Bartel, Cornelius (1873-1957)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1957 Mar 28 p. 10

Birth date: 1873 Nov 6

CORNELIUS BARTEL

Cornelius Bartel, son of John P. and Agnes (Plenert) Bartel, was born Nov. 6, 1873 in Warsaw, Poland; passed away to be with his precious Lord Feb. 6, 1957, age 83 years and three months.

At the age of seven he came with his parents to the United States and they settled at Hillsboro, Kan.

He was baptized upon his confession of faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior from sin on August 21, 1892, by Rev. John S. Hirschler and received into the membership of the First Mennonite Church of Hillsboro, Kan.

On Dec. 27, 1907, he was united in marriage to Martha Schroeder, Rev. D. F. Ratzlaff officiating. To this union six children were born.

In 1916 he went to Montana to file claim to a tract of land north of Wolf Point. The following spring (1917) he moved his family there. Here he farmed until 1949 when he retired. He returned to Hillsboro, Kan. for three years then returned to Wolf Point in 1953 because the area of his labors was dear to him.

He was active in the pioneer days in Sunday school, later helping to organize the Bethel Mennonite Church and serving in various official capacities for a number of years. The mission cause was especially close to his heart.

He enjoyed fairly good health until 1949, and bore up well under a heart condition with which he had suffered since then. Nov. 20, 1956, he became severely ill. After several weeks he rallied and returnd [sic] home, but a few weeks later he slowly became weaker. It was then that he expressed his desire to go Home to Glory.

The Lord was everything to him. He never had a harsh word toward anyone. The peace of Christian believers was his dearest thought and desire.

Two children preceded him in death. Left to mourn his passing are his beloved wife, Martha; sons Clarence, Monroe and Marvin and daughter Evelyn (Mrs. Adolph Lentzer); 14 grandchildren; two brothers, John and William of Hillsboro, Kan.; two sisters, Tillie (Mrs. H. A. Schmidt) of Hillsboro, and Mary (Mrs. C. H. Schroeder) of Fairview, Colo.

The Mennonite obituary: 1957 Mar 5 p. 158