Buhr, Gerhard (George) (1918-2005)

Newton Kansan obituary: 2005 July 28 p. 2

Birth date: 1918 Jul 28

text of obituary:

Gerhard (George) Buhr

Gerhard (George) Buhr was born in Mount [sic Mountain] Lake, Minn., to Peter and Marie (Neufeld) Buhr July 28, 1918. he grew up speaking Low German, and the first years of his schooling were in a Mennonite parochial school. During his childhood, most activities were centered on the extended families and the First Mennonite Church where he was baptized July 5, 1938.

Basketball was gaining a foothold in southern Minnesota, and George found that he had an aptitude for the game. What he lacked in height, he made up for in quickness and determination. His love of sports developed into a lifetime career and a focal point for many of his activities and relationships.

After high school, he attended college for a year at Mankato before transferring to Freeman Junior College in Freeman, S.D., where he met his future wife, Mildred Waltner. Their marriage plans, however, were interrupted by World War II and the draft. George registered as a conscientious objector and worked in Civilian Public Service Camps in Denison, Iowa, Fort Collins, Colo., and North Fork, Calif. He worked primarily as a surveyor, helping out on the forest fire fighting crews also when needed.

After their marriage in 1945, George and Mildred embarked on a two-and-a-half- year voluntary service assignment in Paraguay where Mildred taught, and George helped settle Mennonite refugees from Europe who were displaced by the war.

After seven years of voluntary service, George finished his college degree at Bethel College when he and Mildred returned from Paraguay. he then embarked on a career in education and coaching, first in industrial arts in Lehigh and then for 10 years from 1955 to 1965 at Bethel College in North newton. There he served as athletic director and basketball coach, with short stints as football, track and golf coach when necessary.

In 1965, George and Mildred, along with their three sons, moved to Kansas City where he took a position teaching elementary school physical education at several schools in the Shawnee Mission District. He thoroughly enjoyed his new role, developing games and activities to exercise and develop the bodies of his young students.

In 1995, they moved to the Kidron Bethel Retirement Community in North Newton where they were both very involved in the life of the community. The close proximity to Bethel College afforded George the opportunity to watch his beloved Threshers, and he was often seen making his daily rounds to watch the progress of the various sports teams. George and Mildred rejoined Bethel College Mennonite Church and were active participants until their health failed.

Athletics and exercise were George's primary focus for his 87 years. In his alter years, he enjoyed walking, and particularly ice skating, even up until a few weeks ago. George also had a lifelong emphasis on service and he was quite active in Mennonite Disaster Service trips to various parts of the U.S. and Mexico.

One of Georg's greatest pleasures during the Kidron years was to visit with his friends in Low German. He and Mildred helped organize regular "Plautdietsch" conversation groups at Kidron-Bethel which were enjoyed by many from surrounding communities.

George passed away Sunday after a six-month illness. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife and two grandchildren. He is survived by: three sons and their wives, John and Vanessa of Newtown, Pa., Bruce and Meribeth of Wichita and Paul and Deanna of Goodland; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Memorials have been established with Kidron-Bethel Village, Bethel College and the Mennonite Central committee. A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Aug. 25 at Bethel College Mennonite Church. Family will greet friends from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 24 at the church.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2005 Aug 8 p. 3

text of obituary:

Former Bethel basketball coach dies at age 86

Led teams to first KCAC titles in 1956, ‘57 seasons

By Robert Rhodes

Mennonite Weekly Review

NORTH NEWTON, Kan. — George Buhr, who coached the Bethel College men’s basketball team to their first Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference championships, died July 24 at age 86 after a six-month illness.

Buhr, who grew up speaking Low German in the Mennonite community around Mountain Lake, Minn., led the Bethel teams to KCAC championships in 1956 and 1957. He coached basketball at Bethel from 1955-65, as well as serving a seven-year stint as athletic director and as football, track and golf coach when needed.

Milton Goering of Moundridge was Buhr’s assistant during those championship basketball seasons. He remembered Buhr as a good Christian who opened coaching sessions with a prayer.

“He just had a way of dealing with students,” Goering said Aug. 1. “He was a real student of basketball who did a lot of scouting.”

According to Bethel athletic director Diane Flickner, Buhr accumulated a career record of 132 wins and 117 losses in his 10 years as basketball coach.

The championship team of 1956, then known as the Graymaroons, had an impressive 22-4 record. They scored 1,899 points and held their opponents to 1,663.

During his year as football coach in 1957, he accumulated a 5-2 conference record on the way to a third-place finish over all, Flickner said.

Buhr stepped into the Bethel coaching job almost by happenstance, Goering — who saw a good season shaping up with a healthy roster of incoming players — said Bethel had hired a basketball coach in 1955, but previous contractual obligations squelched the deal.

“We were desperate for a basketball coach and I knew we had an influx of some really fine players,” Goering said. “We looked around, looked around. . . . We sort of favored the possibility of getting a Mennonite.”

At the time, Buhr, who had been a trainer for the Bethel team during his college years, was coaching high school sports at Lehigh.

“We suddenly thought about George Buhr and he was just delighted to take it and there it went,” Goering said. “He hadn’t even applied for the job, but he was delighted.”

Goering said the team Buhr and he coached lived up to their expectations, and then some.

“We just won games early,” Goering said. “He was very lucky because we had some of the best basketball players we ever had.”

In 1965, Buhr moved to Kansas City, where he taught elementary school physical education in the Shawnee Mission district.

In 1995, Buhr and his wife returned to North Newton, moving to Kidron Bethel Retirement Community. Buhr was often seen making the rounds of sports practices at Bethel and checking on the progress of the school’s various athletic teams.

Born July 28, 1918, at Mountain Lake, Minn. the son of Peter and Marie Neufeld Buhr, Gerhard “George” Buhr attended Mennonite schools in his early years.

After high school, he attended Mankato (Minn.) State College for a year and then Freeman (S.D.) Junior College, where he met Mildred Waltner, whom he married in 1945. Their marriage initially was delayed by World War II and Buhr’s work in Civilian Public Service camps in Denison, Iowa, Fort Collins, Colo., and North Fork, Calif.

After their marriage, the Buhrs served more than two years in Paraguay, where Mildred taught and George helped resettle Mennonite refugees from Europe.

After seven years of voluntary service, Buhr completed his degree at Bethel and began teaching.

Buhr was preceded in death by his parents, wife and two grandchildren. Surviving are three sons, John Buhr of Newtown, Pa., Bruce Buhr of Wichita and Paul of Goodland; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 25 at Bethel College Mennonite Church, where Buhr was a member.

Memorials may be made to Kidron-Bethel Village, Bethel College and Mennonite Central Committee.