Manning, Frank Eric (1905-1978)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1978 Jan 5 p. 10

Birth date: 1905 Aug 28

text of obituary:

Retired Missionary Dies in Florida

North Newton, Kan.—Frank E. Manning, 73, retired missionary of Clermont, Fla., died Jan. 1 following an eight-month illness. He and his wife, the former Augusta Balzer of Newton, served for many years in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) under the Africa Inland Mission.

She preceded him in death in 1968. Survivors include his second wife, Lydia Kurly, also a former missionary in Tanganyika; two daughters Grace Clement of Hanahan, S. C. and Merci Williams of Rowland Heights, Calif.; six grandsons and one granddaughter.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1978 Feb 2 p. 11

text of obituary:

FRANK ERIC MANNING

Frank Eric Manning was born on Aug. 28, 1905, in San Diego, Calif., a son of John E. and Jessie (Jones) Manning. They had two other sons, Warren and Marion, both of whom live in California.

Frank was "born again" in 1922 and joined the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles, Calif. He had one year of training left to become a Certified Public Accountant when the Lord called him to Africa. He graduated from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles in 1928.

Because the mission requested that he be ordained, he joined the Mennonite denomination of his wife-to-be Augusta Balzer, and was ordained in the Mennonite Church.

They were married in 1929 and in 1930 left for Africa, serving in Kivu, Zaire (then Belgian Congo) for five years. The following 22 years of missionary service were rendered in Tanzania (then Tanganyika). They were general missionaries on Ukerewe Island, and the last three years he was manager of the Mission Bookshop in Mwanza.

Augusta died in 1968 after many years of illness. Surviving are their two daughters, Grace Irene Clement who lives with her four children in South Carolina, and Merci Marie Williams who lives with her three children in California.

Not being able to return to Tanzania, Frank served with World Vision International for 12 years (1958-1970), but never ceased to be full member of the Africa Inland Mission.

He was married to Lydia Grace Kurle in 1969, and in 1970 they moved to Florida. They served the Lord in a visitation and stewardship ministry for Africa Inland Mission, traveling in many of the 48 states.

He died on Jan. 1, 1978 at the age of 73. Memorial services were held in the Kurfiss Funeral Home in Clermont, and he was buried in the Minneola Cemetery, near the Africa Inland Mission Retirement Center where they lived.