Harms, John F. (1855-1945)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1945 Jan 18 p. 1, 3

Birth date: 185500 Apr 29

text of obituary:

Aged Conference Leader, Editor, Called Away in Death

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR REV. JOHN F. HARMS HELD AT HILLSBORO LAST THURS.

Hillsboro, Kansas. — Funeral services were held at the Mennonite Brethren church here Thursday afternoon, Jan. 11, for the aged Rev. John F. Harms, M. B. conference leader, minister and editor, who died on the previous Sunday morning at the age of nearly 90 years.

Death came to Rev. Harms at the local hospital after a long illness.

Rev. Harms was born in Russia in April 29, 1855, but came to America in his youth and in 1878 settled on a farm in Minnesota. Soon thereafter he became editor of Mennonitische Rundschau and Herold der Wahrheit — then published at Elkhart, Ind. later, after moving to Hillsboro, he established the Marion County Anzeiger and for a number of years served also as editor of Zionsbote, official publication of the Mennonite Brethren conference. In 1896 he was ordained as minister.

During his long and eventful life he served in various capacities as minister, teacher and evangelist in Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota Canada.

He represented North American churches as relief worker among the Mennonite colonists in Russia during the great famine of 1922. Rev. Harms was the author of several books, one being the history of the Mennonite Brethren conference.