Kieffaber, Estella Zook (1913-2007)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 Jul 2 p. 8

Birth date: 1913 Jan 17

text of obituary:

ESTELLA KIEFFABER

Estella Zook Kieffaber died May 3, 2007, in Kansas City, Kan. She was born Jan. 17, 1913, to Roy and Selina Miller Zook in Conway.

At age 4 she moved with her family to Alberta in Canada and in 1934 returned to Kansas to complete her education at Hesston Academy. Later she became a child care-giver at the Mennonite Children’s Home in the Argentine area of Kansas City. Among the children in her care were Norma Jean and Wayne, the youngest children of Albert Kieffaber, a widower who began attending the Mennonite Church in order to see more of his children. She and Al began seeing more of each other and developed a deep love for each other. They were married on April 15, 1941, at the home of Estella’s parents. Together they parented their family that included several children from Al’s first marriage.

She accepted Christ and was baptized as a young girl in her Tofield, Alta., Mennonite church. She continued her deep commitment to Christ her entire life and was the biblical model of homemaker (Prov. 31:10-31), seeing to the needs of her family, friends and neighbors. She was active in Argentine Mennonite Church and enjoyed teaching weekday Bible school. She loved people, had a sweet spirit, and all who met her saw Christ’s love exemplified in her life. She was a servant, a giver and a prayer warrior.

Survivors include their nine children, Lois Bare and her husband, Jim, of Goshen, Ind., V. Ruth Bitikofer and her husband, Glenn, of Kansas City, Roy Kieffaber and his wife, Dee, of Lenexa, Alberta Stoltzfus and her husband, Amos, of Brandon, Fla., Harvey Kieffaber and his wife, Carol, of Spring Hill, Jim Kieffaber and his wife, Ruth, of Veracruz, Mexico, Miriam Renfrow and her husband, Frank, of Mena, Ark., Walter Kieffaber and his wife, Frida, of Soldier, and Tim Kieffaber and his wife, Mary, of Tyrone, Okla.; a sister, Eldora Hartzler; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Her husband, Al, preceded her in death in 1974.