Toews, N. F. (1857-1935)

Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1935 Jul 16 p. 14

Birth date: 1857 May 20

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1935 Jul 3 p. 1

text of obituary:

Aged Mt. Lake Minister Is Called by Death.

Mt. Lake, Minn., June 27. — The Rev. N. F. Toews, for years a respected minister in Mennonite circles died Monday night, following a stroke twelve days ago, during which time he was almost entirely helpless. it was his third stroke, since the first one which forced him to give up active work, in 1924, and he was unable to withstand its attack. he suffered a second stroke several years ago, while he was in Chicago visiting with his daughter.

Funeral services for Mr. Toews will be conducted Thursday afternoon from the home here, and from the Bethel church. Services at the home will begin at 1:30, with the Rev. P. j. Friesen speaking. The church services will follow at two o'clock, with the Rev. J. J. Balzer speaking in the German, and the rev. John Bartel in the English.

The decease was born 78 years ago, on May 20, 1857, in Pordenau, South Russia. At the age of 18 he came to America with his parents, who settled on a farm a half mile north of the present city limits of Mountain Lake.

In 1890 he was ordained in the ministry by Elder H. H. Regier of the Bethel church, and twenty years later, when he became elder, the Rev. Regier again performed the rites. Mr. Toews had been called by the Home Mission Board of the Mennonite conference, to take care of Sunday School and other work in Canada, and so in 1910 he moved to Langham, Saskatchewan, where he served the congregation at Waldheim.

Four years later, on April 19, 1914, his wife died, after 36 years of marriage, and the following year, he was married a second time to Mrs. Jacob Friesen. They moved to Alsen, N. D., where Mr. Toews served the Mennonite congregation for the next nine years. — Mt. Lake Observer