Epp, Cornelius C. (1869-1962)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1962 Nov 8 p. 5

Birth date: 1869 Dec 22

text of obituary:

. . .

• Newton relatives and friends were among those present for a largely attended funeral in the Buhler Mennonite Church last Sunday afternoon as services were held for 92-year-old Cornelius C. Epp, who died Friday morning at the Sunshine Home in Buhler. Rev. P. K. Regier officiated, assisted by Rev. J. K. Siemens of Buhler. A native of South Russia, Mr. Epp came to this country in 1879 at the age of nine and the family settled south of Inman. A teacher in the early years, he farmed for a number of years in the Burrton community, moving to Hutchinson in 1929. He hadresided at the Sunshine Home for the past seven years. Surviving are his widow, Maria, of the Sunshine Home; one son, C. F. Epp of Hutchinson; and six grandchildren.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1963 Jan 24 p. 8

text of obituary:

CORNELIUS C. EPP

I, Cornelius C. Epp, son of Kornelius and Elizabeth Toews Epp, was born Dec. 22, 1869, in the village of Petershagen, South Russia. In 1874 we located at Alexanderwohl. My father was a blacksmith and wagonmaker. He had a comfortable home on a farm of about 160 acres. I had my first schooling under Rev. Bernhard Harder, poet of a large volume of spiritual songs and verses.

Since the Russian government had introduced compulsory draft for military training, in May of 1879 we bid farewell to our home, family and friends to emigrate to Kansas. We arrived in Burrton, Kan. on July 4, 1879.

In August we bought and settled on 80 acres south of Inman, Kan. Father built a home of mud brick, but he soon contracted malaria and after only three months in America, he passed on leaving behind his wife, three sons and three daughters.

Early in 1880, A. A. Regier married mother. My brother Heinrich had died in the fall of 1879 at about age two and a half years.

In the fall of1889 I attended Halstead Seminary. In the winter of 1891 I taught my first German School, and in 1892-93 I trained at Salina Normal University.

In the early summer of 1893 I accepted the Lord Jesus as my savior, and was baptized by Rev. Bernhard Buller, becoming a member of the Hebron Church, soon becoming quite active in Sunday school and church work. During district school vacation I attended McPherson College for two years.

In 1896 a bright-eyed intelligent girl captured by heart. Maria Friesen and I were married June 20, 1897 in the Hebron church. The next two years were spent in traveling, lecturing and teaching. To this union were born two sons, Abe and Cornelius.

In the spring of 1903 we built and started a stock farm five miles northeast of Burrton. In 1910 we traded our sandhill ranch and our house in Newton for 303 acres of irrigated land four miles northeast of Lamar, Colo. Soon we discovered that part of the land which was supposedly irrigate did not include legal irrigation water rights. There followed a legal battle in the courts which lasted for seven years. I served as my own legal defense in this case, which culminated in the State Supreme Court with a decision in our favor.

In June 1914 we came back to Burrton where we operated the Baltimore Hotel and the depot restaurant for two years. Following this we operated a farm two miles northeast of Burrton. We served in the Burrton Mennonite Church and participated in community affairs.

In the fall of 1925 I was elected president of the Mennonite Aid Union, a Mennonite fire and storm insurance company. I served in this office for 15 years.

(The remainder of the obituary was written by the family.)

In 1929 Father Epp moved to Hutchinson. There he was a member of the First Mennonite Church until his death, serving as deacon for many years. On Dec. 4, 1952 father and mother entered the Sunshine Home in Buhler. He passed away at the Home on Nov. 2, 1962.

Preceding him in death were his parents, his stepfather, three brothers, three sisters, his half-brother, A. T. Regier, and his son, Abe.

He is survived by his widow, Maria; his son Cornelius and wife Eva; and six grandchildren; one half-brother, P. T. Regier; one brother-in-law, Peter Friesen; two sisters-in-law, Mrs. H. P. Krehbiel and Mrs. Henry Friesen, and a host of nephews, nieces and friends. — The Family.

The Mennonite obituary: 1962 Nov 20 p. 747