Abrahams, Norman E. (1923-2009)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2 Feb 2009 p. 9

Birth date: 1923 Jan 16

text of obituary:

NORMAN E. ABRAHAMS

Norman E. Abrahams, 85, of North Newton, Kan., died Jan. 8, 2009. He was born Jan. 16, 1923, to Cornelius and Anna (Dalke) Abrahams in Goessel.

He married Ethel Grace Ewert on Sept. 26, 1944.

He served in Civilian Public Service at Colorado Springs, Colo., and at the National Service Board in Washington, D.C. He was an optometrist in Hillsboro until his retirement. He helped establish a program in which optometrists traveled to underdeveloped countries to provide eye care and dispense used glasses — Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity.

Survivors include his wife, Ethel; three children, Nan Graber and her husband, Don, of Monument, Colo., Dwayne Abrahams and his wife, Ruth, of Newton, and Nadine Abrahams and her husband, Norman Epp, of Denver, Colo.; two brothers, Ray Abrahams and Chuck Abrahams, both of Hillsboro; six grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

He was preceded in death by a son, David E. Abrahams, who died in 1962, and by a sister, Verna Koehn.

A private burial service was held on Jan. 12. A memorial service is planned for Feb. 1 at Bethel College Mennonite Church of North Newton.