Kasper, Eva Block (1918-1950)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1950 Nov 2 p. 1

Birth date: 1918

text of obituary:

Missionary to India And Son Drowned

MRS. J. J. KASPER, SON JULIUS LOST IN ATTEMPT TO FORD STREAM

Hillsboro, Kans. — Mrs. J. J. (Eva) Kasper, serving on the Mennonite Brethren mission field in India, and her small son Julius lost their lives by drowning while attempting to cross a river, it was learned through a cable received here Oct. 22 from the husband and father, Rev. J. J. Kasper.

According to the cable, the tragedy occurred while they were en route to Ongole. The Kaspers had earlier notified the mission headquarters here that they planned to make the 200-mile trip to the Ongole hospital, where another son, Jackie, was to have his tonsils removed and Rev. Kasper was to have a physical check-up.

Mrs. Kasper, a former student of Tabor college, was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Block of Dallas, Oregon. She was 32 years of age. Her sister, Mrs. M. B. Willems resides at Hillsboro and went to Dallas to be with the parents after receiving word of the tragedy

The Kaspers went to India for the first time in 1946, and had learned the language of the Telugu (people among whom they worked. They have been stationed at Nagarkunool.

---

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1950 Nov 23 p. 1

text of obituary:

Hold Memorial Service for Missionary and Son

LEARN DETAILS OF TRAGEDY WHICH CLAIMED TWO LIVES IN INDIA

Hillsboro, Kans. — The closing service of all-day meetings at the Mennonite Brethren church here on Nov, 19 was to be in memory of Mrs. Julius Kasper, missionary to India, and her son Julius, both of whom lost their lives in a ferry boat accident in India Oct. 21.

Dr. P. R. Lange, dean of Tabor college, was the speaker of the evening. Here to attend the service were Mrs. Kasper's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob J. Block of Dallas, Ore.

Thanksgiving and missions services were held in the morning and afternoon, with Dr. D. Edmond Hiebert, Rev. Orlando Harms, and Miss Elizabeth Wiebe as speakers.

Hieberts Narrowly Escape

Mt. Lake, Minn. — Mrs. Ricardo Zapata of this community has received word from her father, Rev. J. N. C Hiebert of India, concerning the ferry boat accident which claimed the lives of Mrs. Julius Kasper and son.

The Kasper family and Mrs. Hiebert and two daughters, Lois and Joanne were enroute to Ongole for medical aid, traveling in the Hiebert car. In crossing the Kirshna river at Bazwade, the car was loaded on the ferry with a heavily loaded truck and the passengers rode in the tug boat which pushed the ferry.

The crossing was made safely, but at the other side, the two families were asked to get bark [sic] in the car while coolies pushed the ferry the rest of the way in. However, as soon as the tug boat was loosened, the ferry began to tip and all except Rev. Kasper and son Jackie went down with the car into about 15 feet of water.

Mrs. Hiebert, with baby Lois, managed to free herself from the car as did Joanne Hiebert, and all came to the surface and were rescued. Mrs. Kasper was taken from the car about 20 minutes later, but all efforts to revive her failed. The body of her son Julius was recovered from the car the following day.

The missionaries suffered considerable loss of personal effects and the Hiebert car was also damaged.