Slagel, Vesta Zook (1891-1973)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 26 Apr 1973 p. 11

Birth date: 1891 Mar 26

text of obituary

VESTA ZOOK SLAGEL

Vesta Zook Slagel, daughter John D. and Mary Schantz Zook was born March 26, 1891 near Topeka, Ind., and died on Feb. 19, 1873, at the Meadows Nursing Home at Meadows, Ill., follows a couple years of Illness and often much pain.

Funeral services were held at the Topeka Mennonite Church on Feb. 22, with Rev. Abe Peters bringing the message. Burial was at noon March 3 in the Maple Grove Cemetery at Topeka with Rev. A. E. Kreider giving the graveside meditation.

An only brother preceded her in death a number of years ago. She is survived by a son, Donald, formerly from Maine but recently moving to Chicago, Ill., and nephew, Arthur Slagel of Columbus, Ohio.

She was married to Arthur Slagel of Flanagan, Ill. 1925. He was killed in April 1943 in a farm accident.

Vesta was a person of many talents. She graduated from Goshen College in 1915 and taught Home Economics there for a few years. While there in 1920 she and Vinora Weaver Salzman received a call to become the first women to go out under the Mennonite Central Committee. She left for Constantinople, Turkey (now Istanbul) in the early part of 1921. While there she had charge of a Russian orphanage and served efficiently in that capacity, returning home in the summer of 1922. Soon after her return she married and become an equally efficient wife and mother. She took care of her mother in her home in Topeka until her mother's death. She lived in Topeka, teaching in the country schools a few years, until she could no longer care for herself. She lived with Donald in Maine for a year and then came to the Meadows Home where she lived until her death.

Vesta was a wonderful friend. She had a unique talent as a conversationalist, taking the conversation away from herself to those things that were close your heart and mind. Now she is resting from her labors and her works do follow her."—Vinora Weaver Salzman.