Sommer, Adam William (1885-1958)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1958 May 29 p. 6

Birth date: 1885 Jul 11

text of obituary:

RETIRED MINISTER OF OHIO COMMUNITY DIES AT AGE 72

Kidron, Ohio. — Rev. Adam W. Sommer, retired Mennonite minister, died at his home in Kidron on May 20 after a brief illness. Funeral services were arranged for Monday afternoon, May 26, at the Kidron Mennonite Church, with Rev. Gerald V. Smelser of the Cleveland Hebrew Mission and Rev. Reuben Hofstetter officiating.

Rev. Sommer was a member of the board of the Cleveland Hebrew Mission, which has held summer Bible conferences the past 27 years on the property where he resided.

Survivors include his wife, Martha; one daughter, Vesta, missionary to Nigeria under the Sudan Interior Mission, who was expected home for the funeral; two brothers and two sisters.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1958 Jun 12 p. 8

text of obituary:

REV. ADAM W. SOMMER

Adam William Sommer, son of Isaac C. and Elizabeth Zuercher Sommer, was born near Dalton, Ohio on July 11, 1885, and peacefully fell asleep in Jesus May 20, 1958, at the age of 72 years, 10 months and nine days.

He attended grade school and Dalton High School. He taught school at Center No. 6 from the fall of 1904 to the spring of 1905. He also attended Bluffton College for a few months. Besides that he taught some German school.

He was baptized on the confession of his faith in November 1905. On Dec. 31, 1908, he was married to Martha Dora Amstutz. Three daughters were born to this union. Zena died Mar. 22, 1947, Lillian died Nov. 24 of the same year, and Vesta is a worker in the Sudan Interior Mission.

Adam attended Moody Bible Institute from January 1913 to December 1914. Then he attended McCormick Seminary for three months. In the spring of 1915 he was called to preach at the Salem Mennonite Church and served to the end of July 1919. After that he served at the Kidron Tabernacle. Since 1930 he had been closely associated with the Camp Kidron Fellowship and the Cleveland Hebrew Mission. In all of his deliberations and in all of his work he was deeply concerned for the spiritual welfare of the entire community. He had a deep appreciation of God and the things of God. He fervently loved the Lord Jesus Christ and appreciated all who likewise loved the Savior.

Besides his immediate family he leaves two brothers, Simon of Millersburg, O. and Hiram of Orrville; two sisters, Eva, Mrs. Nelson Zuercher of Orrville, and Ida, Mrs. Simon J. Lehman of Kidron. There is a large circle of other relatives and friends. Adam will be greatly missed in the home and community.

Fourteen ministers and 147 relatives and friends from a distance were among those attending the funeral services, held at the Kidron Mennonite church. Also present was Rev. Sommer's only daughter, Vesta, who returned home from Nigeria by plane to be present at her father's funeral.