Harms, Henry R. (1890-1964)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1964 Mar 12 p. 3

Birth date: 1890 Nov 20

text of obituary:

E. M. B. Minister Called Away at Dallas, Ore.

Dallas, Oregon. — Rev. H. R. Harms, 73, a well known Evangelical Mennonite Brethren minister of this city, died in the early afternoon of March 9 after a serious illness of about three weeks. The cause of death was cancer.

Rev. Harms came to Dallas from Meade, Kan. where he had been pastor of the E. M. B. Church for some 20 years. The body will be taken to Meade for burial.

Surviving are his wife, five sons and four daughters. One of the sons, Harold Harms, is a missionary in Africa.

(The editors receive this news with particular regret, since Rev. Harms was a long-time correspondent for the Review.)

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1964 Mar 12 p. 5

text of obituary:

. . .

• Funeral services for Rev. Henry R. Harms, 73, retired E. M. B. pastor who died Monday at Dallas, Ore., will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday, March 16, at the E.M.B. Church near Meade, Kan. Rev. J. N. Hiebert will officiate. Rev. Harms served for a number of years as the Review correspondent in the Dallas community. The family has suggested that memorial contributions be made to the Congo Inland Mission.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1964 Apr 30 p. 8

text of obituary:

REV. HENRY R. HARMS

Rev. Henry R. Harms was born near Fairbury, Neb. on Nov. 20, 1890, the son of John L. and Elizabeth Harms. The Lord took him to his heavenly reward on March 9, 1964, following approximately six weeks of severe suffering. He reached the age of 73 years, three months and 19 days.

In his youth he was baptized upon the confession of his faith and joined the fellowship of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church in Jansen, Neb. On March 31, 1912, he was united in marriage to Maggie Thiessen, sharing the Lord's blessings and strength through many periods of testings and trial for nearly 52 years. The union was blessed with 12 children.

In 1920 the family moved to the Meade, Kan. area where he took up farming and assumed the responsibility as pastor of the E. M. B. Church. After faithfully serving the church for 23 years, the Lord used his ministry as pastor for an additional eight years in the neighboring Emmanuel Church. Before moving to Dallas, Oregon in July of 1953, he served briefly with Mrs. Harms in mission work in Arkansas.

He is survived by his wife, Maggie; five sons, Elmer of Kansas City, Kan., Arthur and Vernon of Hutchinson, Kan., Andy of Lehigh, Kan., and Harold, serving as missionary in Congo, Africa; four daughters, Mrs. Florence Entz of Hutchinson, Kan., Mrs. Martha Hill of Salem, Oregon, Mrs. Ann Quiring of Dallas, Oregon, and Mrs. Elizabeth Zistel of Culner [sic Culver], Oregon; 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; four brothers, John of Reedley, Calif., Pete of Madrid, Neb., Isaac of Meade, Kan., and Joe of Dinuba, Calif.; six sisters, Mrs. Henry E. Loewen and Mrs. Pete Cornelsen of Meade, Mrs. Jake N. Thiessen of Dallas, Oregon, Mrs. Joe Quiring of Omaha, Neb., and Mrs. Ed Enns of Dacoma, Okla.

His parents, three children, four grandchildren and three sisters preceded him in death.

Our father had the joy of baptizing each of his nine surviving children and also to perform the marriage ceremony for each of them. He had been a great spiritual example to us as a family and the memories of his life dedicated Christian service will be cherished throughout our lives. He has always had a great concern for the spiritual welfare of his entire family and those about him. Often he expressed his desire to see some of his children in missionary service. This desire was fulfilled when Harold and Joyce Harms answered the call of the Lord to Christian service in Africa.

The years after his retirement from the ministry have been spent in visitation of the sick and various other avenues of Christian witness. For the past five years he ably served as chairman of the board of Elders in the Dallas, Oregon E. M. B. Church. He found great joy and relaxation in fishing with a number of his Christian friends.

Memorial services were held in the Dallas E. M. B. Church on March 11, 1964 at 2 p.m., Rev. Allen Wiebe officiating; and at the E. M. B. Church at Meade, Kan. on March 16 at 2 p.m. with the E. M. B. Church and Emmanuel Church participating. — The Family.

NOTE: GRANDMA #315802 Henry R. Harms — The sixth sister, omitted in this obituary was Margaret R. Harms of Meade, Kansas.