Eitzen, Amanda Emma Heidebrecht (1902-1989)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 7 Sep 1989 p. 11

Birth date: 1902

text of obituary:

AMANDA EMMA EITZEN

Amanda Emma Eitzen died July 15, 1989 at Claremont (Calif.) Manor after a brief illness.

She was born May 6, 1902, in an Indian dugout at Hydro, Okla. She was the eldest of seven children of Abraham and Lena (Hinz) Heidebrecht. She attended the local Bible academy and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles.

Following her graduation from the Bethel Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing, Newton, Kan., she was married to David D. Eitzen in 1932. He was a high school teacher and administrator at Pretty Prairie and Zenda, Kan., for three years, pastor of First Mennonite Church in Los Angeles for four years and professor at the University of Southern California and the Claremont School of Theology for 33 years.

During these years she pursued her nursing career at hospitals in Los Angeles and San Pedro, Calif., and Newton, Kan., and with a private physician in Claremont.

She moved to Claremont Manor after her husband's death in 1977. She volunteered in the medical unit and assisted the chaplain.

She was a lifelong member of the General Conference Mennonite Church. She was active in the affairs of First Mennonite Church, Upland, Calif.

Her great loves were her family, church, faith, handwork, music and many friends.

She is survived by two sons and their wives, Stan and Florene Eitzen of Ft. Collins, Colo., and Abe and Esther Eitzen of Lakewood, Colo.; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Emil Heidebrecht of Hydro, and Allen Heidebrecht of Abilene, Texas; and two sisters, Matilda Ratslaff of Rowland Heights, Calif., and Dora Buller of Wheatridge, Colo.

Memorial services were held July 18, 1989, at First Mennonite Church, Upland.