Harms, Martha Penner (1889-1949)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 May 5 p. 5

Birth date: 1889 Mar 11

text of obituary:

. . .

— Funeral services are to be held at the Gnadenberg church southeast of Newton on Friday afternoon at 2:00 for Mrs. Martha Penner Harms, 60, who passed away at Bethel Deaconess Hospital Tuesday morning. She had been ill for some time. Surviving her are her husband, Leonard O. Harms; three daughters and five sons; a sister and two brothers, Mrs. J. B. Schmidt and A. J. Penner of Newton and Jacob Penner of Clinton, Okla. Brief services at the home on Route 3, Newton, will precede the services at the church.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 Jun 23 p. 3, 7

text of obituary:

MRS. MARTHA PENNER HARMS

Martha Penner Harms, daughter of John and Helena Schroeder Penner, was born on March 11, 1889, in Pleasant township, Harvey county, Kansas and passed on to her heavenly reward on May 3, 1949, at the age of 60 years, one month and 22 days.

On Friday, April 29, she became ill with a bad cold and cough. She was taken to the Bethel Deaconess hospital at Newton on Monday evening. She died of asthma of the heart at 5:35 a.m., Tuesday.

At the age of 16 she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour and was baptized upon the confession of her faith in Him by Rev. G. N. Harms on June 12, 1905, and was received into the membership of the Gnadenberg church, Whitewater, Kans. She remained a faithful and devoted member of this church until her death.

On March 11, 1914, she was married to Leonard O. Harms. With the exception of four and one-half years which they spent in the state of Washington, they have made their home in the vicinity of Newton, Kansas. Eight children came to bless her home. All of them are living and were present at her funeral. On March 11, 1949, they celebrated her 60th birthday and her 35th wedding anniversary.

She was a very devoted and loving mother. Her first concern was that all her children should give themselves to the Lord and become active Christians. To this end she spent much time in prayer. She cherished a deep desire that her family circle might remain unbroken and that all would be together in the heavenly home when this life span should be ended.

In her earlier years she was very active in the work of the church, being a devoted attendant and serving in various offices in church, Sunday school and Christian Endeavor.

Due to her pleasing and winsome personality she always made friends easily, and because of this many people came to her home and enjoyed visiting with her.

She leaves to mourn her departure, her bereaved and sorrowing husband, Leonard O. Harms, and the following children: Victor and Lenora of Halstead; Ruth and her husband Herbert Wiebe of Wichita; Elmer and his wife Edna of Halstead; Lillian and her husband Elmer Leppke of Marion: Irvin and his wife Evelyn of Moundridge; Sylvester, Willard and Velma of the home. There are nine grandchildren: Shurlene, Nancy, Kenneth and Stanley Harms; Patsy and Jimmy Harms: Merle and Robert Leppke; and Tommy Harms. Also two brothers and one sister, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Penner of Newton, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Schmidt of Newton, and Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Penner of Clinton, Okla., and one sister-in-law, Mrs. Isaac Penner of Newton. There are also a large number of nephews and nieces and a host of friends.

Those of her immediate family who have preceded her in death are her; parents, two sisters, Rebecca and Rachel Penner Jantz, and a brother, Isaac Penner.

We are comforted by the conviction that she now belongs to that unnumbered host who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. "This is all my righteousness, nothing but the blood of Jesus. O precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow, no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus."

Funeral services were held Friady [sic] at 1:15 at the home and 2:00 at the Gnadenberg church with Rev. J. J. Voth officiating, assisted by Rev Herbert Miller. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Jantz and Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Decker sang "The Love of God" at the home and "Precious Memories" at the church, and the Gnadenberg Quartet, composed of Menno and Gerhard Nickel, Arthur Schmidt and Harold Schmidt, sang "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder" and “I’m Coming Home" at the church.

A short graveside service was also held, Rev. J. J. Voth and Rev. John F. Schmidt officiating. A quartet sang "We Are Going Down the Valley" while they walked to the grave and the Gnadenberg quartet sang "Jesus Saviour Pilot Me” at the grave.

The Mennonite obituary: 1949 May 31 p. 12