Stoltzfus, Ruth Brunk (1915-2008)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2008 Dec 15 p. 3

Birth date: 1915

text of obituary:

Radio ministry founder, women in leadership pioneer dies in Virginia

By Celeste Kennel-Shank

Mennonite Weekly Review

Ruth Brunk Stoltzfus, who broke new ground in media and ministry, died Dec. 2 at the age of 93 at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in Harrisonburg, Va.

Stoltzfus was the first Mennonite woman known to have been the speaker on a regular radio program, creating the show Heart to Heart in 1950. She led conferences on marriage and family with her husband, Grant Stoltzfus, who died in 1974. At the age of 74, she became the first woman ordained by Virginia Mennonite Conference.

"I see her as a pioneer in new forms of church ministry and a trailblazer for women in church leadership," said George Brunk III. "In much of her life she wasn't able to exercise ministry in traditional forms."

Brunk, Stoltzfus' nephew, preached the sermons at her ordination in 1989 and her memorial service Dec. 6 at Park View Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, where she was a member.

Brunk preached on 1 Thess. 4:13-18 and 1 Cor. 15:51-58. The hymns Stoltzfus chose for the memorial service included older ones and ones reflecting "her passion about social justice issues," he said, such as "Let There Be Light."