Harms, Karoline Schmidt (1877-1954)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1954 Oct 21 p. 8

Birth date: 1877 Mar 4

text of obituary:

. . .

— Funeral services for Mrs. Karoline Harms, 77, who died at her home near Whitewater Sunday afternoon, were held Tuesday afternoon at the First Mennonite church of Newton of which she was a member. Rev. D. J. Unruh was in charge of the service at the church, and Rev. A. J. Dirks conducted graveside services at the Grace Hill cemetery. Mrs. Harms, the former Karoline Schmidt, came to this country from Russia 60 years ago. She is survived by four children, Amanda of the home, Mrs. Arthur Penner of Valley Center, Waldo V. and Jacob A. of the Whitewater community, and by eight grandchildren.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1954 Dec 2 p. 8

text of obituary:

MRS. KAROLINE HARMS

Mrs. Karoline Schmidt Harms, daughter of Peter and Susanna Unruh Schmidt, was born at Heinrichsdorf in Polish Russia on March 4, 1877. She died Oct. 17, at 5:25 p.m. at her home in Pleasant Township, Harvey County, Kansas where she had lived for the past 51 years.

In 1894, at the age of 16 years, she came to America together with her mother, two brothers and one sister. They settled in the vicinity of Goessel, Kansas where she lived the first ten years of her life in America.

On May 2, 1894, she was baptized upon confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour from sin by Elder Jacob Buller and became a member of the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church. At the time of her death she was a member of the First Mennonite church, Newton, Kansas.

On October 1, 1903, she was married to John M. Harms. To this union four children were born. On June 15, 1923, her husband died leaving her with the responsibility of the home and the farm. Her mother and her husband's mother were cared for by her in her home in the declining years of their lives. Her brother Daniel also shared the hospitality for her relatives and friends.

She was an industrious and thrifty mother and manager, a tireless worker even though not always physically well. She became seriously ill this past summer and on July 22 was admitted to the Bethel Deaconess hospital in Newton. After eight days she returned to her home. Here she was tenderly cared for by her children until her death.

She is survived by two daughters, Amanda of the home, Rachel and husband Art Penner, Route 2, Valley Center; two sons, Waldo and wife Hilda, and Jacob and wife Edith of R.F.D., Whitewater; eight grandchildren, a number of nieces and nephews and other relatives.

She was the last of a family of 12 children to survive.