Wall, Gerhard A. (1870-1947)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1947 Dec 11 p. 5

Birth date: 1870 May 28

text of obituary:

. . .

— Funeral services were held at the Halstead Mennonite church last Friday for Gerh. A. Wall, 77, who passed away at the Halstead hospital on Dec. 3 after being a patient there since last July. The service was conducted by Rev. Loris Habegger, and pall bearers were former pupils of Mr. Wall at the Peaceful school near Moundridge. Mr. Wall was employed by the Century Clothing company in Newton for many years, but had lived at Walters, Okla., from 1930 to 1946.

---

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1947 Dec 18 p. 3

text of obituary:

GERHARD A. WALL

Gerhard A. Wall, son of Gerhard and Maria Reimer Walde, was born May 28, 1870, in Bergansk [sic Berdjansk], Russia, 16 miles form the Azov Sea. His father, a tailor, had died four months before his birth, and his mother died when he was three years old. He was brought to this country at the age of 11, along with three other orphans, ward of the late Rev. and Mrs. Franz Ediger of Hebron, Kansas. He accepted Christ and was baptized at the Hebron Mennonite church at the age of 14. After two years at Teacher's College, Emporia, he taught school for some years at Peaceful School four miles northwest of Moundridge, and also at a school near Goessel, Kansas.

On April 4, 1897, he was married to Mollie A. Ruth, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry G. Ruth of Garden township. To this union were born two children, Ruth Rena and Homer Ray. For a time he had a partnership in the Star Clothing company of Hutchinson, and later in Blackwell, Okla. While in Hutchinson he and his wife became members of the Baptist church. In 1901 he took up a claim in Comanche county, Okla., near Walters, where he and his wife organized the first Sunday School church, and literary society in that community, and where they endured the rigors of pioneer life on the prairies.

In 1908 he brought his family back to Kansas, and for years was employed by the Century Clothing company of Newton. For 15 years he attended the First Mennonite church of Newton. His beloved wife, Mollie, preceded him in death May 4, 1914. He also lost his grandson, Robert Walter Rose, age 10, in 1933.

In 1921 he was married to Mrs. May Steele of Newton. He returned to the farm near Walters, Okla. in1930, where he resided until 1946, when he moved to Walters. Here he again became a faithful member of the Baptist church and had much joy in Christian fellowship with his friends.

In July 1947 his diabetic condition necessitated an amputation of the right limb, which was done at Wichita Falls, Texas on July 12. He had been a patient in the Halstead hospital since July 17. After failing rapidly for about a month, he passed away at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, December 3, 1947, having attained the age of 77 years six months and six days. Friendly by nature, he enjoyed seeing his friends at the hospital and visiting with his many roommates there.

Surviving him are his daughter, Mrs. Ruth Rose of Halstead; his son, Homer Ray Wall and wife of Houston, Texas; his niece, Miss Pearl Wall, and her mother, Mrs. Alice Wall of Rockford, Colorado. His brother A. J. Wall, preceded him in death 24 years ago, as did a sister, Rena. She and her family lost their lives in the revolution in Russia.

The funeral service was held at the Mennonite church in Halstead, Friday, Dec. 5, at 2:30 p. m. with Rev. Loris Habegger conducting the service and using as his text Psalm 90 and part of 91. Soft electronic music was heard during the entire service. Among the favorite hymns used were “Abide With Me” and “The Lord’s Prayer” by Malotte. The Andante from Brahm’s First symphony and Dvorak’s Going Home were used as processional and recessional.

The pallbearers, former students or Mr. Wall during his Peaceful School days near Moundridge, were Dave Z. Zerger, H. W. Krehbiel, E. T. Stucky and Ben B. Krehbiel, all of Moundridge, and Val W. Krehbiel and Dan J. Stucky of McPherson. Interment was made in Halstead cemetery.