Regier, John M. (1885-1960)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1960 May 19 p. 3

Birth date: 1885 Aug 3

text of obituary:

Retired Minister Dies After Long Illness

REV. J. M. REGIER SERVED PASTORATES IN FIVE STATES

Funeral services for Rev. J. M. Regier, 74, well-known retired minister of the General Conference Mennonite Church, were held Monday afternoon at the Bethel College Mennonite church in North Newton. Rev. Russell Mast officiated, assisted by Rev. H. T. Unruh.

Rev. Regier died Friday, May 13, at the Bethel Home for Aged. He had been in failing health since 1951, and had been cared for the past year at the Bethel Deaconess hospital and the home for aged.

A native of the Moundridge community, he was a graduate of Bethel college, Oberlin college and the Witmarsum seminary. He served pastorates at Fortuna, Mo., Freeman, S. D., Pandora, Ohio, Reedley, Calif. and Hillsboro, Kan.

At various times Rev. Regier also was connected with Freeman and Bethel colleges, served on the Bethel College Board and the General Conference Home Mission Board, and was president of three district conferences.

Surviving are his wife, Elizabeth; one daughter, Mrs. John Grenville of Omaha, Neb.; two sons, J. Stanley of Wichita and Robert of Idaho Falls, Idaho; five grandchildren, two sisters and four brothers.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1960 May 26 p. 8

text of obituary:

REV. J. M. REGIER

John M. Regier, son of Cornelius and Mary (Wall) Regier, was born near Moundridge, Kansas on Aug. 3, 1885. After having received his elementary education there, he attended the academy of Bethel college for two years and then taught school for three years.

In Sept. 1905 he was baptized by Rev. Peter Lohrentz and became a member of the Hebron church.

He returned to Bethel college for four years, and received his A.B. degree in 1912 in the first class to graduate from the college. He also attended Kansas university and Oberlin college where he received his A. M. degree in Theology.

On June 11, 1912 he was married to Elizabeth Lohrentz by Rev. Bernhard Buhler. Both went to school to prepare for missionary work in india. This plan had to be abandoned on account of his wife's health, but on the very day of their ordination, an empty pulpit at Fortuna, Missouri was suggested to them as a wonderful opportunity for service.

After one and a half years in this field, he accepted a call to Freeman, South Dakota, where he served the church and Freeman college for five years. Then he accepted a call from the Grace church of Pandora, Ohio, where he served for eight years. Here he also enrolled in Witmarsum seminary and received his B. D. degree.

He became the pastor of the First Mennonite church in Reedley, Calif. in 1928 where he remained until 1935.

From 1935 to 1939 he devote his full time to being Field Secretary for Bethel college. For the next three years he continued on a part-time basis, having accepted the pastorate of the Johannestal church at Hillsboro, Kansas, where he remained until his retirement in 1951, after which he made his home in North Newton.

On Feb. 4,1951, he preached his last sermon in the Johannestal church. The following day he suffered the first of many heart attacks, and from then until May of 1959 he was able to do less and less work. Since May of 1959 he had been in the Bethel Hospital and Bethel Home where he received constant care until the time of his death on May, 1960.

In 1923 he was elected to the home Mission Board of the General Conf. Mennonite Church, which place he restrained for 27 successive years. His ministry took place in four of the Mennonite district conferences, three of which he served as president for several terms. For a number of years he was on the board of directors of the Bluffton hospital and later on the Bethel College Board.

He leaves to mourn his passing his wife, Elizabeth; daughter, Winifred and husband, John Grenville; son, Robert and wife Eunice, and their children, Jane, John and Ruth; son, J. Stanley and wife, Lois, and their children, Cathy and Becky; also two sisters, Mrs. Margaret Pankratz and husband Cornelius, and Mrs. Justina Claassen and husband, John; four brothers, Herman, Emil, Sam and wife Anna, Alvin and wife Thelma, and one sister-in-law, Mrs. C. C. Regier.

His guiding principle in life was to seek and do the will of God and he was always willing to serve wherever his help was needed. He was a devoted husband and father and was always an inspiration to his family. His cheerful disposition and sense of humor were still evident to those who cared for him in his final months. — The Family.

The Mennonite obituary: 1960 Aug 16 p. 529