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Kehler, Johann U. (1903-1959)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1959 Aug 20 p. 7
Birth date:
text of obituary:
Tragedy in Paraguay Colony Takes Lives of Four In Same Family
DOCTOR, NURSES IN BRAVE BUT LOSING FOUR-DAY BATTLE AGAINST EFFECTS OF POISONING
A farm couple and two of their daughters living in Menno Colony in the Chaco region of Paraguay lost their lives early this month from the toxic effects of botulism, or food poisoning, it has been learned in a report from Mrs. Frieda Kaethler, R. N. Mrs. Kaethler and her husband, Dr. Wilhelm Kaethler, are in charge of the Menno Colony hospital. Her moving account of the four-day battle to save the lives of the four victims follows.
A BEAUTIFUL day came to a close on Friday, July 31. The rain had stopped and the sun looked through the clouds. In Reinland, Menno Colony lives the family of Joh. U. Kehler. The Kehlers are model farmers with a very neat home. Three daughters are married and live in another village.
Mother Kehler was preparing supper on this Friday and got out a jar with home canned liver sausage. All but the youngest daughter enjoyed it. Suddenly Neta pushed back her plate and remarked about a strange flavor. Then Father Kehler also noticed that the sausage had a little different taste to it. Everyone quit eating. But nothing happened; they all slept well, and everybody went to his job on Saturday morning.
Saturday noon Neta was not feeling too well. Father Kehler went to the field to do some plowing in the afternoon. As Mother Kehler came to the field she walked unsteadily and complained of dizziness and trouble with her vision. Her husband also admitted that he was dizzy and that he saw four horses instead of two before him. No one, however, took it seriously.
BY EVENING Neta had trouble swallowing and went to bed. At night Mother Kehler felt quite ill and could not sleep as Neta moaned loudly. Soon the whole family was awake, and father as well as Liese did not feel well. The two other girls went to a neighbor in the village, Dentist Giesbrecht, who has a motorcycle. He immediately drove the three miles to Summerfeld to get the doctor.
When my husband got there about 2:30 a. m. he found mother and daughter very ill and immediately took them along to the hospital. There they received the standard treatment for common food poisoning. But the symptoms of this poisoning were so different. There was little vomiting, and this only about 30 hours later, and no diarrhea. There was much dizziness, double vision, drooping of the upper eyelids, difficulty in swallowing and breathing.
Upon further questioning by the doctor the story of the canned liver sausage on Friday night was revealed. Soon there was no question about the diagnosis, that this was the much dreaded disease of botulism. And what should we do about it here in the secluded area where there is no antitoxin. At noon Father Kehler and Liese were admitted to the hospital, and their condition had grown worse.
THE disease progressed rapidly with Neta. About 3 p. m. she breathed her last, even before the married sisters had arrived. My husband hurried in a jeep to Filadelfia in order to look for the medicine there, but as he had expected, there was none. At 6 p. m. Menno Colony had the usual radio connection with Asuncion, and an S. O. S. call was radioed for the antitoxin.
Meanwhile an uninterrupted stream of people were passing through our hospital yard. They all were deeply moved about this tragedy and wanted to look once more into the dying faces of their usually strong and healthy neighbors. A beautiful, hard day had come to a close. “Behold, therefore, the . . . severity of God” (Rom. 11:22).
Another beautiful day dawned on Monday morning, but at our hospital in Menno there was much grief. About 6:30 Mother Kehler had finished her fight and was relieved of her labored breathing. She was anxious to go Home. One of our patient rooms was converted into a funeral home where the nurses decorated the caskets and dressed the bodies. It was a heartbreaking sight to see the whole Kehler family, in silent grief, pass from the sick to the death room. These two bodies were brought to the graveyard for interment, but the public funeral service was to take place later.
MEANWHILE Father Kehler and Liese grew steadily worse. The symptoms were exactly the same, just progressing more slowly. From Ascunsion came word on Monday morning that the city did not have the antitoxin either, but by radio they had ordered some from Buenos Aires. Repeatedly Liese would ask for the plane which was to bring the medicine.
By noon the plane had come to Filadelphia, but the medicine from Buenos Aires had not arrived in Ascunsion and was to come with the plane on Tuesday. So we hoped and prayed and waited, knowing that in many cases even the medicine does not help any more.
Then came another hard, long night with increased choking spells for the ill. The doctor, nurses and the weary relatives stood at the bedside and could do so little to ease the discomfort of the two poisoned patients.
TUESDAY morning another beautiful day came and the truck went to Filadelfia. About 10 a. m. the plane arrived and brought the much waited for ampulls. At 12 o'clock noon the patients could receive the first doses. Soon after that the condition of both patients grew rapidly worse.
Toward evening Liese started to breathe easier and began to slumber quietly. Was it real convalescence or just a last flicker? About 10:20 p. m. Father Kehler's battle for life was finished. He was a strong man of 56 years. Again a room was converted into a funeral home where the nurses prepared his body and casket.
'THE night that followed was hard and stormy. Liese, who was barely 17 years old, struggled to live. The patient, the family, and the doctor as well as the nurses grew weary in this struggle, for Liese's suffering grew continually. If she cannot live, may God take this weary child soon.
After an almost sleepless night for all of us, Wednesday morning came with a blowing north wind and continuous struggle in Liese's room. It seems like death is getting his prey in the morning; however, there followed periods of ease during which the patient even became cheerful and smiled. But soon another choking attack would increase the struggle for air. At last, about 11:20 p. m., she fell asleep for this world. Those of us who stood at her bedside during these days cannot help but thank God that he relieved her of suffering, though we would have liked to keep her in our midst.
A gray, dreary day dawned on Thursday morning. Father Kehler's body was taken to the cemetery. Once more we decorated a casket and dressed Liese. Within four days this was the fourth loved one death took from the Kehler family.
ON Friday morning Menno Colony gathered for the solemn occasion, a four-fold funeral at Reinland. Never before had so many people gathered for such an occasion. Everybody was moved at God's dealing with us. Very seriously the ministers addressed the bereaved audience, but the four fresh graves spoke to us even more seriously.
Who of us present could ever forget the solemn funeral text, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).