Plenert, Florine May Waltner (1925-2004)

Newton Kansan obituary: 2004 Sep 2 p. 2

Birth date: 1925 April 9

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2004 Oct 4 p. 8

text of obituary:

FLORINE MAY PLENNERT

Florine May (Waltner) Plenert, 79, of Wichita, Kan., died Aug. 30, 2004. She was born April 9, 1925, to Benjamin P. and Adina J. (Graber) Waltner on a farm in Freeman, S.D.

She and her older sister, Mildred, grew up on that farm near Freeman Academy and Junior College. She attended elementary school in a one-room rural school, Diamond Valley.

After graduating from Freeman Junior College, she taught in a rural school for a year. She then enrolled at Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. She graduated from Bethel in 1947. At that time she met Harold Plenert. They were married Aug. 28, 1949, in Freeman's Salem Mennonite Church, and enjoyed 55 years of marriage together.

She was a longtime member of Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church in Wichita.

She had a variety of teaching experiences, including teaching English in Kingman (Kan.) Elementary School, fifth and sixth grades in Viborg, S.D., and music in rural schools near Moundridge, Kan. After moving to Wichita in 1961, she taught in a Bible school program in a mobile unit donated by Eden Mennonite Church. She finished her teaching career at Chisholm Trail Elementary School in Wichita, where she taught fifth and sixth grade for a number of years.

In recent years she spent many enjoyable hours with her two grandchildren, sharing her love of gardening, music, crafts and cooking.

Perhaps her greatest gift was in reaching out to care for and help others. Her life was filled with countless acts of love for students, friends, relatives and church members. She was extremely loyal and caring and used her creative skills in many ways to support others. She loved nature, and she knew her father would have treasured the beautiful preserve of trees and waterways, now known as the Freeman Arboretum, between their former farm and the Academy.

Survivors include her husband, Harold; two children, Connie of Wichita and Keith of Council Bluffs, Iowa; and two grandchildren.