Toavs, Abraham F. (1878-1961)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1961 Jun 1 p. 8

Birth date: 1878 Sep 5

text of obituary:

ABRAHAM F. TOAVS

Abraham F. Toavs, son of Franz H. and Maragaret [sic Margaretha] Isaak Toavs, was born Sept. 5, 1878 in Cottonwood County, Mountain Lake, Minn., and passed away May 7, 1961, at the age of 82 years, eight months, and two days.

He attended school in Mountain Lake, Minn. and was baptized in the Bethel church there, upon the confession of faith in Jesus Christ.

At the age of 17 his family moved to northern Minnesota in a covered wagon.

On Dec. 13, 1903 he was married to Maria Nickel. They made their home on a farm in Ulen, Minn. where they lived until they homesteaded north of Wolf Point, Mont. Here he was instrumental in starting the first Sunday school in the Wide Awake community. He lived there until October 1954 when they moved to their new home in Wolf Point.

He was a man who lent a great deal of leadership in a variety of civic, public and Christian enterprises. Numbered among there were his service on the school board, many years as chairman of the hospital board and his contributions to institution of Christian education.

He is survived by his wife Maria; two brothers, John Taves, Fargo, North Dakota, and Jake F. Taves, Dale, Minn.; one sister, Mrs. John C. Peters of St. Paul, Minn.; nine sons, Abraham, Frank, Robert, Louis, John and Harry of Wolf Point; Jessie of Minneapolis; Dan and William of Petaluma, California; five daughters, Mrs. Herb Dyck (Martha), Mrs. Lloyd Baker (Lilly), Mrs. Paul Schmidt (Lila), all of Wolf Point; Elsie of Helena, Mont., Mrs. Harold Reeves (Rosella) of Minneapolis; 58 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. One child, Grace Adeline Toavs, at the age of five preceded him in death.

The Mennonite obituary: 1961 Jun 13 p. 398