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Epp, Waldo J. (1905-1930)
Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1930 Jan 30 p. 7
Birth date: 1905 Nov 30
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1930 Jan 15 p. 1
text of obituary:
TRAGIC DEATH OF WALDO EPP SHOCKS COMMUNITY
Waldo Epp, 24, son of Rev. J. H. Epp of Hillsboro, Kansas, downed at Wichita Thursday evening, Jan. 9, at 8:10 p. m., near the Murdock avenue bridge, when he fell through the ice on the Little Arkansas river.
Waldo evidently went to the river to skate. At the river he casually met Carl Wayne Woolwine, of Wichita. According to Woolwine, Waldo walked out on the ice to test it, the weak ice gave way and the youth as left struggling in the icy water.
Woolwine was unable to help the young man and ran to the Phillips Petroleum company filling station at Murdock and Waco and notified firemen and police. George Dennis and W. W. Garrety, firemen, put out in a boat and found the body with a grappling hook 20 minutes after Waldo had fallen in. He was rushed to St. Francis hospital in an ambulance where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Albert Bertrand, deputy sheriff acting as coroner, made an investigation at the hospital which showed the young man came to his death accidentally. Woolwine was unable to identify him, having met him at the river only a few minutes before the accident. The identification was made by Sergt. Roy Branstette, instructor of infantry for the Kansas National Guard. The youth was a member of one of the companies of the 137th infantry.
Thru efforts of Officers Smith and Lewis of the Wichita police department, the boy's residence and occupation were learned. His father was notified immediately.
Waldo was a brilliant student and a graduate of Bethel college in the class of 1928. Since his graduation he had been employed as a Chemist for the Red Star Milling Co. of Wichita. he was planning to study medicine later on.
The funeral, held at the Hillsboro Mennonite church at 2:00 p. m., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, was a very large one and over 1000 people took more than an hour to file past the body after the services. Rev. John D. Jantzen, Dr. J. W. Kliewer and Dr. J. H. Langenwalter were among those who spoke at the church. The church choir and a quartet from Bethel college furnished appropriate music. The church was far too small to accommodate all those who wished to attend the services. The death of this promising young man is one of the saddest within recent years. There were few in the audience who were not moved by the sadness of the occasion.
A complete obituary will appear in next weeks issue of the Review.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1930 Jan 15 p. 3
A TRIBUTE
Words cannot express the sorrow which we, the class of 1928, have experienced since we learned of the tragic death of one of our esteemed classmates — Waldo Epp. Nothing we would like to say can alleviate the heartache and anguish of those who sorrow most— his parents, brothers and sisters — but we join the host of friends and relatives to extend to them these few words of sympathy and appreciation in this their hour of bereavement. Waldo Epp was ever one of the most cheerful and active members of our class. His sunny disposition made him beloved to all. But he was also an earnest fellow student and sincere friend. As editor of the 1927 Graymaroon, as member of the Science club, the Y.M.C.A. and other organizations he showed himself capable of carrying responsibilities and discharging his duties faithfully. His untimely death cuts short a promising career. We kn ow not why this had to be, and it is hard to see what part his death can play in the designs of our Almighty God.
"But trust that those we call the dead
Are brothers of an ampler day
For ever nobler end . . . . ."
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1930 Jan 15 p. 4
text of obituary:
. . .
— Many Newton people attended the funeral of Waldo Epp at Hillsboro, Kansas on Tuesday afternoon. Having attended Bethel College for four years, 1924-28, Waldo had made many friends in Newton and vicinity. His tragic death came as a shock to all. The Review joins them in extending their sympathies to Rev. and Mrs. J. H. Epp and family in this hour of sad bereavement.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1930 Jan 22 p. 5
text of obituary:
Our son, Waldo J. Epp, was born November 30, 1905 near Buhler, Kansas. He was always a dear member in our family. He always had good health. Not long ago he made the remark to his sister that he had not spent his first dollar yet for seeing a doctor.
When we moved to Hillsboro he attended the Public Schools. Then he attended the Hillsboro Bible Academy for two years, and two years alter in May 1924 he graduated from the Hillsboro high school.
He enjoyed the Christian atmosphere in which he grew up. He was a faithful Sunday school student and always took part in our Christian Endeavor work. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior, was baptized and received in the Hillsboro Mennonite church on April 186, 1922. He tried to live the Faith that he confessed. "A fine, clean, quiet and promising young man" was the recognition he received from such as had the opportunity to learn to know and appreciate him
Waldo had a desire to study. His ambition was to became a doctor of medicine. He attended Bethel College for four years, majored in science and was graduated June 4th, 1928.
Even in the Public Schools he showed himself as a capable, willing and dependable scholar. He was sincere and always ready and willing to help where help was needed. He had the ability to think for himself. He showed a rare ability of understanding others and sympathizing with them. In this way he made many friends and showed his absolute loyalty to them. In the family circle the younger brother at times was heard to make the following remark: "Well, Waldo at least understands me." "Yes, Waldo understands me," a younger sister would remark. And Waldo also understood his mother and his father.
During his last year at Bethel college when he needed some more money to finish his work, he worked as switchman for the Santa Fe R. R. Co., for several months. At one time when his mother called his attention to the danger that was connected with his job, she asked him, "Waldo would you be ready to go it any accident should happen to you!" His reply was: "Mother, the responsibility is great, but it is my earnest endeavor to be ready, should anything happen."
During the last year or two, his life problems began to look rather serious to him and he often spoke about them.
At Christmas, when he was home for the last time, he had from the Kansas Milling Co., in Wichita, where he was employed as chemist for the last year and a half, only one day of vacation. This day he spent mostly in the family circle. After talking with his parents until midnight on questions of mutual concern, even after taking leave from the different members of the family, he lingered and found it unusually hard to break away.
Finally, when his brother took him to Marion where he was to take a midnight train for Wichita, one of his last remarks was: "Well, I'll postpone my further studies for the present and first help father for a while."
Even though Waldo had to bury his ambitions to serve humanity in the icy cold waters the life he lived shall give us further strength to trust in the Lord. We feel assured that he was ready to meet his God when he was called. He reached the age of 24 years 1 month and 9 days. He leaves to mourn his parents, two sisters, three brothers and a host of friends.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt understand hereafter."
The Sorrowing Parents, Brothers and Sisters.
Bethel College Monthly obituary: 1930 Jan p. 11
Bethel College Monthly obituary: 1930 Feb p. 11