Whitmer, Paul E. (1876-1966)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1966 Aug 25 p. 1

Birth date: 1876

text of obituary:

Death Claims Retired Minister, Educator At Bluffton, Ohio

Bluffton, Ohio. -- Funeral services for Rev. Paul E. Whitmer, 90, retired Mennonite educator and pastor, were conducted Sunday, Aug. 14 at the First Mennonite Church here. He died Aug 12 at Richland Manor Rest Home. The services were conducted by Rev. Wilmer Shelly and Rev. Jacob T. Friesen.

Rev. Whitmer came to this community in 1917 to become professor of Bible at Bluffton College. After four years he was named dean of the Witmarsum Theological Seminary here and continued in that position until 1931. He was pastor of the Grace Mennonite Church, Pandora, from 1928 to 1941.

A native of North Lima, Ohio, Rev. Whitmer attended the former Elkhart Institute and Goshen College. He received the A.B. degree from Oberlin (Ohio) College, the B.D. degree from the Oberlin School of Theology, and the A.M. degree from the University of Chicago.

He was professor of English and Bible at Goshen College, 1908-1916.

Surviving are his widow, Fannie of the Mennonite Memorial home here; two sons, Edwin L. of Maumee, O. and Dana of Pontiac, Mich.; and five grandchildren.

8 Sep 1966 p. 8

In Memoriam

PAUL E. WHITMER

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon, Aug. 14, in the Bluffton, Ohio First Mennonite Church for Rev. Paul Whitmer, 90, retired minister and former college professor, who died Friday evening, Aug. 12, following an extended illness.

Rev. Whitmer was born Jan 2, 1876, in North Lima, Mahoning County, Ohio. He was the son of David and Anna Otto Whitmer. He was married to Fannie Yoder on Sept. 8, 1908 and she survives. Also surviving are two sons, Edwin L. of Maumee and Dana P. of Pontiac, Mich.; five grandchildren and three nephews.

He was a member of the First Mennonite Church in Bluffton and prior to his illness he and Mrs. Whitmer had made their home at Memorial Home in Bluffton where Mrs. Whitmer still lives.

After completing the grade and high schools at North Lima he attended the Elkhart Institute, Goshen College and Oberlin College, graduating from Obertlin in 1907, and graduating from Oberlin Theological Seminary with the B.D. degree in 1908. He was granted the M.A. degree from the University of Chicago in 1917.

For a period of 33 years, from 1908 to 1941, he served the Mennonite Church as teacher and pastor.

For eight years he served on the faculty of Goshen College, also serving as dean and college pastor.

In 1917 he became affiliated with Bluffton College and taught in the Bible, Church History and English departments and later in Mennonite Seminary which for several years was an affiliate of the college until the establishment of Witmarsum Theological Seminary in 1921 on the campus of Bluffton College. From the time of its founding until its closing in 1931, Rev. Whitmer was the dean of the seminary.

He was pastor of the former Zion Mennonite Church west of Bluffton from 1917 to 1923, and from 1928 to 1941 he had a happy and profitable ministry at the Grace mennonite Church of Pandora, Ohio.

His students will remember him as an inspiring and understanding teacher. He believed in and dedicated his life to the education and inspiration of youth. In addition to the subject matter, he also imparted his deep religious faith, which was one of trust and devotion, to his students. Life the Apostle Paul's words to Timothy he could in ruth say, "I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith."