Engel, Randall Clair (1957-1972)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1972 Jun 16 p. 30

Birth date: 1957 Aug 12

text of obituary:

RANDALL CLAIR ENGEL

Riandi came 't.o jO'ir:t ,tAe Engel f.a'fTiI,i,ly and to bless their home on AtJgust 12, 19.57. Since h'e arrived o,n the scene some'w'hat early, he was o.f spec'ia,1 CG>ncern to his p'ar.ent s. They re'a,I'i'l!e'd by wbat a slender thread even a baby's I,i'f,e €an be swspende'c;l and 5'0 showerec;l tlh'e:ir l'Ove upen him and a'ccepted him ,as loaned by the L'o:rd. T!;,e hous.e of the Lord was to play aA ·imppnant pa'rt in his Ilif,e. He malde his fjrst ap'pearance there ·at jus,t oilier one month of age. The fol'lowing Mother's lDay he was pres'ented to the Lo.rd ,in dedlicat,i·on. His early childhood was €luite norma·1 a:A 'e;! 'h'qlppy. Whether aiccom.p· aAY'ing his parents on vaT·i'O'Us tri'ps or moves or endu'ring Ghildh00d dis'eases, h'e accepte'd them 'alii with li,ule cc:Jl'TolpJainot. It hecame ra'ti:1e,r 'ob-V'ious that H'a,A.d:i 'lifl'ade kiends eas'ily and it was c,lear that he would thoroughly eR'joy himsel'f regardless ·of the si.tuation . Very early in 'IHe Roand!i unc:lers,tood the Word of God sufficieAtly weN to re'all'ize his g'Oodness was not sufticienot . meeC the demands 'o'f God. Thus it came a'5 AO surpnise at W'esrt ank Bible Ca'mp WiheA at the age of 'Seven he r:esponded eag,erly when ·the invitayion to s'alvat,ion was g'iven. T'his was tlhe experience he had quest1 ioned hris diad a:beut ea'rl'ieor and n'ow thedecisi'On was made. His da,d A 'a,d 'lihre priv,ilege o·f pointing out Cb,rist's sac::niflice and Randi wa'5 gloriously born a@'ain in-too the family o,f God, Romans 10:13 "For whosoever sha'il c'all on ,th e nam e M rhe Lord shaH be saved " became very reall 'and precious to him . To Rlandi this now be'ca'me a way of life. H'e e,njo'Y·ed fe llo'Wshi'J;! witA 11 he Lord-pray:e'r ancl reading o,f t,he Word o,f, G'od. Se,v,elfal y,ea,rs I'a'ter, M 8@ie e'lr eveA , he follewed t'me Lord 'iA bap,ti· sm. 'Ev,eA be· fore this nAe tw,o bmthers took ,an a0ti,Vle ,irillteres t iril miss i.0 ril'S 'anc;l J;! ed e;! a speC'iofic amO,Urilt i'n swp,portof a mis'Slionary the)! leamed t.o kn.ow, a pr0mlise t,A :ey k'ept to the · t;ime of h'is passing. LO'Y 'in@ the Lorcl , however, d,idn't stifli e the 'a€,1;i,y,iities o,f this n'ormal yowng man. At h.ome Ae was a gre'a· t. friend t o slisters Peg@i a,lid K.athy a,s well as ,to bro,tR:er Rlick. He didn't mind work ei,toher but gl'ad'ly 'Rel'J;!ed on the farm in v,ari.ous ways. At school too he was an a0tive' sP'orts enthusiast with interests ranging from hockey to football. IHe fwrther found rime for p'iano and I'ater ,took special interes,t in sing ing and 'band, being a member of the Assinlibolia band for quite some time. Letters and A0t'es recDr'd he lo'ved his parerHs dearl,y and didn't mind ex'pressing it. Although m :e enjoy,ed li·fe thorou§hly, he was bo rhered with sinus and ftrequent hera'd.aches. St,U iI, mOAe ort these thin@s disturbed h,im @ :r8a'tly, es.p.eoially sp:i.rIM:- ua·lily. Thi's becam.e eV'ident in the s'ongs he loved such a:s 'One Of These D'ays' and in h,is c:leep con0erm for ·others. The yo:u,n@ . J;!e:oJp'I,e of the Woo,dro,w Church h'acl a great time tog,ether on S'atmday night, April 15, '85 s,eve'm indivi dl1a Is ma dre deci's i'O ns for thie Lo,rd . Then on Sunday after the wors>h>i');l s·erv,ice, Ra'Aclii was wi,th the @ 'fOUJ;! praY'iA.g for others who cl'id n0,t kmolW the lo:rd . Howev,er, his work was al'Ail'os,t cloAre. Whil'e on hli's way h.ome f,r,om e,hurcR, ,t,h'e auto,mobi lre im whiern he was ridii.m .g lerft the rea:e;! amlll ,me was fatarl1 ly ,i,mjured . Although he w:a's rwshed to hospiMI in Gra,v,elfu.owf@ ane;! I'a'ter 'hly air 'amhlJll'ance to R'e.gina,, ' his time ha'cl rwn ow-t a,md, Randli went ,to be wit h tbe Lonl he loved aAd se'rved on the af,terno.on of Apr'i.1 1'6... He leav,esc ~o mourf.l his passing is~ J;!'arellts, Allen and Joyce Eng'el; hoi's br01her, R'ick; and his s'i'Sters, Pegg'i 'aAd Kathy; his grandparen'ts , Mr. and Mrs. Ed B'aumback ef Lodi , California aAd Mr. and Mrs. Emil Engel of Medic'ine Hat, Allberta; and 'a host ot' other re:1'atives als we'il as numerous friends.