Zacharias, Abraham K. (1879-1952)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1952 Feb 14 p. 9

Birth date: 1879 Sep 8

text of obituary:

ABRAHAM K. ZACHARIAS

Abraham K. Zacharias, son of Aaron and Mary Zacharias who had emigrated to Kansas from Russia, was born at Hillsboro, Kansas, on September 8, 1879. It was there that he grew to manhood and got his early education and training.

In 1948 he had a stroke from which he never fully recovered. During his lingering ailment he had to spend some time at the Blosser hospital at Atwater, Calif. and at the General hospital at Merced, California where he stayed off and on when he was not able to stay at home. For some time he stayed at the old people's home at Winton, but on January 18, 1952 he got worse again and had to be taken back to the General hospital at Merced where he passed away on Wednesday afternoon, January 30, at the age of 72 years, four months and 22 days.

On May 19, 1907, he was baptized upon his profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour by Rev. Peter Balzer and was received into the fellowship of the Alexanderwohl Mennonite church.

On May 30, 1904, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Hiebert. This union was blessed with three children, one son Alvin and two daughters, Ella and Rozella.

After their marriage, they took up housekeeping on a farm in the community of Goessel, Kans. After several years of farming, they moved to Lehigh, Kans. where he was in business for about six years.

In the spring of 1922, the family moved on a farm near Gotebo, Oklahoma, where they united with the Ebenezer church. In 1940 they left Oklahoma and moved to Winton, California where he had been residing since. It was in 1940 that the Bethel church at Winton wad organized and Bro. and Sister Zacharias became charter members of the congregation.

He leaves to mourn his departure, his son Alvin of Winton, Calif.; two daughters, Mrs. Wilbur Pankratz of McArthur, Calif. and Mrs. Ross George of Atwater, Calif.; one daughter-in-law and two sons-in-law; 13 grandchildren, two sisters, Miss Susan Zacharias and Mrs. Mary Kasper of Gotebo, Oklahoma; three brothers, Jacob and Aaron of Gotebo, Okla. and Henry of Hillsboro, Kans. He was preceded in death by his parents his wife, two sisters and two brothers and three grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at the Bethel church at Winton or Monday, Feb. 4, at two o'clock. Rev. Elmer Basinger, who is at present serving the church as supply minister, had charge of the services, assisted by Rev. Dillman B. Hess, a former pastor of the congregation. A male quartet composed of Herbert Heppner, Kermit Dirks, Leonard and Normal Yost, sang “Sometime, Somewhere" and “No Night There," at the church, and at the cemetery “Going Down the Valley, One by One." Miss Marlene Heppner served as organist.

The brethren Carl Hultgren, Abe and Herbert Heppner, Ben Schroeder, Joel Koehn, and Peter Yost served as pall bearers. Interment was made in the Winton cemetery.

Among those attending the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Zacharias and two sons, Erwin and Herman, from Gotebo, Oklahoma, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Pankratz and Mrs. Abraham Pankratz from Reedley, California, Mrs. Paul Pankratz and Mrs. Edd Pankratz of Fresno, Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Pankratz and family from McArthur, Calif.

The Mennonite obituary: 1952 Mar 11 p. 176