Janzen, Herman J. (1934-2007)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 Apr 30 p. 8

Birth date: 1934 Feb 16

text of obituary:

HERMAN J. JANZEN

Herman J. Janzen, 73, of Newton, Kan., died April 20, 2007, at Newton Medical Center. He was born Feb. 16, 1934, to John P. and Helene (Claassen) Janzen in Newton.

He married Ruth E. Claassen on July 27, 1955. She preceded him in death in April 1996. He then married Shirley Reed on Dec. 27, 1998.

He was a farmer. He spent two years in alternative service at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka. He was a member of Zion Mennonite Church of Elbing, serving as deacon, church board chair, Sunday school teacher and sexton of the church cemetery. He served on the Remington School Board and the Bethel College Board of Directors. He was chair of the board of directors of Peabody State Bank and was a founding member of Mennonite Agri-Urban Inc.

Survivors include his wife, Shirley Reed-Janzen of Newton; four children, Bruce Janzen and his wife, Jeannine, of Elbing, Susan Janzen of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Lisa Scott and her husband, Michael, of Newton, and Russell Janzen and his wife, Kris, of rural Newton; a sister, Edna Zabel and her husband, Ted, of Dayton, Ohio; a brother-in-law, Paul Longacre and his wife, Nancy Heisey, of Harrisonburg, Va.; three stepchildren, Paula Claycamp and her husband, Dean, of Wichita, Cathy Ketterman and her husband, Don, of Houston, Texas, and Marsha Geyer and her husband, Roger, of Derby; seven grandchildren; eight step-grandchildren and eight step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ruth; and a sister, Doris Janzen Longacre.

Services were held a Zion Mennonite Church. Burial was in Zion Mennonite Church Cemetery.