Ediger, Henry J. (1887-1952)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1952 Aug 7 p. 6

Birth date: 1887 Dec 19

text of obituary:

. . .

— Henry J. Ediger, 64, passed away at the Axtell hospital here Tuesday afternoon. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday at the Draper funeral chapel and at 3:00 p.m. at the Hoffnungsau church near Inman. Mr. Ediger farmed at Inman before moving to Newton eight years ago. Surviving him are his wife, Lena three sons, Ed and Milford of Newton, and Marvin of Moundridge; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; four brothers and two sisters.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1952 Aug 14 p. 10

text of obituary:

HENRY J. EDIGER

Henry J. Ediger, son of Jacob D. and Katharina (Harder) Ediger, was born in McPherson county, Kansas, on December 19, 1887. He departed this life on August 5, 1952, having reached the age of 64 years, eight months, and 16 days.

In McPherson county he also lived his early childhood days, and attended district school, and later also the parochial schools, both the Hoffnungsau Vereins Schule and the Goessel Preparatory School. He liked the work on the farm, and chose this work as his vocation.

On June 7, 1908, he was baptized upon his confession of faith by Elder Abraham Ratzlaff, and united with the Hoffnungsau Mennonite church, where he remains a member until his death. During the period when the church was being remodeled and the basemen was built under the church, he served as member of the Board of Trustees, and found great satisfaction in seeing the work of remodeling of the church through to its completion.

On November 11, 1908, he was united in marriage to Lena Voth, with whom he was privileged to share the joys and the sorrows of married life for almost 44 years. To this union were born four children, three sons, Edward, Marvin, and Milford who are living today and are left to mourn his departure, and one daughter, Martha, who died in infancy.

With his family he lived on the farm. For over 30 years they lived on their farm in Harvey county, which they left in 1944 when he with his wife and youngest son moved to Newton. While still on the farm his health began to fail, in fact, it was because of ill health that they moved to Newton in 1944, leaving the farm work to his sons. His love for farm work, however, was not lost when he moved to town, and each year especially in the seeding and harvesting seasons he enjoyed greatly coming out to help with the work. This last summer was the only harvest period when he could not go out, and it was his health that kept him from it.

In town he had good neighbors because he was one himself. He took special interest in those who needed help. For a crippled friend in town he did errands regularly: getting and returning reading, books from the city library, taking the man up town for his business, and other similar acts of neighborliness which endeared him greatly to the unfortunate friends. His interest in the unfortunate and in children was a very live interest. He readily won the friendship of children, and those in the neighborhood soon found in him a close friend.

His health began to fail when still on the farm. Medical aid was sought, but he found no cure. Three years ago he submitted to a clinical examination of experts but they too could not do more than give him temporary relief. All this brought him to the place where he found no satisfaction in the affairs of this world, and he longed greatly for something better and something higher and more noble; he longed to go home to be with his Lord. He found the way opened when on Tuesday, Aug 5, he suffered a succession of strokes, and quietly breathed his last at about 3:45 in the afternoon.

He leaves to mourn his departure his beloved wife, Lena; three sons, Edward and family of Newton; Marvin and family of Moundridge; and Milford and his wife of Newton; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; four brothers, Rev. J. B. Ediger of Buhler, John of Newton, Herman of Newton, and Gus of Woodward, Okla.; two sisters, Mrs. J. B. Martens, Buhler, and Mrs. Henry Friesen of Newton, besides many other relatives, and a host of friends.