Erb, Mary Florence Zook (1913-2010)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2010 Nov 8 p. 14

Birth date: 1913 Jan 28

text of obituary:

MARY FLORENCE ERB

Mary Florence (Zook) Erb, 97, of Hesston, Kan., died Oct 3, 2010, at Schowalter Villa. She was born Jan. 28, 1913, to Edward and Nancy (Hershberger) Zook in Cass County, Mo.

She graduated from eighth grade at age 12 and earned her GED in 1969. In 1925 she accepted the Lord and was baptized at Sycamore Grove Mennonite Church.

She did domestic work in the Garden City, Mo., area before going to La Junta, Colo., to work in the kitchen of the Mennonite Hospital. She also worked in Harrisonville (Mo.) Owen Hospital for seven years before moving to Wichita, Kan., in 1946. She was Dr. D.W. Hendrickson’s radiology technician 26 years.

At the age of 60, she retired from her career and married Walter Erb on Oct. 20, 1973. For a short while they lived on his dairy farm near Detroit Lakes, Minn., before moving to Hesston. They served a two-year voluntary service term at Glencroft Retirement Community in Glendale, Ariz.

She had a gift of accepting change and finding the positive in people and challenging situations. She embraced friends and family with loyal devotion. She greeted worshipers for 14 years at InterMennonite Church, now Hesston Kingdom Life Ministries, and loved to be part of MCC relief sale projects and the Schowalter Villa Days fundraisers.

Survivors include her husband, Walter Erb, of Hesston; two sons, Merlin Erb and his wife, Loretta, of Dalton, Ohio, and Dan Erb and his wife, Kamme, of Hesston; a daughter, Verla Hochstetler and her husband, Jon, of Frazee, Minn.; a sister, Luella Bitikofer of Hesston; four brothers, Allen Zook of Hesston, Alvin Zook of Garden City, Mo., Marvin Zook of Hesston and John Zook of Goshen, Ind.; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by two infant siblings, Mabel Saloma Zook and Clarence Daniel Zook; and a sister, Erma Zimmerman.

Memorial services were held in Schowalter Villa Chapel. Burial was at Eastlawn Cemetery, Zimmerdale.