Lautermilch, John (1881-1967)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: Oct 06 p. 19

Birth date: 1881 Apr 01

text of obituary:

JOHN LAUTERMILCH

John Lautermilch, 86, of Medicine Hat, Alta., died September 19 after a lengthy illness. He was born April 1, 1881 in Odessa, Russia to Philip and Magdalen Lautermilch. When John was eight years old his father died and he and two brothers were left to provide for their widowed mother.

In 1899 he was married to Emilia Biffart with whom he shared and enjoyed almost 68 years of marriage union. In May, 1902 they, together with his two brothers, emigrated to McCluskey, North Dakota where they lived for eight years. In 1910 they moved to Saskatchewan to homestead at Woodrow. He loved to farm and except for one year when he went into business in Woodrow, stayed on the farm until his retirement in 1944.

Through the influence of an uncle, a Baptist minister, and a Bible study conducted in the home of the late Carl Biffart, he and his wife accepted Christ as Saviour. Thereupon they were baptized upon their faith and accepted into the fellowship of the Mennonite Brethren Church at McClusky. He coveted the fellowship of the believers and sought to be a faithful witness. He loved singing; his favourite number was the gospel song, "At the Cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light ... "

He was predeceased by one brother, Wilhelm, who died enroute to America; his parents; a brother, Andrew, who died in 1938; and three children who died in infancy. He is survived by his wife, Emilia; Emil of Regina, Edward of Beechy, Sask., Albert of Woodrow, Sask., Andrew of Medicine Hat, Mrs. Ernest (Emma) Wenzel of Morse, Sask., Herbert of Frogan, Sask., Robert of Woodrow, Sask., Mrs. Rudolph (Mabel) Biech of Woodrow, Mrs. Rueben (Tina) Engle of Woodrow, John of Woodrow, Mrs. Ewalt (Elsie) Engle of Woodrow, Milton of Woodrow and their families.