Kauffman, Gwendlyn Faith (1942-2008)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2008 Nov 24 p. 9

Birth date: 1942 Apr 23

text of obituary:

GWEN F. KAUFFMAN

Gwendlyn Faith Kauffman, 66, died Oct. 25, 2008, at Trinity Medical Center in Minot, N.D. She was born April 23, 1942, to Reuben and Sadie (Miller) Kauffman in Kalispell, Mont.

She spent her high school years in Kalispell. After high school she spent two-and-a-half years as a nanny in Minot. In 1964 she attended Eastern Mennonite College in Harrisonburg, Va. After her schooling she worked at Lancaster (Pa.) County General Hospital as a nurse’s aide.

In September 1965, she married Paul R. Kauffman in Kalispell.

They spent their first months of marriage living near Condon before attending a term of Bible school in Kitchener, Ont. In spring 1966 they returned to North Dakota, living in Minot and Surrey. In June 1983, they moved to Wolford. In addition to being a homemaker, she drove special education students for Wolford Public School. In recent years she worked at the Connection, a telemarketing company in Rugby and later at Midwest Telemark until fall 2008, when she became ill.

She was a member of Lakeview Mennonite Church, where she was involved in the WMSC as secretary/ treasurer. She was also literature secretary for the North Central Conference WMSC. She spent many years playing piano in church. She enjoyed quilting, reading, music, taking care of her flower gardens and spending time with her grandchildren.

Survivors include her husband, Paul; her mother, Sadie; eight children, Deanna Benavedis and her husband, Denin, of Harrisonburg, Va., Arne Kauffman and his wife, Lisa, of Philadelphia, Leon Kauffman and his wife, Jenny, of Langhorn, Pa., Joel Kauffman and his wife, Andrea, of West Liberty, Ohio, Myron Kauffman and his wife, Marsha, of Greencastle, Pa., Laura Yoder and her husband, Kim, of Wolford, Carl Kauffman and his wife, Kristen, of Keezletown, Va., and Sara Kauffman of Wolford; four siblings, Lowell Kauffman of Missoula, Mont., Nathan Kauffman of Condon, Mont., Myrene Iverson of Long Lake, Minn., Carol Kauffman of Lebanon, Pa.; and 19 grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by an infant brother, Jere Verlin Kauffman; and an infant grandson, Adam Emmanuel Kauffman.