Kaufman, Larry Keith (1935-1956)

Revision as of 11:00, 15 November 2016

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1956 Jun 28 p. 1

Birth date:

text of obituary:

A cable received June 22 brought to the Board of Missions office in Newton the tragic news of the drowning of Larry Kaufman on June 20 near Charlesville, Cong, Africa. information to date is very limited.

A letter from Fremont Regier, his friend and co-worker, mailed June 17, states that the two friends, with Glen Rocke, were planning to take a boat trip from Charlesville down the Kasai river to Port Franqui. Further details are not available except a cable received June 25 which states that memorial services were held in Congo on June 23 and 24, and that efforts to recover the body were continuing.

Larry and Fremont Regier were performing their alternative service under Pax in Congo. they have given an excellent account of themselves so that the missionary staff there asked for additional Pax workers of this spirit and calibre. Fremont's letter referred to above closes: "We love it here more each day. We can never tank you enough for the help you gave us to get here." Larry's last letter to his parents closed with this thoughtful postscript: "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28).

Mission friends remember Mr. and Mrs. Alvin J. Kaufman, Larry's parents of Windom, Kansas, with deepest sympathy. This includes in a special way also Larry's fiance, Charlotte Graber, who with hm was planning to enter mission service.

Memorial services for Larry are planned in his home church, the First Mennonite Church of McPherson, Kansas on Sunday, July 1, at 3:00 p.m.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1956 Jul 5 p. 3

text of obituary:

Letter Tells of Drowning in Congo

McPherson, Kan. — Details of the tragic drowning of Larry Kaufman, young Pax worker, in the waters of the Kasai River of the central Belgian Congo were given in a letter received Sunday by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Kaufman of the Windom community.

The accident occurred in the late afternoon of June 20 and was witnessed by his close friend, Fremont Regier, Missionary Glenn Rocke and several Congolese comrades. the tragedy occurred at the close of the third day of a flat boat excursion down the Kasai between Charlesville and Port Franqui which is a regular freight route on the river. The party had enjoyed three days and two nights exploring and photographing the wonders of African nature and wild life along the river bank and were preparing to tie up for the night on an island.

There was shallow water with sand bottom all around the island and Kaufman was wading ahead of the boat directing the others who were pushing it to a deeper place to tie up for the night when he suddenly stepped into a deeper current and was pulled into the stream. Regier saw him struggling and swam to his rescue and barely escaped the same fate. The Africans pulled him on board whereupon he threw an inflated inner tube to Kaufman, but he was already out of reach. Regier then jumped on the tube and padled [sic] to the place where his buddy had disappeared. The [sic] crusied [sic] around the spot and up and down the stram [sic] until dark but they never saw Larry Kaufman again.

Finally they rowed back to the island, tied their boat and stood in silence staring at the river that had so quickly swallowed up Larry Kaufman and halted their happy adventure. Darrel Rocke, 12 year old son of Glenn broke the silence with the words, "Now Larry is in Heaven with Jesus."

After a sleepless night an African messenger started out with the tragic news arriving at Charlesville Friday morning from where the message was sent by inter-station short wave radio to Tshikapa and cabled to the homeland. The next day Regier and Rocke with his sons wearily treked [sic] into Charlesville station and wrote the details listed above. The Kaufman family received the letter on Sunday morning, the day of the memorial service for their son in the First Mennonite Church of McPherson, Kansas.

The largely attended service was in charge of the pastor, Rev. Henry Goosen, who opened with Scripture and prayer, read an obituary and excerpts of letters from Larry portraying his life and character. Words of comfort and appreciation were brought by Rev. Roland Goering, former pastor of Larry, President D. C. Wedel of Bethel College, and H. A. Driver of the mission staff. Rev. Phil Wedel, chairman of the General Conference board of missions, brought a brief message on the theme "Ship of Life." which he had used at the wedding ceremony of Larry Kaufman's parents on this same day, July 1, 1934.

Memorial services had been held at all C.I.M. stations and many village churches where African Christians and fellow missionaries met together to honor this young man who had come to Africa to give voice to the Gospel of his precious Lord. Many sincere and earnest prayers are going to the throne of God from loving African hearts on behalf of grief stricken parents and loved ones in America who gave up Larry that many African sons might share the Glory that now is his.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1956 Jul 12 p. 3
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1956 Jul 12 p. 8
The Mennonite obituary: 1956 Jul 10 p. 437