Epp, Ida (1872-1949)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 Sep 1 p. 5

Birth date: 1872 Sep 15

text of obituary:

— Sister Ida Epp, who was one of the first three sisters to be ordained into the Sisterhood when the Bethel Deaconess hospital was dedicated, June 11, 1908, passed away Saturday morning at the Bethel Home for Aged after a long illness. Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon, with a brief service at the Home in charge of Rev. J. E. Entz, followed by services at the First Mennonite church conducted by Rev. D. J. Unruh and Rev. Theodore Epp. Sister Ida was born near Saratow [sic Saratov], Russia, on Sept 15,1872, the daughter of Rev. and Mrs. John Epp, and was nearly 77 years of age. One sister, Mrs. B. G. Regier of Newton, survives.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 Sep 22 p. 3

SISTER IDA EPP

In her own handwriting and in the German language, Sister Ida has left a brief obituary, the translation of which is given below. It must have been some years ago that she prepared this paper, for in the past few years she was not able to write. Yes, she was ready long ago to enter into the presence of her Lord. This one permeating desire of her heart is at last fulfilled.

Sister Ida Epp was born in Koeppenthal, near Saratov, Russia, on September 15, 1872. Her childhood and youth were spent in the happy fellowship of the family circle. One memory stands out in her mind: the day her elder sister took her by the hand, led her to the attic, and there knelt down to pray with her. This prayer experience made a deep impression on her.

Sister Ida had the privilege of attending the village elementary school under the instruction of Christian teachers. At the age of seventeen, she was baptized upon the confession of her faith and became a member of the Mennonite church at Loeppenthal. the verse given to her at baptism was Psalm 147:11: "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy."

It was in 1893 that the Epp family emigrated to America, choosing Newton, Kansas, as their new home. For the following nine years, Sister Ida assisted her mother in household duties. When her brother, Rev. J. B. Epp, went as a missionary to the Indians on the Oraibi, Arizona field, in 1902, Sister Ida accompanied him. When her services there were no longer needed, she returned to Newton and soon took up nursing in the Bethesda hospital at Goessel, Kansas.

It was here that the call of the Lord came to her to dedicate her life to a Christian ministry of nursing. Here she also met Sister Frieda, who strengthened her in the choice to follow the Lord in the call to nursing.

In order to prepare herself for such a life's work, Sister Ida entered the Evangelical Deaconess Institution in St. Louis where she trained for a period of two years.

Upon returning to Newton, it became her desire to serve as a Sister in the Bethel Deaconess Hospital and she was ordained to this service by Rev. David Goertz on June 11, 1908.

Sister Ida served in the Newton hospital for seven years. She was then sent to nurse in the Mountain Lake, Minn. hospital. Difficult but enjoyable years of hard work followed until Sister Ida was force by a nerve illness to lay down her work there in 1928. She returned to Newton and helped with household duties as her health permitted, never regaining sufficient strength to return to bedside nursing.

After the anniversary celebration marking her twenty-fifth year of service as a deaconess, it became clear to Sister Ida that her years of active service were closing behind her and that the years before her held only the promise of physical inactivity. The Lord, however, led her graciously to surrender her will to His and to receive into her heart His "peace, be still!" The Lord knew the why of her suffering, and that was sufficient for her. Joyfully she witnessed:

And not where I would go,
Because I know
Thou leadest me in paths of Thne one choosing
I am at rest;
Assured that this which seems to me all loosing
Is thine own will for me and so is best.
Within Thy care
I shall not feel the darkness of tomorrow
For Thou wilt still be there.
And grace will be Sufficient in my weakness as I follow
Until at last thou leadest Homeward me.

She entered in at 8 a. m., August 27, 1949, closing almost ten years of invalid life. Funeral services took place at the First Mennonite church of Newton August 30, 1949, and the body was laid to rest in the Sister' lot in Greenwood cemetery, Newton.

The Mennonite obituary: 1949 Oct 11 p. 10