Editing Kaethler, Wilhelm (1921-2000)

"Mennonite Brethren Herald" obituary: 2001 Jan 19 p. 29

Birth date: 1921 Feb 03

text of obituary:

<center><h3>WILHELM KAETHLER</h3></center>

Wilhelm Kaethler
passed away Nov. 26.
He was born Feb. 3,
1921 in Nikolaifeld,
Russia. His parents fled
to Paraguay with 9
children. The oldest
daughter had to stay
back and died of starvation with her small
boy in a concentration
camp. The youngest
daughter died while
they were living in
tents in the Chaco. At
12, he gave his life to
the Lord; he was baptized in 1939 and
joined the Evangelical
Mennonite Brethren
Church . He finished
high school at 17. He
then helped his father
on the farm. He attended Bible school in
1940, and then taught
grade school 1940-44.
He studied at Tabor
College in Hillsboro,
Kan. and Goshen (Ind.)
College and earned an
M.D. at Western Reserve University, Ohio.
In March 1952, after 9
years of waiting to
complete his studies,
he married Frieda in
Hillsboro, Kan. In 1953
they moved back to
Paraguay, where their
first daughter died. He
worked for a time in
Filadelfia. They moved
to Asuncion, where he
wrote 33 exams in
Spanish at the School
of Medicine so he
could practise medicine in Paraguay. He
served in various Mennonite settlements in
Paraguay, in Asuncion
and at the mission at
Km 81. In 1977 he finished a specialty in
general surgery in Germany. He worked in
the medical field fulltime until age 75 , He
also served in his
church and the community in various ways.
He was diagnosed
with liver cirrhosis and
ascites. With medical
care and a strict diet,
God added 5 years to
his life, He did parttime medical work up
to September 1999.
He kept working on
the yard and in the
garden until October
2000. He had a warm
heart for mission. He is
remembered as a loving, caring husband,
father and grandfather
who had a fruitful life
and experienced God's
grace in illness. He is
mourned by Frieda;
son Wilfried; daughter
Wilma Neufeld; 7
grandchildren; and 1
brother.

[[Category:Mennonite Brethren Herald obituaries]]