Shelly, Elwood S. (1878-1949)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 Nov 10 p. 1

Birth date: 1878

text of obituary:

BLIND MINISTER OF EASTERN DISTRICT DIED AT AGE 71

Pennsburg. Pa. — Rev. Elwood S. Shelly, 71, blind minister who served Eastern District Conference churches for 36 years, died at his home here on Oct. 18 after a long illness. For 16 years before his retirement he was pastor of the Menno Simons Mennonite church, Boyertown.

A large congregation attended the funeral services at the West Swamp church on Saturday. Oct 22.

He is survived by his wife, Katie Rickert Shelly, and four children: Rev. Paul R. Shelly of Bluffton college; Rev. Andrew R. Shelly of Kitchener, Ont.; Mrs. Richard Weaver of Willow Run, Mich., and Kathryn of Norristown.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 Nov 10 p. 3

text of obituary:

REV. ELWOOD S. SHELLY

Rev. Elwood S. Shelly, blind minister of the Eastern District Conference, died at his home in Pennsburg, Pa. on Tuesday, Oct 18, following a long illness. He was 71.

Rev. Shelly was born in Milford Square, Bucks county, and for many years attended the West Swamp Mennonite church. He was always handicapped with poor eyesight, never being able to see anything at night. For the last half century he was blind.

Rev. Shelly was received into the membership of the West Swamp church near Quakertown in 1893, by Rev. A. B. Shelly. He retained his membership in this church until 1923, when he joined the Hereford Mennonite church in Bally, at which time he was appointed assistant pastor of the church. On November 4, 1905, he was united in marriage to Katie May Richert, of the Deep Run congregation.

He felt called to the Christian ministry. To prepare for this work he attended a short-term session at Perkiomen Seminary, Pennsburg, and also took the reading course sponsored by the Eastern District Conference.

During his entire life in the ministry he was dependent on others to do his reading for him for the preparation of his sermons. His wife, his children, and then during the last few years in the active ministry, Miss Sara R. Kait, R. N. performed this task. Throughout his long illness Miss Kait attended him.

He began his ministry in 1902 and served Eastern District Conference churches until the time of his retirement from the active ministry on account of illness in 1938. At the beginning of his ministry he served as assistant pastor of the West Swamp Mennonite church for a short time. His pastorates included the following: Upper Milford, Zionsville; Union Chapel, Chapel: Saucon Mennonite church, Coopersburg: Old Folks Home, Frederick: and Menno Simons Mennonite church, Boyerstown [sic Boyertown]. He was also assistant pastor of the Hereford Mennonite Church, Bally, for a number of years.

In addition to his work in these churches he also did supply preaching in practically all of the Eastern District Conference churches and also in churches of other denominations.

During the first twenty years of his ministry. Rev. Shelly's faithful horse became a familiar sight in the church yards in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Frequently, leaving a long while before daybreak, he met appointments summer and winter, often preaching three times in one day in the German or English languages. His remarkable memory enabled him to retain what he heard.

Because of his physical handicap he did not earn his living by his labors for the church so that for most of his life all of this work was done on marginal time. For twenty-five years he worked as night operator for the Bell Telephone Company at Pennsburg. He also was a salesman for a number of years when emergencies arose which required an added income.

He will be remembered as one who did not regard his limitations as handicaps but as one who triumphed through them. He was a person who always manifested a triumphant faith regardless of the circumstances in which he found himself. He was ever optimistic in his outlook on life. He also had a profound spirit of trustfulness and assurance in the Lord whom he served and always was able to look beyond this present scene to the home beyond to which there will be joy with Christ eternally.

The funeral service was held in the West Swamp Mennonite church on Saturday morning, Oct. 22. Rev. Wilmer Shelly, pastor, Hereford Mennonite church, Bally, Pa.; Rev. A. S. Rosenberger, pastor of West Swamp church, and Rev. Herbert Fretz, president of Eastern District Conference, had charge. The ministers from other denominations, sang one of his favorite hymns, "Near to the Heart of God,” at the service.

There survive his wife, Mrs. Katie (Richert) Shelly; two sons, Paul, assistant professor of Bible, Bluffton college; and Andrew, pastor, Stirling Avenue Mennonite church, Kitchener, Ontario; two daughters, Kathryn, Norristown; and Margaret, wife of J. Richard Weaver, Willow Run, Michigan; and three grandchildren, Gerald Elwood, Cynthia Ruth, and Margaret Louise Weaver.

The Mennonite obituary: 1949 Nov 8 p. 11
The Mennonite obituary: 1949 Nov 22 p. 9