Fast, Isaac (1859-1949)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 Nov 10 p. 5

Birth date: 1859 Nov 1

text of obituary:

. . .

— A pioneer resident of the Goessel community, Isaac Fast, died there Tuesday morning, Nov. 1, at the age of 90. Funeral services were held last Friday afternoon at the Goessel Mennonite church. Two sons and a daughter, P. B. Fast, I. B. Fast, and Mrs. P. S. Voth, and their families survive.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 Dec 8 p. 3

text of obituary:

ISSAC [sic ISAAC] FAST

Isaac Fast, son of Peter Fast and Anna Balzer Fast, was born August 10, 1859, in the village of Lichtfelde, South Russia. He died Nov. 1, 1949, at the age of 90 years, two months and 21 days, at his home near Goessel, Kansas.

His early life was spent in the village of Lichtfelde and later his family moved to Klefeld where he received his training in the village school. When the times in Russia became more critical and they wanted to draft the youth for military training, his parents thought that it would be better for him to leave Russia. Since another group was leaving at this time for America he joined this group and came to America in 1879 when he was 19 years old.

On May 5, 1880, he was baptized by the Elder Jacob Buller upon the confession of his faith and became a member of the Alexanderwohl Mennonite church. Later when the Goessel Mennonite church was organized he transferred his membership to this church, and remained a faithful member until the time of his death.

On Feb. 7, 1882, he was united in marriage with Susanna Wedel, daughter of Peter Wedel who was elder of the Alexanderwohl church in Russia. They made their home on a farm where they lived all their life. Their marriage was blessed with three children, two sons and one daughter. Two children were adopted. Anna and Herman S. Ratzlaff. Herman preceded him in death in 1940. Our parents lived together 54 years, five months and 23 days when mother was taken by death from his side in 1936. The rest of his life, for 13 years, he lived alone and the children took care of him in his home.

Within the last year he gradually became weaker and more helpless and was fully conscious that the end was drawing nearer. He appreciated every visit, and especially appreciated it when our minister came and gave him words of comfort. He was sick about two weeks with heart trouble and pneumonia but remained conscious till the end.

He leaves to mourn his passing his children, Mr. and Mrs. P. B. Fast, Mr. and Mrs. I. B. Fast, Mr. and Mrs. P. S. Voth; his foster children, Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Schultz and Mrs. Herman S. Ratzlaff; eighteen grandchildren and seventeen great grandchildren. He comforted himself with the words of John 16:33, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” — The Children.