Neufeld, Elmer (1926-2009)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2009 Apr 6 p. 16

Birth date: 1926 Feb. 3

Former Bluffton president dies

Neufeld also served in leadership with MCC and GCMC

By MWR staff and Bluffton Univeristy

BLUFFTON, Ohio — Elmer Neufeld, former president of Bluffton University, who also served in leadership roles in the General Conference Mennonite Church and Mennonite Central committee, died march 30 at Mennonite Memoiral Home. He was 83.

"President Neufeld's life reflected the heart and soul of Bluffton for more than three decades," President James Harder said. "He also shared his leadership gifts in many important ways with other organizations throughout the church. He was both a great leader and carried a vision for the school."

Neufeld came to Bluffton as an assistant professor of philosophy in 1965. He became academic dean in 1974 before serving for 18 years as Bluffton's seventh president from 1978 to 1996.

In 2003 Bluffton named a new residence hall, Neufeld Hall, in his honor.

Bluffton was experiencing financial challenges when Neufeld took over as president, but he worked hard to restore its financial stability. The school's operating budget grew from $3.5 million to $15.7 million and the endowment from $1.5 million to 6.4 million during his tenure. He started the matching scholarship program, "200 by 2000."

Five new buildings went up while Neufeld served as president, and several new programs began, including a bachelor's degree completion program for working adults and master's degree in education program. The Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center also opened, and learning in retirement classes began.

Neufeld was known for promoting international cros-cultural learning and bringing more such opportunities to campus.

He was born Feb. 3, 1926, to Peter T. and Lena (Wiens) Neufeld on a farm near Inman, Kan.

On June 20, 1948, he married LaVera Regehr.

After Neufeld completed a bachelor's degree at Bethel College in North Newton, Kan., in 1951, they moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the national Service Board for Religious Objectors. They relocated to Chicago in 1954, where he earned a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Chicago. There they were members of Woodlawn Mennonite Church, taking special interest in interracial relations.

They next moved to Akron, Pa., where Neufeld worked for MCC. This led to three and a half years in Congo, where Neufeld served as country director for MCC.

In later years Neufeld continued his involvement with MCC as a board member and then as board chair from 1980 to 1988.

He was also involved in leadership of the General conference Mennonite Church, including serving as president.

Other involvements included leadership roles with the Commission on Overseas Mission, Congo Inland Mission/Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission, High Education Council, National Youth Advocacy Program and Habitat for Humanity.

In Ohio the Neufeld family joined First Mennonite Church of Lima, which later merged with Northside Mennonite to become Lima Mennonite Church. Neufeld played an integral role in leadership of the congregation and taught an adult Sunday school class for close to 40 years.

He loved the family homestead northwest of Bluffton, where he enjoyed raising sheep, chopping wood, planting trees and walking in the meadow with the dog.

An obituary from the family stated that Neufeld "steadfastly lived out his belief in peace, justice, education, hard work, the care of nature and service to all people."

He is survived by his wife, LaVera; his children, Carolyn Huffman and her husband, Jerry, of Pandora, Cynthia Neufeld Smith and her husband, Roger, of Topeka, Kan., Timothy Neufeld and his wife, Kristin, of Goshen, Ind., Iris Neufeld and her husband, Eric Basinger, of Findlay, and Francene Merrin and her husband, Greg, of Columbus; six grandchildren; three brothers, Adolf Neufeld, Herb Neufeld and Robert Neufeld; and a sister, Helen Jantz.

Services were held April 2 at First Mennonite Church of Bluffton.