Schmidt, Helena Funk (1859-1952)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1952 Jul 24 p. 6

Birth date: 1859 Jul 5

text of obituary:

. . .

— Mrs. Johann Schmidt, 93-year old pioneer of the Goessel community, died Monday evening at 6:40 at the home of her son Adolf Schmidt. She was the oldest member of the large Alexanderwohl congregation. Funeral services were to be held at the Alexanderwohl church Thursday afternoon. She leaves the following children: Mr. and Mrs. Adolf Schmidt of Goessel, Mr. and Mrs. P. V. Unrau of rural Newton, Mr. and Mrs. Gerhard Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. John F. Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. Simon F. Schmidt, and Mr. and Mrs. P. I. Goertz, all of rural Goessel, Mr. and Mrs. Paul K. Funk of Goessel, Mr. and Mrs. Herman F. Schmidt and Mr. and Mrs. H. Y. Schmidt of Newton, and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Schmidt or rural Moundridge.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1952 Aug 21 p. 9

text of obituary:

MRS. JOHANN SCHMIDT

Helena Funk Schmidt, daughter of Cornelius and Aganetha Wiebe Funk, was born July 5, 1859, in Paulsheim, South Russia. She received her education in the village school of Paulsheim under the instruction of Abraham Harms.

In the great emigration of the Mennonites to North America in 1874 she, too, as a 15 year old girl, emigrated with her parents and sisters and brothers and settled in Marion county in the Bruderthal Mennonite community. On the voyage their ship caught fire and with great anxiety they reached New York, where the ship was condemned and destroyed. This showed them the wonderful and saving guidance of God.

In the first year of their settlement she lost her mother at the age of only 48 years, and a brother at the age of 19 years. This added more hardship to the father and eight children of the home in the pioneer days.

June 10, 1878, she was baptized upon her confession of faith in her Redeemer Jesus Christ by Elder Wilhelm Ewert Sr., and joined the Bruderthal church.

Dec. 15, 1881, she was married to Johann Schmidt of the Alexanderwohl church and they established their home with her husband's parents one mile cast of Goessel, where they also took care of the parents while Grandfather Jacob Schmidt was an invalid.

With her marriage she transferred her membership to the Alexanderwohl church, where she was an active member until her death.

She was a kind and loving mother. She prayed much and was much concerned about the spiritual life of her children. Her home was a welcome stopping place in the horse and buggy days for many of her friends and relatives from Hillsboro and Bruderthal on the way to and from conferences or other meetings held in Newton and at Bethel College.

She stayed young in spirit even in her old age and enjoyed the meetings of old and young. She enjoyed good health until the later years when a heart ailment developed. The fact that she was hard of hearing was another cause for her withdrawal from social life. After father's death she fell lonesome and often expressed the wish that she could go home to heaven. This wish was granted her July 21, 1952. On Monday afternoon she became ill and after a few hours a heart stroke caused her death at 6:40 p. m. at the age of 93 years and 16 days.

Our parents were privileged to live together 67 years and five months. For 60 years they lived in their own home. After father’s health was failing in 1942, they made their home with their daughter Anna and son-in-law B. B. Neumann in Marion. After the death of B. B. Neumann they moved to Hillsboro where father preceded her in death May 16, 1949, at the age of 95 years. Since March 1950 Anna (Mrs. B. B. Neumann, now Mrs. Adolf Schmidt) and mother made their home in Goessel.

Eleven children were born to this union. There are 31 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. One daughter Martha preceded her in death at the age of 11 years. In 1917 when her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wm. Schmidt passed away, leaving twins, the parents took into their home one of the grandchildren. Susie, now Mrs. Dan Hershberger. She was a great joy to them for four years.

Those preceding her in death were father, one daughter, one great grandson, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, one granddaughter-in-law.

She leaves to mourn the following: Mr. and Mrs. P. V. Unrau (Helena), Mr. and Mrs. Gerhard Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. Adolf Schmidt (Anna), Mr. and Mrs. John F. Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. Simon Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Y. Schmidt (Agnes), Mr. and Mrs. Paul K. Funk (Katie), Mr. and Mrs. Peter I. Goertz (Lizzie), and their families, 127 members in all; one brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Peter W. Funk; one sister-in-law, Mrs. Abr. Bergman, many relatives and friends. They all join with us in the words of Heb. 13:14, “For we have here no lasting city, but we seek the one to come."

The funeral was held July 24, 1952, at 3:00 p.m. in the Alexanderwohl church. In the funeral home Rev. P. P. Buller served, using the text Ps. 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." In the church Rev. C. C. Wedel made introductory remarks, using the text Luke 2:36-38, the worship of Hanna. Rev. H. B. Schmidt based his sermon on the text John 14:12, "I go unto my Father.” A quartet sang three numbers. Evelyn Voth served as organist. — The Children.

The Mennonite obituary: 1952 Sep 9 p. 573