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Funk, Annie Clemmer (1874-1912)
Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1912 Apr 25 p. 1
Birth date:
The Mennonite obituary: 1912 Apr 25 p. 1
text of obituary:
According to the latest news it seems that our sister, Annie Funk, is among those who found a wet grave with the passengers of the illfated "Titanic". She was returning home from India in order to see her sick mother once more. She intended to come on the "Haverford", but must have changed to the "Titanic". God leads us in mysterious ways. We hope to say more about this sad occurrence in next week's issue.
The Mennonite obituary: 1912 May 2 p. 1 - 2
text of obituary:
Sister Annie Funk was born on April 12, 1874, her parents being James B. and Susanna Funk. Her mother's maiden name was Clemmer, she being a niece of Rev. Christian Clemmer, for many years the elder of the Hereford charge. Annie's native place, where she grew to young womanhood, is a beautiful farm homestead in a quiet valley, known as Butter Valley, about three miles distant from the Hereford church. From early childhood she attended the Sunday school and the church services in company with the parents and the other children and she was only about fourteen years of age when she made a public confession of faith and received baptism at the hands of the then pastor, Rev. C. A. van der Smissen. About that time a Christian Endeavor Society was started in the church and her name appears early on the list of members. Though by nature of a retiring disposition and rather diffident, she allowed not this to keep her from at least trying to do what she felt to be her duty., and the record shows that she soon became active in the work of the society. In the Sunday school, too, she was a teacher for many years up to the time she left home. She was one of a committee of three to start a Junior C. E. society, her associates in this being Sus. L. Yeakel and Laura Bauer.
For her educational preparation she attended the West Chester State Normal school taking the Teacher's course, and afterwards went to Northfield where she spent several years in the Moody Training school. From there she went south to assist in a mission among the colored people at Chattanooga, Tenn. She then followed an invitation to the Young Women's Christian Association in Patterson, N. J., where she served in the capacity of house-secretary. How her associates in the work appreciated her was shown in the cordial farewell meeting they arranged for her on the eve of her sailing for India and by their generous gift of a folding organ for her use in the work of her new field.
When the call of our mission board came to her to go to our new field in India, she realized as she afterwards told me, that this was God's answer to the conviction she had felt for some time looking toward the work of foreign missions, and not to accept would be to reject God's plan for her. When the time came for her to go in November 1906, and the other young woman who was to be her companion in the work was prevented from going by physical disability, she waived the option given her by the board of waiting a year till there would be some one or more to go together with her, and courageously set out on the long journey alone. I shall always remember vividly the picture of her standing on the deck of the great steamer "New York", waving adieu to her pastor and some Patterson and New York friends who had come to see her off. To a remark regarding the possible dangers ahead of such a journey she responded quickly, "Our heavenly father is as near to us on sea as on land. My trust is in Him and I have no fear."
Her work in India is a part of the history of our mission there. The reports from time to time have kept us more or less informed of its progress. And of her tragic death when almost in sight of her native shores, coming on her first furlough, I wrote last week. The thirty-eighth anniversary of her birthday found her on the fatal ship. A number of letters of greeting for that occasion, intended to intercept her course in England, never reached her because of her change of route. And instead of giving her a welcome home here as her loved ones in the family and the large circle of friends had hoped, she will now be the one to welcome them to the homeland above as one by one they shall be gathered there if — mark this if — they, too, shall have made their calling and election sure in their day of grace. As for the resurrection day, the sea, too, shall then give up her dead and in place of the mortal tabernacle swallowed up by the waves there shall be the spiritual body raised in incorruption and heavenly glory.
At the time of this writing a memorial service has been announced to be held in her home church on Sunday at 2:30 p. m. At about the same hour a similar service will be had by the Y. W. C. A. in Patterson, N. J. In many other places our common bereavement has been and will be remembered in public speech and prayer.
A life, not faultless, but in a prominent degree worthy of imitation, has closed its early career. A vacancy in the ranks of the Master's army of laborers has occurred. How shall it be filled? Who will step foreward [sic] into the breech? May the consecrated life of Sister Funk be the inspiration for one and another to say, "If Thou wilt, Lord, here am I, send me!"
A. S. Shelly.
The Mennonite obituary: 1912 May 16 p. 1
text of obituary:
We are very glad to be enabled by the kindness of Bro. U. S. Stauffer of Quakertown, Pa., to bring a good picture of Sister Annie Funk. We also bring the resolution passed by our Eastern Conference, which enables every friend of our dear sister to contribute to a memorial for her.
At the meeting of the Eastern District Conference, held at Zion church, Souderton, Pa., May 5 to 7 the following resolution was adopted:
"Resolved that the chairman appoint a committee of three with power to act, to confer with the parents of our lamented sister, Annie Funk, and with the pastor of her home church, to arrange for the erection of a suitable memorial to her memory, in the cemetery where the family has its burial plot. The memorial shall not cost less than seventy-five dollars. The said committee shall devise ways and means to meet the expense of the memorial."
The committee appointed consists of the brethren Jos. B. Bechtel, Philadelphia, chairman; Wm. M. Gehman, Macungie, Pa. treas.; U. S. Stauffer, Quakertown, Pa., secretary. A subscription list was opened at once and a very substantial sum pledged before adjournment of the conference.
By this notice the committee desires to give all who feel prompted to assist in this worthy cause, an opportunity to do so and will thankfully credit all gifts that will be given. Contributions should be sent to the treasurer of the committee.
U. S. S.
The Mennonite obituary: 1912 Aug 1 p. 1
text of obituary:
Bally, Pa., July 25, 1912.
Dear Brother van der Smissen:
Your suggestion regarding a memorial building in India is in line with the suggestion I had made to the committee after their appointment and which has been expressed in substance by others. There seems to be a very general feeling in favor of honoring Sister Funk's memory by some useful structure erected in her name on the field to which she had dedicated her life. The committee also is in full sympathy with the thought. However, their first work is to carry out the specific instruction of the Conference, viz. to erect a memorial of some kind, either stone or tablet, here within the precincts of the family home and in the congregation and conference, whose representative in an especial sense she was.
In doing this they are guided by two thoughts in the nature of limitations, as they expressed themselves on Saturday. — First to make this memorial specifically one by the Eastern Conference using for it only gifts from congregations and members of this conference; and second, to avoid extravagance both in fact and appearance by setting s due limit to the size and cost and showy appearance of the memorial, and then use any part of funds contributed as above stated that may remain, as a nucleus for a fund for the other memorial on the field. In the forming of this nucleus and contributions as yours and others already received unsolicited from individuals in the west, can and will be counted in. Thus I think both thoughts will be met and I feel sure that when the plan is made known there will come many and liberal contributions for the general memorial, the idea of which appeals to me also more strongly than the local one, while I am in full accord with the latter, if carried out in the spirit above stated.
I have written to the workers in India for suggestions as to what shape a memorial on the field might take to be most appropriate and immediately useful to the work. The church at Champa is one such form, but there may be another seven more appropriate or desirable, from the standpoint of her fellow-workers in the field as a whole.
The Mennonite obituary: 1913 May 15 p. 4
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1985 Dec 26 p. 6