Krehbiel, Maria Dester (1856-1938)

Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1938 Feb 22 p. 15

Birth date: 1856 Nov 14

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1938 Feb 9 p. 5

text of obituary:

LOCAL

. . .

— Word was received here today that Mrs. Mary Dester Krehbiel, wife of the late Rev. Val. Krehbiel, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at four o'clock p.m., at the home of her daughter, Mrs. O. N. Ruesser, Deer Creek, Okla., where she made her home in the past year. Mrs. Krehbiel was born in Iowa on Nov. 14, 1856, where she grew up and experienced the hardships of pioneer life across the Mississippi during the Civil War period. In early life she was baptized by the Rev. Johannes Rupp with a large number of young people of whom she is the last survivor. Being the oldest daughter in the family she keenly felt the loss of her father and older brother thru typhoid in her early girlhood and at the same time lost part of her eyesight. In the early 80's she came to Halstead with her widowed mother, one brother and two sisters. Here she married rev. Val. Krehbiel, with whom she shared the joys and struggles of a minister's wife in pioneer days of Kansas. She also cared for his eight motherless children as their own mother. In 1903 her husband passed away on a farm near Moundridge and she was left with eight small children of her own. After these children were grown she took turns in staying with them and also with her only sister, who was alone. She was loved and appreciated for her deep Christian devotion and interest of others' welfare. Funeral services will evidently be held at Moundridge.

The Mennonite obituary: 1938 Feb 22 p. 9