Penner, Bertha Elsie Jantzen (1917-2007)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 Mar 12 p. 12

Birth date: 1917 Jul 19

text of obituary:

BERTHA ELSIE PENNER

Bertha Elsie Jantzen Penner, 90, formerly of Beatrice, Neb., died Feb. 15, 2007, at Kidron-Bethel Retirement Village in North Newton, Kan., where she had resided for the past two years. She was born July 19, 1916, on a farm near Plymouth, Neb.

She was baptized into the Christian faith as a Mennonite and was a graduate of Plymouth High School. She married Alfred T. Penner on Feb. 17, 1939, in the former Kilpatrick Mennonite Church west of Beatrice.

Together they operated the Lin-Pen registered Holstein dairy farm west of Beatrice for many years. In 1966, they were named Nebraska Farm Conservation Family of the Year. In 1975 they began volunteer assignments as host and hostess at Mennonite Central Committee in Akron, Pa., for three and one-half years. After a further year of voluntary service at Mennonite Mission Network offices in Elkhart, Ind., they retired to Beatrice.

She was a member of First Mennonite Church of rural Beatrice, where she was involved in Sunday school, Bible study and Ladies Aid activities. She enjoyed visiting, cooking, sewing, reading and writing and traveling to visit family and friends.

Survivors include four sons, Marvin Penner and his wife, Ruth, of Newton, Kan., Harold Penner and his wife, Barbara, of Akron, Pa.; Milbert Penner and his wife, Ruth, of Indianapolis, Ind.; and Tim Penner and his wife, Faith, of Harper, Kan.; a brother-in-law, Frank Penner, and two sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Reimer and Margaret Boyce, all of Beatrice; nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred, on May 2, 1994; and all of her seven siblings.

Funeral services were held at First Mennonite Church west of Beatrice. Burial was in the Mennonite cemetery at the church.