Steiner, Elno Willis (1924-2009)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2009 Oct 26 p. 9

Birth date: 1924 Nov 28

text of obituary:

ELNO W. STEINER

Elno Willis Steiner, 84, of Goshen, Ind., died Oct. 16, 2009, at Elkhart General Hospital. He was born Nov. 28, 1924, to Homer and Bertha (Zuercher) Steiner in Kidron, Ohio, the eldest of 11 children.

He married Mabel Smeltzer on June 14, 1947, at Olive Mennonite Church, Elkhart.

He received a bachelor’s degree in Bible from Goshen College in 1950 and a bachelor of theology degree in 1951 from Goshen Biblical Seminary. He was ordained as a minister in 1951. He served as a pastor at the following Mennonite churches: Olive in Elkhart; Waterford, Goshen; Pleasant View and Chestnut Ridge, Orrville, Ohio; Grand Marais, Upper Peninsula, Mich.; Sonnenberg, Kidron, Ohio; and Salem, Wooster, Ohio. He retired after 50 years of pastoral ministry in 2002.

He had a genuine pastor’s heart and was an encourager to many. He devoted his life to serving others, and did volunteer service in Pinckney, Mich., and Des Allemands, La. He was precious to his family, and they treasured him. He loved gardening and was a writer and poet. He was admired, respected and beloved by his family, friends and congregational members alike.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Mabel; three children, Charlie Steiner and his wife, Cheryl, of Goshen, Carol Scheerer and her husband, Dan, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Gloria Hood and her husband, Mike, of Indianapolis; five brothers, Roy Steiner of Mission, Texas, George Steiner of Wooster, Ohio, Marion Steiner of Temperance, Mich., Clayton Steiner of Kidron, Ohio, and Kenneth Steiner of Orrville, Ohio; three sisters, Viola Kuhns of Goshen, Dorothy Miller of Wilmot, Ohio, and Norma Eberly of Jeromesville, Ohio; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by three children, David Lee, of a heart condition, Timothy Bay, stillborn, and Donald Lynn, killed in a car- train accident; a brother, Lee Steiner; and a sister, Arlene Nussbaum.

Funeral services were held at Olive Mennonite Church. Burial was in Olive West Cemetery.