Thesman, Jacob Vernon (1926-2006)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2007 Feb 19 p. 8

Birth date: 1926 Oct 8

text of obituary:

JACOB THESMAN

Jacob Vernon “Jake” Thesman, 80, of Kremlin, Okla., died Dec. 3, 2006. He was born Oct. 8, 1926, in Kremlin to Jacob J. and Anna E. Voth Thesman.

He attended Columbia Grade School and graduated from Kremlin High School.

He married Leora Rempel on Aug. 26, 1948, in North Enid.

He was a farmer and carpenter. He was a member of the Kremlin School Board for 15 years. He worked for Kremlin schools as a maintenance man, bus driver and was the clock keeper for basketball games. He was president of Kremlin Lions Club, mayor of Kremlin and was Kremlin Citizen of the Year in 2000. He was a member of Enid Mennonite Brethren Church, where he served as deacon, Awana Pals leader and representative for Mennonite Mutual Aid Insurance and sang in the choir.

Survivors include his wife, Leora; a son, Bob Thesman of Shawnee; two daughters, Jolita “Jodi” Gossen and her husband, Roger, of Kremlin, and Debbie Wright and her husband, Jeff, of Riverside, Calif.; two sisters, Bertha Ann Toews and Gladys Regehr; six grandchildren and a great-grandson.

Memorial services were held at Enid Mennonite Brethren Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.