Erb, Leonard William (1909-2003)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2003 Apr 7 p. 11

Birth date: 1909 Jul 29

text of obituary:

LEONARD WILLIAM ERB

Leonard William Erb, 93, of West Point, Neb., died Feb. 26, 2003. He was born July 29, 1909, to Christian and Barbara (Oswald) Erb at O'Neill.

He attended school near O'Neill before moving with his family to Wisner, where he attended Cuming County Rural School District #39.

He was baptized in the Mennonite church and was a member of Beemer Mennonite Church.

On June 12, 1938, he married Lillian Nitzsche at Plum Creek Mennonite Church of rural Beemer.

He was employed by W.W. Frankfurt in West Point as an electrician. After the Rural Electric Association provided electricity to rural customers, he wired houses and farmsteads. He operated Erb Electric and Appliance in West Point for more than 50 years before retiring.

He was one of the caretakers of the Amish-Mennonite cemetery near O'Neill. He enjoyed spending time with his family, playing his fiddle, working in his shop and gardening.

Survivors include his wife, Lillian; five children, Barbara Wyse and her husband, Ronald, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Mary Detweiler and her husband, Joe, of Newton, Kan., Doug and his wife, Mary, Dorothy Suhr and her husband, Larry, and Lenny and his wife, Julie, all of West Point; 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Wilford and Menno; and a grandson in infancy.