Landis, John M. (1914-2003)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2003 Jun 30 p. 8

Birth date: 1914 Oct 19

text of obituary:

JOHN M. LANDIS

John M. Landis, 88, of Brownsville, Ore., died June 8, 2003. He was born Oct. 19, 1914, to Melvin and Emma (Byler) Landis in Newton, Kan.

He spent his early years in Hesston, Kan., where his father was teaching at Hesston College. He attended high school in Offerle, Kan., and in Enid, Okla., and after graduation attended Phillips University in Enid. He later graduated from John Fletcher College in University Park, Iowa.

While in college he began preaching at a small church as a student preacher and later went to seminary in Naperville, Ill., to prepare for his life work as a pastor and evangelist.

On Aug. 20, 1939, he married Violet Minner of Lost Springs, Kan.

They served churches in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Michigan and Nebraska. He also spent a number of years in evangelistic work, traveling to preach or to lead music in revival meetings and camp meetings around the country.

He was a member of Yoder (Kan.) Mennonite Church, and for the last several years attended Family Bible Church in Brownsville.

Survivors include two daughters, Faith Wenger and her husband, James, of Baltimore, and Ruth Wenger and her husband, Richard, of Brownsville; two sisters, Roma Munroe of Dickinson, Texas, and Marikay Gerig of Wayland, Iowa; five grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

Memorial services were held at Family Bible Church. Burial was in the Fairview Cemetery.