Ewert, Louise Clara Richert (1915-1951)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Apr 19 p. 1, 3

Birth date: 1915 Aug 16

text of obituary:

Ewert Funerals Held At Freeman Last Sunday

THOUSANDS ATTEND AS FOUR MEMBERS OF ONE FAMILY ARE LAID TO REST

(By Marion Kliewer, Journalism Student of Walter Ewert)

Four members of the William J. Ewert family of Marion, S. D. were laid to rest Sunday, April 15.

Funeral services for W. J. Ewert; his son, Walter E. Ewert; Mrs. Walter E. Ewert; and a daughter of Walter Ewerts, Sylvia; were held at 2 p.m. in Pioneer Hall at Freeman Junior College, Freeman, S. D.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Ewert with their family left Lawrence, Kans., Wednesday morning to be at the bedside of his father who was critically ill. At 5:30 p.m. their automobile collided head-on with a semi-trailer transport one mile north of Onawa, Iowa. Three members of the family were killed instantly.

The remaining son, Ronald, was taken to the Onawa hospital where his condition on Friday was reported as “critical.” X-rays showed that he suffered a crushed chest and fractures of one hip and his jaw. Hospital authorities said it would be a day or two before they would say if he would live or not.

The truckdriver, Wilbur Kaintz, Council Bluffs, Iowa, was uninjured. He told highway patrolmen the Ewert car skidded on snow-packed U. S. highway 75. The Ewert car (with Mrs. Ewert probably driving) skidded under the rear of the big transport and was literally broken into shreds.

The elder Ewert died at 2 pm Thursday, April 12, without knowing of the death of his son’s family.

Mr. Ewert joined the faculty of the William Allen White School of

Journalism and Public Information, Lawrence, Kan., in the fall of 1948. He was an assistant professor of journalism and was faculty adviser to the University Daily Kansan, official student publication at Kansas University. He taught courses in reporting and supervised the reporting and editing laboratories.

Bethel College Graduates

Mr. and Mrs. Ewert were graduates of Bethel college, North Newton, Kan. After graduation in 1937, he did public relations work at Bethel. He received his master’s degree in journalism in 1940 from Northwestern university, Chicago. He taught journalism at the Englewood Evening Junior college while attending Northwestern.

In 1941 Mr. Ewert went to work as reporter on the Chicago Sun. He stayed on the Sun until 1914, when he got a job as reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune. He left the Tribune in late 1947, and taught journalism at South high school in Minneapolis until February, 1948.

The Ewerts were members of the First Mennonite church, but participated in the activities of the Lawrence Presbyterian church. Mrs. Ewert was the Sunday school pianist.

Sponsored Mennonite Fellowship

They were responsible for the organization of the K. U. Mennonite fellowship several years ago. Mr. Ewert was the fellowship sponsor. On Sunday, April 8, they participated in a Communion service sponsored by the Mennonite fellowship.

In October, 1950, he underwent an eye operation to correct a detached retina. His sight was improved as a result of the operation.

Mr. Ewert was 37; his wife, Louise, was 37; Sylvia was 8; and Ronald is 6.

Mr. Ewert is survived by his mother, Mrs. W. J. Ewert; Mrs. Ewert is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Richert, Los Angeles, Calif; and one brother, Rev. Irwin Richert, Dalton, Ohio.

Funeral Services

Bethel College friends who attended the combined funerals at Freeman Sunday included Prof. and Mrs. Willis Rich, Dr. and Mrs. Harley Stucky and Mrs. Cor. Krahn.

An estimated 2,000 persons filled Pioneer Hall, with perhaps another 1,000 gathered outside. Rev. Glen Epp of Dolton, S. D. read the opening Scripture and led in prayer. President Edmund Miller of Freeman Jr. College preached the funeral sermon. Another sermon was by Rev. Harold D. Burkholder of Omaha, Nebr., a former pastor of Mrs. Ewert at Los Angeles, Calif. The Freeman Jr. College choir sang “O Power of Love," "Unto the Hills” "Be Still my Soul" and two German selections, “Befiehl du Deine Wege" and "So nimm denn meine Haende." Dr. Harold Gross of Freeman led in prayer at the close. Organ music during the processional was by Elvira Voth.

More than an hour was required for the thousands of sorrowing friends to pass the four caskets. Three hearses carried the bodies back to the Dolton church where they were laid to their final resting place, side by side, in Rosehill cemetery.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 May 31 p. 9

text of obituary:

LOUISE RICHERT EWERT

Louise Clara Richert Ewert, daughter of mr. and Mrs. A. J. Richert of Los Angeles, Calif., was born on August 16, 1915, as [sic] Newton, Kansas. She lost her life together with her husband and daughter on April 11, 1951, having reached the age of 33 years, seven months and 26 days.

At the age of 14 she was baptized and received as a member of the Immanuel Mennonite church of Los Angeles, Calif., by the pastor, Rev. Albert Claassen.

Louise had her first schooling in Newton, Kans., but moved with her parents to Los Angeles, Calif., where she continued school attendance at Franklin high school and Los Angeles Junior college from which she graduated in 1936. She took further college work at Bethel college, North Newton, Kans., and received the B.A. degree in 1938.

Having taken an active interest in library work ever since junior high school days, she then entered the University of Southern California library school from which she received a diploma in Library Science in June, 1939. She accepted a position as assistant librarian in the Burbank public library which she held until her marriage in June, 1942.

The young couple established their home in Evanston, Ill., where their first child, Ronald William was born in August, 1944. They moved to Minneapolis, Minn., that same winter where Walter became a reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune, assigned to the courts.

Their second child, Sylvia, Kathleen, was born on September 13 1947, at Los Angeles, Calif.

When the William Allen White School of Journalism was established at the University of Kansas, Walter was invited to become assistant professor, teaching feature writing and serving as sponsor of the student paper.

Although their work took the Ewerts to places where there were no established Mennonite churches, they were active in promoting and encouraging Mennonite Fellowship group meetings. They kept their membership in their respective home churches, but took active part in Sunday school and church activities in some Protestant church wherever they lived.

Walter and Louise also acted as a working partnership in hs profession, in which she was his right hand. their individual talents complemented each other so that they had become one efficient whole.

Upon notification on April 11 that Mr. Ewert was rapidly failing, the Walter Ewert family left Lawrence by automobile at 10 in the morning hoping to arrive at the parental home while their father was still alive. At about 5:30 in the evening n the vicinity of Onawa, Iowa, the Ewert automobile was involved in a collision with a semi-truck which snuffed out the lives of Walter, Louise and little Sylvia Kathleen, leaving the son, Ronald William, seriously injured. The friendly citizens of Onawa, to whom the victims were total strangers, stepped in as one man, caring for the living child and the dead victims as tenderly as if they were their own.

WALTER and Louise Ewert and their two children. Ronnie is the only survivor.

The Mennonite obituary: 1951 May 29 p. 355