Kauffman, Sanford (1935-1953)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1953 Oct 22 p. 1

Birth date: 1935

text of obituary:

Three Students Drowned

Class Outing Of Western Mennonite School, Oregon, Ends in Tragedy

Portland, Oregon. — Three students of Western Mennonite School near Salem drowned in Crescent Lake Thursday evening, Oct. 15, when their motorboat overturned during a school outing. Victims of the tragic mishap were Sanford Kauffman, 18, of Creston, Mont., Wayne Snyder, 18, of Filler [sic Filer], Idaho, and Ellen West, 17, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence West, Sweet Home, Ore.

A fourth passenger in the boat, Norma Jean Kauffman, 17, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. George Kauffman of Brownsville, Oregon, was able to stay afloat until rescued by a man who heard her screams and came to the scene in another boat.

Miss Kauffman, who was taken to a clinic for treatment of shock and exposure, said she and her companions had gone out on the lake about dusk. She did not know what caused the boat to capsize.

The four young people were members of a group of 23 who had gone on the annual Senior Sneak Day outing. They were accompanied by Rev. Clayton Swartzendruber, principal of the school.

Crescent Lake is located high in the Cascade mountains southeast of Portland.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1953 Oct 22 p. 6

text of obituary:

. . .

— Mrs. Adolf G. Reimer of Newton and her sister of Hesston College left this week for Cresston, Montana to attend funeral services for their brother Sanford Kauffman, who with two other students of Western Mennonite School drowned in a lake in Oregon. The services were to be held on Wednesday.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1953 Nov 19 p. 11

text of obituary:

BERDENA ELLEN WEST

Berdena Ellen West, daughter of Clarence and Berdena (Miller) West of Sweet Home, Oregon, was born Jan. 4, 1936, at Hubbard, Oregon, and departed this life on Oct. 15, 1953, aged 17 years, 10 months and 11 days.

She accepted Christ as her Saviour at the age of nine years and united with the Sweet Home Mennonite church. She delighted in serving her Lord in singing, teaching, handing out tracts, or testifying in whatever way she could.

Her heart's desire was to be a missionary and God chose her to be just that when He called her home. Four young people were boating on Crescent Lake when for no apparent reason the boat overturned and three were drowned. Norma Jean Kauffman was miraculously saved to tell the story. They all prayed that God's will be done. May this be a warning to us all to be ready at all times. She is survived by her parents, a brother, Robert Dean, and a sister Marilyn Nadine.

Joint funeral services for Ellen, Sanford Kauffman and Wayne Snyder were held at the Western Mennonite school near Salem, Ore., with Bro. Allan Erb, Bro. N. A. Lind, and Bro. Marcus Lind in charge. burial was made in the Sweet Home cemetery.

”Only one life, 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last.”