Kauffman, Charles J. (1882-1961)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1962 Jan 4 p. 5

Birth date: 1882 May 6

text of obituary:

Services Held Tuesday for Founder, Curator of Kauffman Museum

North Newton, Kan. — Charles J. Kauffman, founder and curator of the widely known Kauffman Museum on the Bethel College campus, died at his home here Dec. 29 at the age of 79.

In ill health since he fractured a hip in a fall three years ago, he maintained a keen interest in the museum until his death.

The collection represents a lifetime interest of its founder, who began mounting birds and animals as a farm lad in South Dakota. He was born at Marion, S. D. on May 6, 1882, the son of Russian Mennonite immigrants.

He attended the State Normal School at Mitchell, S. D. and then taught school for 10 years. He also attended taxidermy school in Omaha, Neb., and later began adding items of cultural and historic interest to his collection of birds and animals. In 1908 he was married to Fannie Schrag at Menno, Wash.

Moved to College in 1941

Eventually the museum filled one room at the Kauffman farm home near Marion, and later a new house was built and the old one used entirely as a museum. In 1941, at the invitation of Bethel College, the collection was moved to the former Alumni Hall on the college campus.

The collection continued to grow, and a new addition to the hall was opened in 1959. The museum now houses more than 10,000 items, including 500 birds; a variety of animals, and also old farm tools, musical instruments, artifacts from mission fields, pioneer-day costumes, and old cars and bicycles.

A main attraction at the museum is an authentic log cabin of a pioneer Mennonite family, completely furnished and containing wooden figures of the family carved by Mr. Kauffman himself. His lecture given in the cabin has been tape recorded.

Among the thousands who have visited the museum are many school children who remember Mr. Kauffman's unique way of describing his work.

Over the years Mrs. Kauffman has shared her husband's interest, carrying on much of the work at the museum during his illness. College students have also assisted.

Funeral services were conducted Tuesday afternoon at the Bethel College Church, of which he was a member. Rev. S. J. Goering conducted a brief service for the family in the little chapel. Rev. Russell Mast, the pastor, was in charge of the service in the sanctuary. Dr. E. G. Kaufman, president emeritus of Bethel College, read the obituary and gave the funeral sermon.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1962 Jan 11 p. 8
The Mennonite obituary: 1962 Jan 16 p. 42