Lehn, Cornelia (1920-2005)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2005 Jul 25 p. 6

Birth date: 1920 Dec 15

text of obituary:

Author, curriculum editor's work touched the lives of many children

By Robert Rhodes

Mennonite Weekly Review

CHILLIWACK, B.C. — Cornelia Lehn, who wrote numerous books and edited Mennonite Sunday school curricula during years of ministry to children, died July 2. She was 84.

As director of children's ministries for the General Conference Mennonite Church in Newton, Kan., Lehn edited the Foundation Series Sunday school curriculum.

She was the author of popular books for children and families: God Keeps His Promise, Peace Be With You, I Heard Good News Today and The Sun and the Wind, the latter a retelling of one of Aesop's fables. she also wrote The Homemade Brass Plate, a biography of Mary Jackson, a pioneer physician in northern Alberta.

Lehn's final book was Frontier Challenge, a history of the Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, now Mennonite Church B.C.

"She was a most creative Christian educator, leading the way so children in our Mennonite congregations could have state-of-the-art learning experiences," said Rosella Wiens Regier of Newton, Kan.

Lehn, known to friends as "Nellie," was born Dec. 15, 1920, at Leonadawka, Ukraine, the daughter of Gerhard and Sara Enns Lehn. The family emigrated to Hanley, Sask., in June 1926 and moved to Greendale, B.C., in 1941.

Lehn served in Europe with Mennonite Central Committee. Afterward, she attended Canadian Mennonite Bible College in Winnipeg, Man., and Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. She earned a master's degree in journalism at the University of Iowa.

Longtime friend Bertha Harder of Newton worked with Lehn on the Foundation Series and remembered her as a gifted storyteller eager to promote Christian education.

"She was just a remarkable, bright person," said Harder, who met Lehn when she attended seminary in Elkhart, Ind.

Harder also said Lehn drove the General Conference's Project Teach, which trained Christian educators.

"That was a really inventive project," Harder said.

Lehn traveled extensively in North and South America and Germany to promote the Foundation Series, and while in Kansas was commissioned to write her first books.

Also in Kansas, Lehn sponsored a group of Vietnamese immigrants who attended Bethel College Mennonite Church in North newton, Harder said, and was an avid supporter of nonpayment of war taxes.

"She was very determined about that," said Harder's husband, Leland.

Following her retirement, Lehn returned to Greendale, V.C., where she was a church deaconess and led Bible studies for women.

Lehn was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Tina and Helen. Another sister died in infancy.

She is survived by a sister, Sara Harder; a stepsister, Frieda; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held July 6 at First Mennonite Church of Greendale.

Newton Kansan obituary: 2005 Sep 19 p. 2