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Bontrager, Eli A. (1861-1956)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1956 Feb 2 p. 3
Birth date: 1861 Dec 16
text of obituary:
Pioneer Minister Died At Age 94
SERVICES FOR ELI A. BONTRAGER OF FAIRVIEW, MICH. WIDELY ATTENDED
Fairview, Mich. — Friends from many parts of Michigan and from Indiana gathered here Sunday, Jan. 22, to attend funeral services for Eli A. Bontrager, 94, pioneer minister of the Fairview Mennonite Church. An estimated 600 persons were present.
Bro. Bontrager passed away at his home here Jan. 19 after several weeks of failing health.
Born in Lagrange County, Ind. on Dec. 16, 1861, he was ordained to the ministry at the North Main Street Mennonite Church, Nappanee, Ind. in 1900. Three years later the family moved to this community where he farmed and also preached to the small group of Mennonites. The church grew rapidly in the following years as new families moved in from other states.
Bro. Bontrager also traveled extensively in evangelistic work, and in 1915 took charge of the small congregation at Midland, Mich.
(A more complete story of Bro. Bontrager's life will appear in a future issue of the Review.)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1956 Feb 9 p. 7, 10
text of obituary:
Hard Work, Unusual Experiences Marked Life of Pioneer Minister
(EDITOR'S NOTE; The following life sketch of Eli A. Bontrager, pioneer minister of the (Old) Mennonite church in northern Michigan, was written by his son, Bishop Floyd F. Bontrager of Clare, Mich., drawing extensively on the father's own records and recollections of his life's experience. It was compiled during Bro. Bontrager's last illness, at which time he was cared for by his son and daughter-in-law. in his later years Bro. Bontrager was a faithful and enthusiastic Review correspondent.
Eli A. Bontrager, son of Amos and Lydia Miller Bontrager, was born in Newberry township, Lagrange county, Ind. on Dec. 16, 1861. He stayed at home with his parents until he was 21 years old.
When Eli was 14 years old his father bought a team of big oxen, black as crows. One was named Nig, the other Nigger. His brothers persuaded him to drive the oxen and they would drive the horse teams. Eli told them he is "just ox enough" to do that, so they got along allright.
His father bought a grain binder that was built to have two men standing where the grain was elevated to them to be bound. Eli could easily bind his share. They also had a threshing machine which was operated by horsepower using five two-horse teams. They never owned a tractor or engine of any kind on their 380 acre farm. All work was done by hand, horses or oxen.
When Eli was 20 years old his father gave him a very nice horse, buggy and harness. He gook good care of it and later bought another horse that matched the one he had. Driving two nice speedy horses hitched to a buggy drew the attention of the opposite sex, like the young men with their new cars today.
