Roth, Jacob G. (1871-1948)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1948 Jan 15 p. 3

Birth date: 1871 Nov 16

text of obituary:

JACOB G. ROTH

Jacob G. Roth, son of the late Joseph and aMry [sic] Gerig Roth, was born near Smithville, Wayne county, Ohio on November 16, 1871. He departed this life at the Goshen City hospital, Goshen, Indiana on November 16, 1947, having attained the age of 76 years.

At the age of 18 he came to the Wayland, Iowa community to work. Shortly afterward he became a Christian and united with the Sugar Creek Mennonite church, in which fellowship he was a faithful member at the time of his death.

On July 29, 1892, he was united in marriage to Bertha Wyse, with whom he lived in happy union for 55 years. Five children were born to this union, of whom two died in early childhood.

During the first four years of their married life, they lived on several farms in the Wayland community, and then moved back to Wayne County, Ohio for one year. Returning to Iowa, they purchased a farm three miles east of Wayland which was their home until they retired in 1929 and moved to their present home in East Wayland.

Death resulted from a heart attack which came while he was attending the funeral services for his grandson, Loren Lee Gingerich, at Goshen. Death came suddenly after he had made an apparent satisfactory recovery and was planning to leave the hospital the following day.

He was a kind father and husband, always providing in a good way for every need of those who were near and dear to him. For a man of limited educational advantage, he had unusually keen insight and understanding of human nature and philosophy. He believed in young people and sought ways to help them to become worthy citizens of the community. Perhaps this was a kind of thank offering because he remembered and often spoke of those who trusted him and helped him when he was trying to acquire a home and make a livelihood. He was interested in every move for improvement and expansion, not only in material things but also in the program of the Church.

He leaves to mourn his going home his deeply bereaved wife, Bertha; two daughters, Mina (Mrs. C. L. Graber) and Verna (Mrs. Melvin Gingerich) both of Goshen, Indiana; one son, Arthur W. of Orrtanna, Pa.; two brothers and two sisters, Chris H. and Peter G. Roth, and Mrs. Mary Boese of Wayland, Iowa, and Mrs. Vernon Amstutz of Smithville, Ohio., also, eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild survive him.

"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yes, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours: and their works do follow them." Rev, 14:13.

Funeral services were held at the Culp Funeral Home, Goshen, on Tuesday, November 18. Services were conducted by S. C. Yoder and J. D. Graber. Final services were held at the Sugar Creek church, Wayland, on Thursday, November 20 at 2:00 p.m. in charge of the home ministers, Simon Gingerich and Willard Liechty. The body was interred in the family lot in the cemetery near the church.