Epp, Waldo J. (1905-1930)

Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1930 Jan 30 p. 7

Birth date: 1905

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1930 Jan 15 p. 1

text of obituary:

TRAGIC DEATH OF WALDO EPP SHOCKS COMMUNITY

Waldo Epp, 24, son of Rev. J. H. Epp of Hillsboro, Kansas, downed at Wichita Thursday evening, Jan. 9, at 8:10 p. m., near the Murdock avenue bridge, when he fell through the ice on the Little Arkansas river.

Waldo evidently went to the river to skate. At the river he casually met Carl Wayne Woolwine, of Wichita. According to Woolwine, Waldo walked out on the ice to test it, the weak ice gave way and the youth as left struggling in the icy water.

Woolwine was unable to help the young man and ran to the Phillips Petroleum company filling station at Murdock and Waco and notified firemen and police. George Dennis and W. W. Garrety, firemen, put out in a boat and found the body with a grappling hook 20 minutes after Waldo had fallen in. He was rushed to St. Francis hospital in an ambulance where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Albert Bertrand, deputy sheriff acting as coroner, made an investigation at the hospital which showed the young man came to his death accidentally. Woolwine was unable to identify him, having met him at the river only a few minutes before the accident. The identification was made by Sergt. Roy Branstette, instructor of infantry for the Kansas National Guard. The youth was a member of one of the companies of the 137th infantry.

Thru efforts of Officers Smith and Lewis of the Wichita police department, the boy's residence and occupation were learned. His father was notified immediately.

Waldo was a brilliant student and a graduate of Bethel college in the class of 1928. Since his graduation he had been employed as a Chemist for the Red Star Milling Co. of Wichita. he was planning to study medicine later on.

The funeral, held at the Hillsboro Mennonite church at 2:00 p. m., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, was a very large one and over 1000 people took more than an hour to file past the body after the services. Rev. John D. Jantzen, Dr. J. W. Kliewer and Dr. J. H. Langenwalter were among those who spoke at the church. The church choir and a quartet from Bethel college furnished appropriate music. The church was far too small to accommodate all those who wished to attend the services. The death of this promising young man is one of the saddest within recent years. There were few in the audience who were not moved by the sadness of the occasion.

A complete obituary will appear in next weeks issue of the Review.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1930 Jan 15 p. 4

text of obituary:

LOCAL

. . .

— Many Newton people attended the funeral of Waldo Epp at Hillsboro, Kansas on Tuesday afternoon. Having attended Bethel College for four years, 1924-28, Waldo had made many friends in Newton and vicinity. His tragic death came as a shock to all. The Review joins them in extending their sympathies to Rev. and Mrs. J. H. Epp and family in this hour of sad bereavement.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1930 Jan 22 p. 5