Balzer, Maria Funk (1867-1950)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1950 Aug 3 p. 4

Birth date: 1867 Mar 24

text of obituary:

. . .

— Funeral services for Mrs. Maria Balzer, who passed away at Goessel Friday, July 28, were held Wednesday afternoon at the Brudertal church near Hillsboro. Mrs. Balzer, who was past 83 years old, is survived by a son, Frank Balzer of Hillsboro, and two daughters, Mrs. A. K. Ratzlaff of Goessel and Mrs. Liese Remple of Hillsboro.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1950 Aug 24 p. 6

text of obituary:

MRS. MARIA BALZER

Mrs. Maria Balzer, daughter of Peter and Eliesabeth [sic Elisabeth] Neufeld Funk and the eighth child in a family of ten children, was born March 24, 1876 [sic 1867] in the village of Friedenstein, Crimea, South Russia and passed away quietly after a brief illness on July 2, 1950 at the Bethesda hospital, Goessel, Kansas having reached the age of 83 years four months and four days.

In the summer of 1873 she came to this country as a six year old member of the Peter Funk family. They stopped at Summerfield, Ill., while the father in company with others went on to seek out a home site in the then wide open prairies of Marion county, Kans. A few weeks alter they moved into a purchased farmstead about a mile northwest from the present town site of Canada. It was here that in all liklihood the very first Mennonite worship service in Kansas was held.

The father having also purchased land along the Cottonwood river, began to build a new home there the following spring. This is the present home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Balzer. But even before the home was finished her father became ill and died., leaving her mother a widow with a large family in a strange and unsettled land. Such were the privations of the early years.

She spent her girlhood years at home. She received her schooling in the Brudertal school, then located at the site of the present church. On May 25, 1885, she was baptized upon confession of her faith and received into the fellowship of the Brudertal church by the Elder Wilhelm Ewert, Sr. She continued as an active and valued member of this fellowship throughout the rest of her life.

On December 9, 1892 she married Abraham Balzer. This union was blessed with three children — two daughters and one son.

Being the youngest of the daughters of her mother, a widow of advanced age she and her husband established their home on the old farmstead, residing there until the fall of 1926, when they transferred their home to Hillsboro, Kansas.

On December 29, 1935, father passed away leaving mother alone in her home. She always enjoyed reasonably good health until about a year ago when it became apparent that the infirmities of advanced age made her continuance in her home alone inadvisable. As a result she transferred her residence to the Bethesda Home for the Aged. By nature she was frank and possessed both a cheerful and a serious nature. it was not difficult for her to see the humorous in a given situation. But at the same time she never lost sight of the seriousness of life and often drew our attention to our spiritual and heavenly destination. Especially during the years of her advanced age did she reveal an increasing desire to be called Home.

For us she has gone before as she did so often here on earth and now as then we are aware of her desire to have us follow.

She precedes in her homegoing her three children: Mrs. Liese Rempel, Frank and Mrs. Anna Ratzlaff, one son-in-law, one daughter-in-law, thirteen grandchildren, one brother, three sister-in-law, two brothers-in-law and many relatives and friends.

The Mennonite obituary: 1950 Sep 26 p. 643