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Penner, Mathilde Ensz (1879-1961)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1961 Nov 9 p. 3
Birth date: 1879 Apr 21
text of obituary:
Retired Missionary Called By Death
Newton, Kan. — Mrs. P. W. Penner, 82, General Conference missionary to India for more than 40 years died at the Bethel Deaconess Hospital here Nov. 3. In failing health for some years, she had lived at the Bethel Home for Aged the past year.
The largely attended funeral services were held Nov. 7 at the Brudertal Mennonite Church near Hillsboro. Rev. Walter Neufeld and Rev. John Thiessen officiating.
The former Mathilde Ensz of the Brudertal community was married to P. W. Penner in 1902. They went to the India mission field in 1908 and were pioneer workers of the General Conference mission. Rev. Penner ordained the first Indian pastor, M. B. Asna, in 1927. They retired from the field in 1949 and Rev. Penner died several years later.
Surviving is an adopted daughter, Nellie Asna Penner, now principal of a girls school in Ratlam, India.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1962 Jan 11 p. 8
text of obituary:
MRS. P. W. PENNER
Mrs. P. W. Penner was born on April 21, 1879, near Halstead, Harvey Co., Kansas. She was the oldest of ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Heinrich (Anna Bergmann) Ensz. Early in her life her family moved to Butler County and then to Marion County, Kansas. She received her elementary education at the Silberfeld School north of Hillsboro.
At the age of nine years she found peace with her Lord in a conversion experience which she never forgot. On June 3, 1895, at the age of 16, she was baptized upon her confession of faith by Rev. Wilhelm J. Ewert, and received as a member into the Brudertal Mennonite Church. This church she cherished and served faithfully until death.
Early in life she received the call from God to serve Him in the mission field. She prayed much about this matter. She also prayed with tears in her eyes that the young man who would share her life would also share her vision of a call to missions. In 1902, on August 7, she was united in marriage to Peter W. Penner, with whom she shared the joys of life for over 50 years.
Together she and her husband prepared for the mission field, spending some time in training at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. During this training she and her husband served the Grace Church at Pandora, Ohio, and later the Sterling Mennonite Church, Sterling, Ohio.
She and her husband were ordained as missionaries at the Brudertal Mennonite Church on Sept. 20, 1908. On Sept. 29, they set sail for the mission field in India. After arriving in India, they spent six weeks in language study, and then plunged directly into the work of proclaiming the Good News. Four years later, in 1912, it was their deep joy and privilege to welcome into their home their daughter Nellie Monorama Asna, whose mother had passed away when she was six months old.
It was with this same joy that they saw their daughter Nellie enter the field of missions in later years. Together with her husband, Mrs. Penner spent some 40 years on the field in India, laboring long and earnestly for the salvation of their Indian brethren. Their work in India was interrupted only by furloughs, and also by the first World War. Between 1918 and 1921, they served in the pastorate at the Mennonite Church in Los Angeles.
In 1949 they returned from India, never to go back again. They built a small home in Hillsboro which they shared until the passing of her husband on Feb. 2, 1953. Despite her loss and sorrow, she went on courageously speaking in churches on behalf of her life's interest, namely missions. She was always cheerful and friendly, welcoming one and all into her home. She was active in the home church, and the days did not seem long enough for her, for always the zeal for missions shone through her life.
In the last five years illness began to creep into her life, with increasing severity. X-ray treatments and surgery could not stop the spread of cancer within her body. The pain increased, and her energies decreased, but her desire to serve and live was with her always. In August 1959 she went to the Kansas University Medical Center for observation and treatment, but here received word that men could not help her any more.
Her daughter Nellie came from India on Oct. 8, 1959 to spend a year with her. After the return of Nellie, Mrs. Penner sold her home in Hillsboro and on Sept. 6, 1960, moved to her new home in the Bethel Home in Newton, Kansas. Here she served by working on mission albums which portray the work of missions in our conference. In the last weeks her illness took from her the use of her hearing and eyesight, and even her voice. On Nov. 1, she was taken to the Bethel Hospital. Here she passed away quietly on Friday, Nov. 3, at the age of 82 years, five months, 13 days.
She leaves to mourn, her daughter Nellie, Ratlam, M. P. India; three sisters, Anna, Aberdeen, Idaho, Kathe, Mrs. John Friesen, Aberdeen; a brother John, Reedley, Calif.; many nephews and nieces, and a host of friends.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1964 May 21 p. 6
text of obituary:
Newton, Kan. (GCNS). — The General Conference Mennonite Church has received a gift of $5,050 from the estate of the late Rev. P. W. Penner, who died Feb. 2, 1953, and his wife, Mathilda Penner, who died Nov. 3, 1961.
T%h Penners served as missionaries to India for 41 years, from 1908 to 1949. After retirement they made their home at Hillsboro, Kan.
