Neufeld, Mary E. Thiessen (1884-1960)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1960 Aug 4 p. 8

Birth date: 1884 Nov 18

text of obituary:

MRS. MARY E. NEUFELD

Mary E. Neufeld was born to Gerhard and Lena Thiessen at Buhler, Kansas on March 14, 1887, and departed this life on July 4, 1960, at Reedley, Calif. She reached the age of 73 years, three months and 20 days.

She grew to womanhood in the Buhler-Inman, Kansas community and attend [sic] the Zoar K.M.B. Church. After finishing grade school she stayed at home and helped with the farm and home work for some time. She also did housework for others.

As a young girl she realized her soul's great need and accepted Christ as her Savior and Lord. She was baptized on Nov. 29, 1903 and affiliated with the Zoar K.M.B. Church near Inman.

As a girl she felt the call of the Lord for missionary service and in response to this call she attended Tabor College for three years, 1973-1915.

In 1916 she answered a call to go to Chicago and help in the city mission known as the Lincoln Avenue Mission which was under the auspices of the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren conference. The Ministers J. W. Tschetter and D. M. Hofer were in charge of this mission.

In the beginning years, besides working hard in the mission and in the Wahrheitsfreund printing press, she attended Moody Bible Institute night school several nights a week and graduated from the Bible course in June of 1922.

For a number of years she was matron of Bethesda Hall in connection with the mission. Bethesda Hall was maintained as a home for crippled children who came to a specialist for treatment. She was a devoted mother to many children that came there. Many heard the gospel for the first time from her lips and she had the joy of seeing some of the older ones accept Christ as their Savior. Besides the work in Bethesda Hall she taught Sunday school, visited jails and helped conduct street meetings each week. She enjoyed the work and the Lord visably [sic] blessed her labors.

Since our first mother had passed away our father was a very lonely man for some time, and after some correspondence he went to Chicago and on April 15, 1931, they joined hands in holy wedlock and thus she became our mother and grandmother. They made their home in Dinuba, Calif. and she then joined the local M.B. church.

She was a kind and devoted wife to our father and tenderly cared for him until he went to be with the Lord on Nov. 22, 1952. After father's passing, mother moved into the M. B. Home for the Aged in Reedley on Dec. 13, 1952.

Her deep desire was to glorify her Lord and serve her fellowman. This she also did in the Home. She would read to the other guess, pray with them and sought to cheer and comfort the sad and discouraged. She had many friends wherever she was.

She leaves three daughters, Agnes and Elizabeth Neufeld of Dinuba, and Anne, Mrs. Nick Friesen of San Jose, Calif.; five sons, John N. Neufeld of Blaine, Wash., Ben. N. Neufeld of Dinuba, Curt N. Neufeld of Reedley, Calif., Jacob E. Neufeld of San Jose, Calif., Nick N. Neufeld of Sacramento, Calif.; one sons-in-law, six daughters-in-law, 13 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; three brothers, John Thiessen of Inman, Kansas, Jacob and Abe Thiessen, both of Turlock, Calif., and many other relatives and friends. — The Children.