery.

Relatives who came from a distance for the services were the daughters, Marie Entz, McAllen, Texas; Anna Entz, Chino, California; Mrs. Howard Millen and children, Maxine, Royal and Earl, San Juan, Texas; Mrs. Lawrence Turveen, Mr. Turveen and their daughter, Merry, Donna, Texas; and Mrs. Herman Lehman, Mr. Lehman and their son John, Geary; a sister, Mrs. J. J. Kopper, Mr. Kopper, Whitewater; Kansas; granddaughters and grandsons — Clara Entz, Halstead, Kansas; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Turner and daughter Linda, Lubbock, Texas; and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Entz and daughter Judy, Oklahoma City; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Susie Regehr, Weatherford; nieces and nephews —Mr. and Mrs. Carl Claassen, Milton, Virginia; and Mr. and Mrs. Ed Esau and son Victor, Mrs. Gus Regehr, Albert Claassen and children, Ruth and Johnny, Mrs. Emma Harder, Mrs. Bertha Fast, Mrs. Marie Dyck and son Arthur, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Dieck and son Carl, Mrs. Anna Berg and children, Louise and John, Ernest and Joan Claassen, Miss Thelma Andres, Mr. and Mrs. John Entz, Miss Carolyn Claassen; Miss Agnes Wiebe, Herbert and Arthur Claassen and Mrs. Elsie Claassen and daughter, Wynona, Whitewater, Kansas.

Justine Entz, daughter of Abraham and Anna Claassen was born May 2, 1870, near Marienburg, Germany, and died at her home at McAllen, Texas, on July 11, 1951, at the age of 81 years, 2 months, and 9 days. In 1876, when she was six years old, her parents and their family came to America and settled near Whitewater, Kansas, where she grew up in a Christian home and joined the Emmaus Mennonite church by baptism at the age of 17 years.

On November 7, 1895, she was united in marriage to John Entz, who had, a short time before, come to the Whitewater vicinity from Russia, and they made their home on a farm in Kansas. In December, 1903, they moved to a farm southeast of Hydro, Oklahoma, where again she experienced the hardships of pioneer life while trying to raise her children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. This attitude was brought out by the effort made by them to establish a church home here at once. They succeeded and were among the charter members. That her religion was carried into her everyday living is proved by the statement of her children, “She was a very good Christian mother to us.”

In August, 1926, they moved to Texas, where on April 30, 1937, her husband died, after a lingering illness. After moving to McAllen she joined the Presbyterian church, where she remained a member until the time of her passing, July 11, 1951, after a long, weary illness of more than six months, which she patiently bore. During that time her children faithfully cared for her.

She leaves to mourn her departure, eight children, John, Weatherford, Okla., G. B. Hinton, Okla., Marie Entz, McAllen, Texas; Anna Entz, Hydro; Helen Lehman, Geary; Ella Milieu, San Juan, Texas; Ester Terveen, Donna, Texas; three sons-in-law, Herman Lehman, Geary, Oklahoma; Lawrence Terveen, Donna, Texas; Howard Millen, San Juan, Texas; four daughters-in-law, Elsie Entz and Hilda Entz, Weatherford, Oklahoma; Martha Entz, Hinton, and Blanche Entz, Hydro; 17 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. John Kopper, Whitewater, Kansas; one brother-in-law, John Kopper, Whitewater, Kansas; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Susan Regehr, Weatherford, Oklahoma, and many other, relatives and friends.

Her husband, John Entz, one son, Herman Entz and one daughter, Justine Entz, preceded her in death.

She led a consistent Christian life and many times expressed her readiness and desire to meet her Lord. Her life will long be remembered by all who knew her. Although she will be greatly missed, yet there is a deep sense of peace in knowing that victory complete is hers in Christ Jesus.