Shank, John Robert (1877-1958)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1958 May 1 p. 1

Birth date: 1877 Aug 19

text of obituary:

Pioneer Mission Worker Dies at Versailles, Mo.

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR BISHOP J. R. SHANK HELD ON MONDAY

Bishop J. R. Shank, pioneer rural missionary in eastern and central sections of Missouri, died April 25 after undergoing surgery at Columbia, Mo., it has been learned here. He was 80 years of age and had been in ill health for several years.

Funeral services were held Monday at Versailles, Mo., he and Mrs. Shank having made their home in Versailles for some time.

A native of the Versailles community, Bishop Shank was ordained to the ministry in 1905 and served as a rural missionary near Palmyra, Mo., later taking up similar work on the Osage River south of Versailles. He was ordained bishop in 1941.

Bishop Shank held various positions of responsibility in the Missouri-Kansas Conference and also the Mennonite (Old) General Conference, being active in educational and publication interests of the church.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1958 Jul 3 p. 8

text of obituary:

J. R. SHANK

John Robert Shank, son of Lewis H. and Mary (Wenger) Shank was born Aug. 19, 1877, near Versailles, Mo.; passed away April 26,1958, at the Ellis Fischel Hospital, aged 80 years eight months and seven days. Death followed a serious operation.

At 18 years of age he was baptized by John S. Coffman and became a member of the Mennonite church, in which faith he lived and served until he died. In 1905, he was ordained as a minister to serve the small group at Pea Ridge, Mo. In 1908 he took charge of the work near Carver, Mo., to begin a long and fruitful service in the surrounding Osage River district. In 1941, he was ordained as bishop.

Besides his work in the rural field, he was widely used in editorial work and writing for church periodicals, expecially in Sunday school and young people's work. He was for many years secretary of the district conference and a member of the Commission for Christian Education.

On March 8, 1925,he was married to Clara M.. Brubaker, Birch Tree, Mo. He leaves his wife; two brothers and three sisters (Joe, La Junta, colo.; Charles, Goshen, Ind.; Mollie — Mrs. Daniel Kauffman, Harrisonburg, Va.; Emma — Mrs. Clyde Fenton, Philadelphia, Mo., and Rose — Mrs. Earl Buckwalter, Hesston, Kans.). Preceding him in death were his parents, two brothers (Jacob and Benjamin), and two sisters (Sallie — Mrs. Daniel Mohler and Fannie — Mrs. Paul Hershey, La Junta, Colo.).

Funeral services were held April 28 at the Mt. Zion church, Versailles, in charge of Harry Diener, Earl Buckwalter, Amos Gingerich, and Leroy Gingerich.