Hiebert, Verner (1929-1974)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1974 May 30 p. 4

Birth date:

text of obituary:

Funeral of Couple Largely Attended

Corn, Okla. — The large Corn Mennonite Brethren Church was filled to capacity on May 8 at 10 a.m. for the double funeral service of Mr. and Mrs. Verner Hiebert, who were killed in an explosion on May 4. The church parking lots were filled with cars, and some were parked on the streets.

Mr. Hiebert and wife Irene died instantly and their bodies dismembered in a terrific explosion as they opened the door to a machine shed at their farm 10 miles north of Corn. Part of the barn was demolished and debris scattered over the farmyard.

Explosive experts later determined that a high powered nitroglycerine charge had exploded. It is not known who set the charge, although Mr. Hiebert had been scheduled to be a key witness in a trial relating to theft of cattle from the farm last fall.

Mr. and Mrs. Hiebert had just taken delivery on a new tractor in Corn, and Mr. Hiebert drove it to the farm followed by his wife in a pickup truck. They apparently were preparing to put the tractor in the shed when the explosion occurred.