Tschetter, Joseph W. (1876-1955)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1955 Sep 1 p. 12

Birth date: 1876 Sep 22

text of obituary:

City Mission Worker Called By Death

SERVICES HELD IN SOUTH DAKOTA FOR REV. JOS. W. TSCHETTER

Freeman, S. D. — Rev. Joseph W. Tschetter, veteran missionary in Chicago and the mountain regions of North Carolina, and former editor and evangelist of the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Conference, died in Chicago Aug. 16 at the age of 78.

The body was sent here and final services and burial held at the Salem K. M. B. church near Bridgewater on Aug. 19, with the pastor, Rev. J. J. Kleinsasser, officiating.

Only about 10 days earlier funeral services were held in the same church for Rev. Tschetter’s brother, Rev. David W. Tschetter, well known retired K. M. B. minister who was fatally injured in an auto accident. They were sons of Rev. Paul Tschetter, pioneer minister here.

A native of the Bridgewater community, where he was born Sept. 22, 1876. Rev. Jos. Tschetter Tschetter [sic] attended Bethel College and graduated from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. After serving as a teacher and pastor, he was sent to North Carolina where he pioneered in rural mission work among the Negroes. During his service there he baptized 186 Negroes and organized three congregations.

Rev. Tschetter devoted the greater part of his life to city mission endeavors in Chicago, in which work he was engaged at the time of his death. In earlier years he also was active in publication and evangelistic work in the K. M. B. Conference. He was co-founder of the K. M. B. publishing house and associate editor of the “Wahrheitsfreund.” He also served in various capacities in the K. M. B. Conference and from 1923 to 1928 was a member of the Mennonite Colonization Board.

Surviving are his wife, Katharina, and several adopted children.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1955 Sep 29 p. 8

text of obituary:

REV. JOSEPH W. TSCHETTER

Rev. Joseph W. Tschetter, son of Rev. Paul and Maria (Walter) Tschetter, was born in Hutchinson County near Bridgewater, South Dakota, on Sept. 22, 1876. He passed away in his home at 1216 Diversey Pkway., Chicago, Ill., Monday, Aug. 15, 1955, at 1:00 a. m.

In the spring of 1904 he realized his lost condition and accepted the Lord as his personal Saviour. On Sept. 9, 1906, he was baptized by Rev. D. D. Goosen and taken into the membership of the Salem K. M. B. Church near Bridgewater, South Dakota. In 1908 he was elected minister of the Salem Church. On Nov. 12, 1910, he was ordained. In October 1911, after a farewell service by the church, he answered the call and left for North Carolina to do mission work among the colored people. this field was under his supervision for 15 years.

He was a co-founder and minister of the Lincoln Avenue Gospel Mission, and a co-ounder, publisher and associate editor of the Wahrheitsfreund; both were founded in 1915.

He was engaged in evangelistic meetings during his spare time.

He joined Katharina Hofer in holy matrimony on Dec. 15, 1901, with Rev. John D. Hofer officiating. One baby, Joesph [sic Joseph], was born to this union. After two weeks the Lord took him home to glory.

Left to mourn his passing are the widow, two foster daughters, Rosemary Schmidt and Dorothy Wallace; two sons-in-law, Willie Schmidt and Bob Wallace; two grandchildren, Billy Schmidt and Bobby Wallace; one brother, Jacob, Emery, South Dakota; two brothers-in-law and six sisters-in-law.