French, Lydia Unruh (1875-1949)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1949 Apr 14 p. 3

Birth date: 1875 Jun 20

text of obituary:

MRS. LYDIA FRENCH

Lydia (Unruh) French, daughter of Benjamin and Lena (Becker) Unruh, was born in Wayne county, Ohio June 20, 1875, and departed from this life on March 22, 1949, at the Fowler, Kans. Community hospital at the age of 73 years, 9 months and two days after an illness of several months. In her girlhood she moved with her parents to Marion county, Kansas. She was united in marriage to William B. French Oct 24, 1906, at Pawnee Rock, Kansas.

In 1916 they moved to western Kansas near Montezuma, where she lived until a year ago, when she moved to Fowler to make her home with her daughter, Mrs. Eli Unruh.

She was preceded in death by her husband, and one daughter Helen on July 12, 1937; one granddaughter Lydia Diana on Jan. 1, 1945; and three brothers and three sisters.

Upon the confession of her faith she was baptized Feb. 20, 1938, and was added to the Church of God in Christ Mennonite, remaining faithful and true to God and loyal to the church. The words of the Master on being faithful in little things have been well applied in her life.

"In my Fathers house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you . . . that where I am, there ye may be also."

She leaves to mourn her passing, her eight children: Dorothy French of Bakersfield, Calif., Mrs. Hazel Jantz of Hutchinson, Merle French, Hutchinson, Mrs. Ruth Unruh, Fowler, Alvin French, Newton, Mrs. Ethel Corse, Chula Vista, Calif., Mrs. Barbara Rowles, Bakersfield, Calif., Harold French, Montezuma; 10 grandchildren; four sisters, Mrs. Eva Wedel, Mrs. Lizzie Johnson, Mrs. Lena Schmidt and Mrs. Carolina Jantz, all of Goltry, Okla.; five brothers, Pete Unruh of Meno, Okla., Andrew of Winton, Calif., Abe Unruh of Montezuma, Jonas Jantz of Montezuma and Ben Unruh of Easter, Okla. and a host of relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held in the Montezuma Mennonite church Friday, March 25. Opening remarks and prayer by Minister Orlan Wedel, text by Minister Albert Unruh. She was laid to her final resting place in the nearby cemetery.