If this site was useful to you, we'd be happy for a small donation. Be sure to enter "MLA donation" in the Comments box.
Toews, Claus W. (1873-1951)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Dec 20 p. 3
Birth date: 1873
text of obituary:
Three Kansas Pioneers Called by Death
ALL THREE WERE AMONG EMIGRANTS FROM RUSSIA IN 1870'S
Inman, Kansas. — Two pioneer Mennonite settlers of this community were called by death on succeeding days last week. Both were born in Russia and came to this country in the migrations of the 1870's.
Funeral services were held at the Hoffnungsau Mennonite church Monday afternoon for Henry A. Heidebrecht, 87, retired farmer who passed away at his home on Dec. 14. He came to this country at the age of nine, and had lived in the Inman community 57 years.
Survivors include two daughters, five sons, 28 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, two brothers and two sisters.
Mrs. Katherina J. Reimer, who was born in Russia June 21, 1863, and came to this community 75 years ago, died at the Bethesda hospital, Goessel, on Dec. 15. She was a member of the Inman Mennonite church where funeral services were to be held Wednesday afternoon.
Mrs. Reimer is survived by two daughters, two sons, 16 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, seven brothers and one sister.
Windom, Kans. — Funeral services were held at the Zion Church of God in Christ, Mennonite for Klaus W. Toews, retired farmer and a long-time resident of Windom who passed away at the McPherson hospital on Dec. 15. He came to the U.S. from Russia when a child.
Survivors in the immediate family are his wife, Agnes, three daughters, two sons, 24 grandchildren and eight [great] grandchildren.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1952 Jan 3 p. 9
text of obituary:
Our husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Claus [sic] W. Toews, was born Feb. 19, 1873 in the village of Neuanlage, South Russia.
He died Dec. 15, 1951, at 2:30 p.m. in the McPherson Hospital, McPherson, Kansas, at the age of 78 years, nine months and 24 days. The cause of his death was a heart ailment.
At the age of six months, he with his parents, Jacob and Kathrine Toews, immigrated to America, making their home at Rosenort, Man., Can. At the age of 16, he and his parents moved to the wild prairies of North Dakota, settling near Langdon, where he grew to manhood and received a meager education. The settlers being poor he toiled with them through the hardships of those early years.
In all this he felt his lost condition and experienced a true conversion and was baptized at the age of 20 in 1893 by Min. Dan Holdeman and added to the Church of God in Christ Mennonite.
On Oct. 19, 1897 he joined in holy matrimony with Agnes Penner and they shared joys and sorrow together for 54 years, one month and 27 days. To this union seven children were born, four sons and three daughters: Katie, Mrs. P. P. Isaac, Conway, Kans., Agnes of the home, Pete W. Toews of Winton, Calif., Mrs. Alma Altman of Enoch, Tex. and Abe R. Toews of Windom, Kans. Two sons, Jacob at the age of four; Nick, who was taken from his wife, Mamie and children a year ago; two grandchildren; four brothers and five sisters (of whom he was the last one) preceded him in death.
In 1915, when many were moving to Texas, he with his family left his home and moved to Littlefield. Here again they started a new home from the very beginning. The first three years were especially difficult. It was not so long until the little congregation that had formed began to move away and only a few families remained. This created a lonely feeling and a longing to be where the church was more established. Through hard work we again established a comfortable home and enjoyed the warm climate. Father was becoming old in age, so it was very hard for us to leave. Seeking upon our knees before God what steps to take with our family, we decided to move to Inman, Kans. where we lived during the last 11 years. Our lot was that we lived mostly where there was no presiding minister nor a church building in which to have our meetings. Father helped along with his God-given talent as much as he could. To many traveling ministers, as well as to the community, the doors of his house were open, and a hearty welcome given to hold meetings, which also was a blessing to many. In his younger years, father did much reading in the Bible and much of the history of the Martyrs who suffered so much for their faith. He often regretted his shortcomings and mistakes and confessed them, especially in the evening of his life. He quoted songs and prayed much the last two weeks and through the grace of God received as it were a foretaste of heaven. He had a lively hope and a longing to depart and be with the Lord. When the family was singing the song "Himmelan geht unsre Bohn" he helped sing as long as he could. Especially did he sing the words, "Himmelan nur steht mein Sinn, bis ich in dem Himmel bin.
Father has been in poor health for a long time and was bedfast tor two weeks before his death, when he peacefully fell asleep. He leaves to mourn his departure, his now deeply bereaved companion, two sons, three daughters, 24 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and a host of relatives and friends.
Funeral services were held Dec. 20, at 1:00 p.m. at the home and at 2:00 o’ clock at the Zion church when Min. F. H. Wenger spoke words of comfort from Psalm 32:1-2 and II Tim. 4:6-8. Burial made in the Zion cemetery. — Mother and Family
