Shank, J. W. (1882-1970)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 21 May 1970 p. 6

Birth date: 1882

text of obituary:

Retired Missionary to Argentina Dies

Hesston, Kan. — Rev. J. W. Shank, 88, retired missionary to Argentina, died Sunday morning at the Bethel Deaconess Hospital in Newton.

He was born Oct. 19, 1881 at Versailles, Mo. At the age of 22 he went to Goshen, Ind. where he attended school and taught school. He went to Argentina, South America in 1917 where he served as a missionary for 33 years. After returning to the United States he served for one year at the Mennonite Mission in Chicago, and taught Spanish for four years at Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Va. He then lived for six years at La Junta, Colo., moving to the Schowalter Villa at Hesston in 1961.

On Aug. 11, 1910 he married Emma Hershey who died in December 1939. In 1942 he married Selena Gamber who survives.

Also surviving are sons Robert J. of Long Island, New York, and Paul D. of Ervine, Calif.; one daughter, Mrs. David (Elsie) Castillo of Colorado Springs, Colo.; one sister, Mrs. Earl Buckwalter of Hesston; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services were conducted at 10:00 a. m. Wednesday in the Hesston Mennonite Church.