Gingerich, Amos (1880-1963)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1963 Jan 3 p. 5

Birth date: 1880 Jul 21

text of obituary:

Parnell, Ia. Minister Dies At Age 82

Parnell, Iowa. — Funeral services were conducted at the West Union Mennonite Church here Dec. 26 for Rev. Amos Gingerich, 82, longtime minister of the congregation who died in an Iowa City hospital on Dec. 23.

Rev. Gingerich died two days after being taken to the hospital from his home in Parnell.

Surviving in addition to his wife, the former Nanny Yoder, are 10 children and a number of grandchildren. Three of the sons and two sons-in-law are ministers.

The surviving children are Rev. Simon Gingerich of Wakarusa, Ind., Mrs. Nelson Histand of Goshen, Ind., Mrs. Menno Troyer of La Junta, Colo., Rev. Leroy Gingerich of Wood River, Neb., Rev. Fred Gingerich of Alpha, Minn., Truman Gingerich of Parnell, Paul Gingerich of Williamburg [sic Williamsburg], Ia., Dr. Orie Gingerich, dentist of Iowa City, Mrs. Wallace Bender of Parnell, and Clayton Gingerich of La Junta.

---

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1963 Jan 24 p. 8

text of obituary:

AMOS GINGERICH

Amos Gingerich, son of Joseph C. and Catherine (Swartzendruber) Gingerich, was born July 21, 1880 near Sharon Center, Johnson county, Iowa, and died Dec. 23, 1962 at the Mercy hospital, Iowa city, Iowa, of a coronary thrombosis, at the age of 82 years, five months, and two days.

At the age of 13 he moved with his parents to Wright County, Iowa where he grew to manhood and entered the teaching profession, which he followed for eight years. As a young man of 21 he committed himself to Christ and was baptized into the Amish Mennonite Church in Wright County.

The next week he returned to the Kalona, Iowa community as a school teacher. Here he married Nannie D. Yoder on Sept. 17, 1905. To this union ten children were born: Charity (Mrs. Menno Troyer), La Junta, Colo.; Leroy, Wood River, Neb.; Fred, Alpha, Minn.; Truman W., Parnell, Iowa; Eunice Mae [sic Eunice May](Mrs. Nelson Hinstand [sic Histand]), Goshen, Ind.; Paul E., Williamsburg, Iowa; Orie J., Iowa City, Iowa; Lois Clayton [sic Lois Bender], La Junta, Colo.; [note: two additional children were Simon Gingerich and Clayton Gingerich].

He is survived by his wife, the ten children, 37 grandchildren; three brothers, Simon of Wayland, Iowa, Joe of Phoenix, Ariz., and Ezra of Sarasota, Fla.; a sister, Emma of Kalona, Iowa. one grandson preceded him in death in 1946.

In 1909 he was ordained to the ministry by Daniel Kauffman and at the call of the church moved to Versailles, Mo., where he farmed, and served the Mt. Zion congregation for many years as pastor. He also filled many preaching appointments in the Ozark hills nearby as a rural missionary. In 1925 he returned to the Kalona, Iowa community and served as a minister in the East Union Church for three years.

Again returning to Missouri in 1928 he farmed and ministered until 1933, when he moved with his family to Hesston, Kan., serving as business manager of Hesston College for six years. During this time he also served the church as president of the district mission board of the Missouri-Kansas Conference.

In 1929 he moved to a farm near Williamsburg in Iowa County, Iowa and served as a minister in the West Union congregation for the remainder of his life. His other church service included evangelistic and Bible conference meetings, teaching in winter Bible schools and a vital part in planning and establishing Iowa Mennonite school.

Besides his church work, his life work included dairy farming in which he was unusually progressive and successful. One of his lifelong dreams was fulfilled in 1961 when he made a tour of Europe and the Holy Land. Another accomplishment of his later years was the pulication [sic] of a family history entitled “The Faith and Life of the Frederick Swartzendruber and Sarah Yoder Family.”

His unselfish devotion to the Lord and the church, unbounded drive and energy, forward-looking vision, and friendly interest in people won him many friends wherever he lived and worked and made his life full and useful.

The funeral was held at the West Union Mennonite Church, Parnell, Iowa, on Dec. 26, and was in charge of Herman E. Ropp, Paul T. Guengerich, and John Y. Swartzendruber.