Regier, David A. (1887-1956)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1956 Feb 16 p. 10

Birth date: 1887 Jun 8

text of obituary:

Retired EMB Minister Died At Mt. Lake

REV. D. A. REGIER WAS ACTIVE IN WORK OF E. M. B. CONFERENCE

Mountain Lake, Minn. — Funeral services for Rev. D. A. Regier, 68, well-known retired minister of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren church here and leader in E.M. B. Conference work, were held at the Bethel Mennonite Church Sunday afternoon, Feb. 5. More than700 persons attended.

Rev. Regier died suddenly in a heart attack Feb. 1 shortly after leaving a doctor's office. He had suffered the first attack only four days earlier.

A native of this community, Rev. Regier was ordained to the ministry in 1917. He served as pastor of the former Bruderthaler church, now the E.M. B. Church, here for more than 20 years. The congregation was founded by his grandfather, Elder Aaron Wall, in 1897.

He served as conference superintendent for several years, and was active in evangelistic and home missions endeavor. In recent years he had ministered to displaced persons of the community, conducting Bible classes and German services.

Surviving are his wife, the former Barbara Epp of Henderson, Neb., eight children, including two on the foreign mission field, and six grandchildren.

Ministers taking part in the funeral service were Rev. Henry Brandt, Rev. J. R. Barkman. Dr. J. R. Dick, Rev. Edward Duerksen, and Rev. H. P. Fast.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1956 Mar 1 p. 8

text of obituary:

DAVID A REGIER

David A. Regier was born near Mt. Lake, June 8, 1887, the third son of Johann J. and Katharina Wall Regier. In is boyhood days he studied at the parochial church school and later at the Mt. Lake Bible school.

His passing came very suddenly on Feb. 1 in the afternoon after having been stricken with a heart ailment less than five days before.

As a youth of 18 he experienced the new birth through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. The following year, July 8, 1906, he was baptized upon confession of his faith by Elder Heinrich I. Dick an [sic] received into fellowship of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren church, of which he remained a faithful member.

In the years 1912 to 1917 he attended school away from home, graduating from Moody Bible Institute in 1914 and the Chicago Theological Seminary. He attended Tabor college for one year. During the summer months of his student year he taught Sunday [line repeated in original] Schools in outlying school districts, did colportage work and conducted revival meetings.

On Nov. 25, 1917, by order of the conference he was ordained by Elder H. I. dick as a minister of the Gospel.

On June 11, 1918,he was married to Barbara E. Epp. To this union were born five sons and three daughters, all of whom survive him.

In the fall of the same year he was entrusted with the leadership of his home church. In that capacity he served more than 20 years. During the early years of his ministry he found great help and encouragement to be privileged to work together with the older ministers in the church and to benefit form their counsel. In those years he conducted evangelistic meetings in which it pleased the Lord to grant gracious revivals. Through the years when he was not in the active pastorate, he preached the Gospel when called upon and as needs presented themselves.

In the E. M. B. conference he served for many years as a member of the Home Mission Evangelistic committee and of the program committee. For many years he was a conference representative to the Mennonite Central Committee and a counselor for boys in I-W service. At the time of his passing he was active as a leader of the adult midweek Bible and prayer meeting, as a teacher of a young men's Sunday School class, member of the church council, member of the Conference Church Commission, and served as a spiritual leader and pastor for the displaced persons of the community.

During all the days of his ministry he found it necessary to farm to provide for himself and his family. it was a great joy to him that all his children accepted Christ in their early years and it was the burden of his heart that they all serve the Lord wholeheartedly.

Those surviving him are his wife and eight children. They are: Dr. Rufus Regier of Des Moines, Iowa; Evelyn of Japan; Elfrieda, Mrs. Melvin Loewen, of Belgium; Arnold of Mt. Lake; Elmer of Goshen, Ind.; Milton, now at home; John in voluntary service at Reedley, Calif.; and Mary, Ann, also at home. He also leaves three daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, six grandchildren, three sisters, one brother, three sisters-in-law and a host of relatives and friends.

He attained the age of 68 and was married over 37 years.

We do feel deeply the bereavement caused by the passing of our dear husband and father, but are comforted in the assurance that our Father in heaven has only thoughts of peace for His own. Jer. 29:11, — The Family.