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Entz, Ruth Elizabeth (1920-1937)
Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1937 May 4 p. 14
Birth date: 1920 Nov 28
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1937 Mar 24 p. 5
text of obituary:
. . .
— The whole community was shocked this morning to hear of the sudden death of Miss Ruth Entz, daughter of Rev. J. E. Entz, at Montrose Girl's School, Montrose, Pa. Having been an active girl, in the usual good health, her death comes as a most unexpected sorrow to her many friends. Details of her passing have not yet been learned.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1937 Mar 31 p. 2
text of obituary:
Ruth Elizabeth Entz was born on November 28, 1920, and departed this life at Montrose, Penn., on March 24, 1937, at the youthful age of 16 years, 3 months and 20 days.
On March 11, 1926, when she was but a little over five years old, we took her into our home and heart, adopting her as our child. From the first day on she has brought much joy and sunshine into our life. She was of a cheerful, happy disposition and highly gifted. Although at the time she did not know one word of the German language she learned to talk it fluently in eight months. After finishing the grades she had the special opportunity of attending for two years the Hesston Academy and Bible School and this year she had the unusual privilege of attending the Montrose School for Girls, a school located in north-eastern Pennsylvania, in the Blue Ridge of the Allegheny Mountains. it is surrounded by a most beautiful scenery with a large lake, quite near the campus. The Montrose School for Girls is a College Preparatory Boarding School with special emphasis on Bible teaching. it offers in a sound Christian atmosphere, under the guidance of a devout Christina faculty a Christian education for girls, and under the highest and intellectual and cultural standards. Here the Lord has prepared Ruth in a special way for His so early call home in the bloom of her youth.
On May 25, 1934, she was bereaved of her dear mother at a time when she needed mother most. This was a great handicap in her life. May 31, 1936, she was baptized upon confession of her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as here personal Saviour and received into the membership of the First Mennonite Church. She was overflowing with life and energy which was not always easy for her to control, but she has earnestly strived [sic] to follow Jesus whom she loved dearly. Among her many gifts given to her by God was outstanding a beautiful voice and she has enjoyed greatly to sing in the choirs of the church. At home she often sang for many hours a day often at the piano, or when at work or play. Occasionally she visited some of the members of the Bethel Home for the Aged spreading joy by her cheery manner wherever she came. A letter of sympathy sent from the Montrose school and signed by all the students expressed the same thought. The headmistress, Dr. Stoughton, also mentions in a letter that Ruth had been a real joy to them and had learned many a thing during her stay with them. She also says in her letter, "Ruth's bright spirit and happy ways were so attractive and she will be greatly missed here."
On March 24 the Lord suddenly called her home. She rose at six o'clock seemingly healthy as ever but before long felt a very severe pain on one side of the head and also in the back. All that could be done was done for her but the quickly summoned physician who came five minutes later had to declare that Ruth had passed away due to a very severe heart attack. Her life's career had thus so suddenly and unexpectedly come to an end, but we know that she is called to a greater service than an earthly ministry could ever be. l She is at home with the Lord. The Lord be praised for his definite assurance.
I quote from a letter of Rev. Bowman, who together with Dr. Stoughton, is at the head of the Montrose school. He writes: "These lines are written to assure you that we have concrete evidence that our dear Ruth has indeed gone to be with the Lord, 'which is bar better'". Then he tells of an interview he had had with Ruth early in January about a certain class, and then writes as follows: "Then I had occasion to remind here that you had hoped and prayed that she would present her voice to the Lord as a living sacrifice. We talked for a while along these lines, after which we knelt down together at the big couch in Huston Hall. Having prayed for her shortly, I asked her to commit her life to the Lord. With great emotion and tears streaming down her face, she asked the Savior to forgive her many sins and to give her strength to live for Him. Arising from our knees we rejoice together that a start had been made in the right direction, even though the way might be difficult and up hill.
"In the providence of God, last Tuesday night Mr. Percy Crawford, the well known radio preacher of Philadelphia, together with his student quartet, conducted an evangelistic service in the Baptist Church. The auditorium and the adjoining Sunday School were crowded and the Spirit of the Lord was present in power to save. At the close of the meeting, after a solemn appeal, Mr. Crawford asked the young people present to "accept Christ tonight, March 23rd" and to yield their lived to Him. I am so happy to tell you that among those who responded, Ruth was one of the first to lift her hand in sacred evidence that the Holy Spirit had performed a miracle of grace in her heart. On going out of the meeting, she said to one of the girls, "I did it tonight.' How we praise the Lord for the short, definite, courageous testimony." — End of quotation. How thankful I am that she then rededicated herself to the Lord.
The next morning the Lord who knoweth why so early, and who in His infinite wisdom and love has chosen the best moment, called his newly reconsecrated child, my dear Ruth to Himself. Her last days were marked as usual with beautiful service by singing for others. On Sunday evening she sang some of her beautiful songs to friends who had come to the school and on the last evening of her life after the girls had come home from that meeting to their dormitory, Huston Hall, she also sang a solo for an elderly man who had lost his wife not very long ago and had come to Huston Hall. And what a beautiful preparation was it for her passing out of this life that at the meeting on that last evening of her life the evangelist asked the school to stand and sing a chorus which he was teaching the audience, the word of which were. "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, tho he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."
I shall never again receive any more of her sweet letters in which, although she dearly loved her school and her many friends there and was happy, she again and again expressed her deep longing for home and her many friends here, and it was with great anticipation that I was looking forward to the time when I could go to Montrose to get her home for the summer. Our reunion will now be in heaven, where she is reunited with her dear mother, who no doubt remembered her in these years of departure in prayer and praise of God, before His throne.
Absent from the body . . . . at home with the Lord.
Absent from the body, with the Lord at home!
Not another heartache, not another moan!
Oh the hearty welcome, in the glad embrace
Of my loving Saviour, matchless is His grace!
This is my rejoicing, evermore to share
Joys for which He suffered, when my sins He bare.
Weep not dear companions of earth's little day.
For HIS joy and my joy, I've been called away.
— Rev. J. E. Entz.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1937 Mar 31 p. 5
text of obituary:
. . .
— The largest funeral service held at the first Mennonite church for some time was taht of Miss Ruth Ents [sic Entz], daughter of Rev. J. E. Entz, which was held on Monday afternoon. As reported in last week's Review, Miss Entz passed away suddenly on March 24 at the Montrose Girls School, Montrose, Pa. The body was immediately sent to Newton, and was accompanied by Miss Elizabeth Schultz, one of the instructors of the Montrose school. At the funeral service at the country home of Rev. Entz, Rev. B. Regier spoke words of comfort, while at the church Rev. A. Warkentin and Rev. H. J. Dyck of Elbing officiated. An especially impressive part of the service was the rendition of special music by the young people's choir of the church, of which Miss Entz had been a member. The Review extends heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved father. A detailed obituary appears elsewhere in this issue.
The Mennonite obituary: 1937 Apr 13 p. 8