Bartel, Bienna Kliewer (1900-1975)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1975 May 1 p. 11

Birth date: 1900 Aug 20

text of obituary:

MRS. BIENNA BARTEL

Mrs. Bienna (Kliewer) Bartel, daughter of Abraham A. and Lizzie (Karber) Kliewer was born on Aug. 20, 1900 on a farm southeast of Fairview, Okla., the eldest of 11 children. She attended Banner School and then attended Tabor Academy for one year.

She was baptized at Grandpa Karber's pond on July 2, 1916 by Rev. M. M. Just and was received into the South Mennonite Brethren Church.

The Lord led Bienna to meet a young man, Pete Bartel, at a Bible conference in August 1922. They were married on Nov. 18, 1923 by Rev. Fred Freuthing. They moved to Washita County, Okla. and settled on a farm. In July 1924 they returned to Major County by covered wagon. They made their home on a farm southeast of Fairview, where they raised their family.

In February 1962 they retired from farming and moved to Fairview. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in November 1973.

Mother taught a Sunday school class for many years, spent hours in WMS work, sewing dresses, quilts, comforts and layettes for relief work.

In 1972 mother began her physical struggle with severe surgery. Beginning in the fall of 1974 the severity of her malignancy drained her strength until the Lord called her home on April 2, 1975, at the age of 74.

She was preceded in death and two children. A son, Marvin Ray, died in 1933 at the age of six, and Mrs. Elfrieda Ruth School [sic Scholl] in December 1968.

She is survived by her husband, of the home, four daughters, Mrs. Eugene (Erna) Sallaska of Balko, Okla., Mrs. Werner (Elsie) Kroeker of Santa Barbara, Calif., Mrs. Roy (Elvina) Short of San Jose, Calif. and Mrs. Wayne (Edna) Decker of Hesston, Kan.; five sons, Walter, Willard, and Carl, all of Fairview, Leroy of Merced, Calif. and Erwin of Fresno, Calif.; a son-in-law, Sam Scholl of Hutchinson, Minn.; 27 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; five brothers, Abraham B. Kliewer, Jonah Kliewer, Edwin Kliewer, and Herb Kliewer, all of Fairview, and Reuben Kliewer of Topeka, Kan.; two sisters, Mrs. Marietta Warkentin and Mrs. Elda Neufeld, both of Fairview. — The Family.