Penner, Herman R. (1913-2003)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2003 Apr 28 p. 12

Birth date: 1913 Oct 20

text of obituary:

HERMAN R. PENNER

Herman R. Penner, 89, of Wichita, Kan., died March 20, 2003. He was born Oct. 20, 1913, to Jacob E. and Anna (Rempel) Penner on a farm outside of Hillsboro.

His father died when he was 4 years old, and his mother died when he was 15. After his mother's death, he went to live with his sister Olga and her husband. He was baptized into the Brudertal congregation north of Hillsboro. He attended Hillsboro Bible Academy for a year. He graduated from Hinton High School in Hinton, Okla.

On Dec. 18, 1937, he married Mary Stelting in Cordell, Okla. They lived together for more than 65 years.

During much of his life he worked at farming, but he also worked as a mechanic, aircraft worker and school custodian. They moved to Wichita in 1953, when he worked for Boeing Aircraft Co. He retired from Boeing after 17 years. He went on to work for the Wichita Board of Education for five years.

He was a member of Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church in Wichita. He was active in the choir for many years and served as janitor and later on the cemetery committee. At the church's annual fall festival, he could usually be found in the kitchen stirring the borscht. He enjoyed stamp collecting, working in his garage, gardening and growing flowers.

Survivors include his wife, Mary; a son, John and his wife, Joan Penner, of Fall River; five daughters, Mary Broker of Wichita, Ruby Penner of Santa Ana, Calif., Betty McOmber of Scio, Ore., Ruth Fanning and her husband, Don, of Yorba Linda, Calif., and Kay Hodges and her husband, Frank, of Warthen, Ga.; a sister, Linda Enns of North Newton; 11 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a son, Clyde Penner, and a daughter, Elsie Mae Penner.

Funeral services were held at Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church. Burial was in Old Mission Cemetery of Wichita.