Fretz, Maggie F. (1861-1949)

Revision as of 20:20, 2 May 2010

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 4 Aug 1949 p. 3

Birth date: 1861

text of obituary:

Maggie F. Fretz, daughter of Henry and Anna Kratz Fretz, was born July 3, 1861, in Lincoln County, Ontario, Canada.

Early in 1884 she accompanied her cousin, Anna Rittenhouse, who had just married Minister Allen M. Fretz of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, back to Pennsylvania. There she met her future husband, Francis M. Fretz, a younger brother to Allen. Two years later, Francis journeyed to Ontario and on March 3, 1886, they were married at her home.

She was baptized on confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by Bishop Moses H. Gottshall on May 1, 1886, and was received into the membership of the Deep Run Mennonite congregation of the Eastern Conference, of which she was always a faithful member. For many years she was president of the Women's Missionary Aid Society, and a Sunday school teacher.

They resided on part of the old homestead until 1943 when they retired from farming and moved to 310 Race St., Perkasie, Penna.

For the past 18 months she had been bedfast due to a fractured hip, but her cheerful dispositon and strong faith in the Lord never weakened. During these days she loved to quietly sing to herself her favorite hymns, "Jesus Paid It All" and "Nearer My God To Thee."

Throughout all this time she and her invalid husband remained at each other's side devoted companions to the end. Suffering a minor stroke a week previous, she fell asleep on June 17, 1949, even as she had lived — cheerful and calm in the Lord!

She was almost 88 years of age, and is survived by her husband Francis; a daughter, Martha, and her husband, Ervin Keller, 310 Race St., Perkasie; and a sister, Mrs. Emma Moyer, Lansdale.

Since the Deep Run Meetinghouse was undergoing alterations at the time, the funeral was held in the new meetingouse of the nearby Old Deep Run congregation, the first funeral to be held in this house. The interment was in the Deep Run cemetery. The ministers in charge of the service were Ward Shelly and A. C. Rosenberger.