Penner, Margaret Neufeld (1864-1962)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1962 Feb 22 p. 8

Birth date: 1864 Mar 4

text of obituary:

MRS. MARTIN PENNER

Mrs. Martin Penner was born Margaret Neufeld, daughter of Herman and Maria Thiessen Neufeld, in Munsterburg [sic Muensterberg], Russia on March 4, 1864. She lived in Russia until 1893, having married Martin Penner at Pranginnu [sic Prangenau] there Nov. 27, 1884.

In 1893 Mrs. Penner and her husband and family emigrated to Canada where they lived one year near Gretna, Man. It was while the Penners lived in Canada that her husband crossed over into the United States and homesteaded in Waterloo Township, Cavalier County, N. D. He stayed here about a year to prove his claim.

In 1894 Mr. Penner brought his wife and their four children, Mary, Margaret, Jacob and Peter, to their new home in Waterloo township. That has been Mrs. Penner's home all of the years of her life with the exception of a short time when she lived with her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Veer, in Langdon. Though not able to walk for some time she was able to be up each day in a wheel chair and resided since Nov. 6, 1960 in the Eventide Rest Home at Morris, Man. Three days before her death she was admitted to the Morris hospital where death came on Jan. 12, 1962. She reached the age of 97 years and 10 months.

Grandma Penner had been unable to see because of cataracts on her eyes for about 14 years before having them removed in a Grand Forks hospital in June, 1959. By the time of her 96th birthday in March 1960 she had regained her eyesight sufficiently to have been able to read the New Testament through twice.

Mr. and Mrs. Penner were the parents of 11 children, of whom two are deceased. Mr. Penner died September 16, 1937 at his home in Waterloo.

A daughter, Margaret, died in October 1919 at the age of 13 years and a son, Herman, died in infancy in 1906. A son, Jacob, and his family now live on the original Penner homestead.

Surviving are nine children: Mary, Mrs. Robert Gasink, Walhalla; Jacob and Peter of Langdon; Annie (Mrs. Adolph Etterman) Newton, Kan.; John, Wales; Katie, (Mrs. Nick Toewes [sic Toavs]) Columbus Falls, Mont.; Henry, Fresno, Calif.; Helen (Mrs. Abe A. Veer) Dresden; and Isabel (Mrs. Jacob Veer), Langdon. Also surviving are 68 grandchildren, 155 great-grandchildren, and 28 great-great-grandchildren. Two nephews who also survive are John Heibert [sic Hiebert], Headinglay [sic Headingley], Man., and Henry Hiebert, Kitchener, Ont. All of her sisters and brothers are deceased.

Mrs. Penner had been a member of the Bethel Mennonite Church near Dresden, N. D. all her life. Funeral services were held there Jan. 19. Rev. Frank Ewert, the pastor, officiated and Rev. Paul Dahlenberg of Butterfield, Minn. gave the sermon. As requested by Mrs. Penner, music was furnished by her granddaughters.

The Mennonite obituary: 1962 Feb 27 p. 139