Amstutz, Anna Slonaker (1848-1922)

The Mennonite obituary: 1922 Feb 2 p. 7

Birth date: 1848 Nov 30

text of obituary:

Amstutz — Anna Slonaker, daughter of Christian and Mary Annie Slonaker, was born in Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland, on Nov. 30, 1848. On March 28, 1868 she united in marriage with Jacob Amstutz, and this union was blessed with eight children. In February, 1873, she, with her husband, two children, her parents and a number of relatives, left their native Switzerland to make their home in America. They arrived in New York and proceeded directly to Pulaski, Iowa, arriving here on March 29, 1873. They settled on a farm six miles southeast of Pulaski where she lived with her husband and family until November, 1916, when they moved to her late home in Pulaski. Here she passed the closing years of her life and fell peacefully asleep in Jesus on Jan. 19, 1922, at 8:20 in the morning. The immediate cause of her decease was leakage of the heart and dropsy. She made the span of her life 73 years, 1 month and 19 days.

She leaves to mourn her home-going, her devoted husband, with whom she lived in happy wedded life for almost 54 years. Six children, Anna, wife of Rudolph Grunder; John; Minnie, wife of Irwin Matthews, all of Pulaski, Ia.; William, of Day City, Mich., Samuel of Quarryville, Pa., and Mary, wife of Monroe Lantz, Smithville, Ohio. Two children, Fred and Louise, preceded her in death. She also leaves 19 grandchildren, two brothers, Fred and Louis, of Pulaski, and a host of friends.

At the age of 16 she joined the Mennonite church by the rite of baptism and soon after arriving here she transferred her membership to the Pulaski Mennonite church.

In the home-going of Mother Amstutz the family loses a loving, devoted, godly, Christian mother and grandmother. Our church loses an active, interested and attentive member. Seldom was her seat in church and Sunday school service vacant if it was physically possible for her to be present. Our Women's Missionary Society loses one of her charter members and one who was always regular and faithful in the work of the society. The community loses a noble, Christian woman and mother.

Funeral services were conducted by her pastor, Rev. A. S Bechtel, at her home and in the Pulaski Methodist church on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 21st, at 1:30. The funeral services were largely attended.