Harder, Maria Falk (1869-1951)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Aug 30 p. 9

Birth date: 1869 May 19

text of obituary:

MRS. DAVID D. HARDER

Our mother, nee Maria Falk, was born on May 19, 1869, in the village of Schoenfeld, South Russia; and died in her home at Mt. Lake, Minnesota on Sunday, August 12, 1951, at 10:45 in the morning. She reached the age of 82 years, two months and 24 days.

In 1876, at the age of six years, she with her parents, the David F. Falk family, moved to America, coming to a farm home northeast, of Mt Lake, Minnesota. In the year 1877 her parents purchased a farm northeast of Butterfield. There she grew to young womanhood. At the age of nine her mother died.

Early In life she accepted the Lord Jesus as her personal Saviour and later was baptized upon confession of her faith by Elder Gerhard Neufeld and admitted into the membership of the First Mennonite church, of which she remained a faithful member until her death.

On May 12, 1889, she was joined in holy matrimony with our father, David D. Harder. Rev. Peter Voth performed the ceremony. This union lasted for a period of 62 years and three months. After their marriage father and mother established their home on the prairies four miles north of Butterfield, where they shared joy and sorrow for 38 years. Here all the nine children were born, of whom six grew into young manhood and womanhood. The oldest three died in infancy.

In 1927 they built a house in Mt. Lake which they occupied until her death. When she died all her children were at her bedside. Her parents, three sisters and two brothers, all preceded her in death.

As a child mother attended private Christian day school, having such teachers as Rev. Peter Voth and I. I. Bargen. In these years she committed many songs and Bible verses to memory. These she often repeated even unto the end. She was gifted with a very good memory and was also gifted with a fine handwriting and loved to write. For many, many years she kept daily records of events, continuing this until her last and fatal illness.

During the many years of father’s ministry in the church she stood faithfully by him, often caring for her children and the work on the farm while he traveled or tended to the affairs of the church. At many other times she accompanied him in his church visitation work.

In her home she always was a kind and loving mother, always keeping her children at heart and setting for us a noble Christian example. She taught us to pray and prayed much for us. Also her grandchildren and great grandchildren were very dear to her.

Father and mother were privileged to celebrate their 25th, their 50th, and their 60th wedding anniversaries. The celebration of the 25th anniversary had to be postponed somewhat because of a serious illness on mother’s part.

In 1907 she underwent serious surgery in the Swedish hospital in Minneapolis. This left her life in grave danger for quite some time. During her life she was sick very often and suffered from different ailments. Thus the Lord prepared her for her long and severe suffering at the end. However there occurred no death in the family or in the families of her children for a period of 56 years. This is indeed a special grace of God.

In the spring of 1949 her health began to fail. Later the doctor diagnosed her illness as cancer of the liver. She became bedfast on Christmas Day of 1949 and remained so unto the end. However, from July 16 her condition became much more critical and continued thus until her departure. During her illness she received faithful care by father and nurses care was faithfully rendered by Mrs. John Ratzlaff. She very much appreciated the many visits of relatives and friends.

She leaves to mourn her departure, her beloved husband David D. Harder; six children, Marie (Mrs. B. D. Penner), David, John, Elizabeth, Jacob, and Henry; also one son-in-law, three daughters-in-law, 17 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren; and many friends.

We mourn not as those who have no hope, but we look forward to the time when we shall meet her face to face in the presence of Jesus. — The Bereaved Family.