Ratzlaff, John D. (1884-1951)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Aug 16 p. 8

Birth date: 1884 Feb 12

text of obituary:

JOHN D. RATZLAFF

John D. Ratzlaff, son of Peter and Agnes (Dyck) Ratzlaff, was born February 12, 1884, and departed this life August 6, 1951 having reached the age of 61 years, five months and 24 days. He was born near Buhler, Kansas where his parents made their home. Here he went to school as a boy, lived his boyhood days grew to manhood, and made this his home all the days of his life.

On June 16, 1907, he was baptized upon his own confession of faith in Christ as his Savior, by Elder Abraham Ratzlaff, and united with the Hoffnungsau Mennonite church, where he remained a member the remaining days of his life.

His days of illness date back several years. In April of 1949 he underwent an operation, and in September of that same year he suffered a stroke. This left him partly paralyzed, and from this paralysis he never fully recovered. Since that time he was largely confined to his chair, for he lost control of his limbs.

On May 30 of this year he suffered a second stroke, and this time he was confined to his bed. He suffered as the result of this stroke, and on Thursday morning of last week there appears to have been a third stroke which rendered him unconscious, and he did not regain consciousness any more, neither was he able to swallow any food or drink, and he suffered acutely. On Monday morning, August 6, at a few minutes before eight o’clock, the angel of death came to take him home and to relieve him of his suffering.

John was one of a large family of children. Both his father and his mother preceded him in death, as did also three of his brothers: Peter, Abraham, and Albert. He leaves to mourn his departure three brothers, Henry and George, of the home, and Edward, of Buhler, Kansas; three sisters, Anna, Agnes, and Susie; two sisters-in-law, Mrs. Edward Ratzlaff of Buhler, Kansas, and Mrs. Albert Ratzlaff of Columbus, Kansas; also three nieces and two nephews, many relatives and friends.

He left us with the assurance of having found forgiveness of his sins, for when he was asked some weeks before his severe illness, what if his first stroke had been fatal, he answered: “I know that my sins are forgiven”. He loved to have others read to him from the Bible, and to recite verses of Scripture and verses from familiar hymns.

We will miss him, for with the care we had given him during his days of illness we had become very close to him. We mourn, yet not as those who have no hope, for we have the assurance that those who live in the Lord also die in the Lord, and we say to him: Auf Wiederseh’n! Death came as a blessing, for it relieved him of his severe suffering, and now he has gone to the place where there is no more sickness, nor pain, nor any more parting; he has gone to the mansions prepared for him.— The bereaved family.