Unruh, Anna Teske (1868-1951)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Apr 19 p. 6

Birth date: 1868 Jul 10

text of obituary:

. . .

— Rev. and Mrs. D. J. Unruh received word of the death of Rev. Unruh's 82-year-old mother, Mrs. Jacob Unruh, late Sunday afternoon at Fredrick, Pa. She had been in the hospital for about a week because of a fractured hip. Rev. and Mrs. Unruh and son Paul, together with Rev. Unruh’s brother, Rev. John G. Unruh and family of Turpin, Okla., left by car on Monday to attend the funeral which is to be held at Reamstown, Pa. Thursday afternoon. The aged father and huband [sic], Jacob Unruh, survives.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 May 3 p. 8-9

text of obituary:

ANNA TESKE UNRUH

Anna Teske Unruh, daughter of Christian and Elizabeth (Schmidt) Teske, was born in the village of Heinrichsdorf, Polish Russia on July 10, 1868. She died on April 15, 1951, 82 years, nine months five days.

When she was six years old her parents migrated to America where they settled about 35 miles north of Yankton, S. D. later known as the Freeman and Marion community. Here she grew to young womanhood and at the age of 18 years she was baptized or confession of her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour from sin, by the Elder Peter Becker and received as a member of the Mennonite church of which Rev. Peter Becker was the elder. In the course of her life she united with other Mennonite churches wherever she made her home and at the time of her death she was a member of the Calvary Mennonite church, Quarryville, Pa.

On March 31, 1889, she was united in marriage to Jacob H. Unruh at Freeman, S. D. by Rev. Christian Kaufmann. For 62 years they shared the joys and sorrows of life with one another. This union was blest with 11 children, four daughters and seven sons. One son who died in infancy, and one daughter Elizabeth, Mrs. J. J. Penner, who died in 1929, preceded her in death.

She leaves to mourn her departure, her husband and the following sons and daughters and their families: Henry J. and wife, Reamstown, Pa.; Rev. Daniel J. and wife, Newton, Kansas; Anna and her husband Allan Morrison, Kirkwood, Missouri; Hulda and her husband John J. Penner, Altoona, Penna.; Rev. John G. and wife, Turpin, Okla.; Rev. Jacob and wife, Wolf Point, Mont.; Peter and wife, Quarryville, Penna., Helen and husband Rev. Wm. Kramer, Wynett, Mont.; Rev. Abraham and wife, Monroe, Washington; 25 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and a sister, Mrs. Helena Schmidt, Abbotsford, British Colombia.

Mother Unruh’s life was an interesting and a full life, a life of pioneer hardship in the early days of the settlement in S. Dak. She and her husband had the experience of losing their home and household effects by fire, there days after they were married.

Several times in their lives they moved from one community to another. They lived at different times at Freeman, S.D. where all but one of the children were born; one son was born at Corn, Okla. where they lived for several years They lived at times at Ernfold, Sask., Canada; Yllow [sic Yellow] Pine, Alabama, and since 1924 they have lived in Lancaster county, Penna. until Feb. 17 of this year, when they moved to Mennonite Home for the Aged, Frederick, Penna.

Here they were very happy and grateful for the care and the comforts which they received. On Sunday, April 8, they came to Reamstown, Pa. where they participated in the Communion service at the Emmanuel Mennonite church, Denver, Penna. and planned to spend the rest of the day with their son Henry and family. In the afternoon Mother Unruh fell and fractured her hip.

She was taken to the Ephrata Community hospital where she received the best of care, but the Lord had plans for her home going and one week later-on April 15 at 4:00 p. m. she fell asleep in Jesus, shortly after she prayed the prayer hymn which she taught her children in the German.

"Jesus Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are my glorious dress
In flaming worlds in these arrayed
With joy, shall I lift up my head."

To father she repeated the thought “The Saviour has promised to keep us and he will keep his promise.” Her lot in life was not always easy but she kept faith, and with her husband they guided their children to know and love the Lord Jeuss [sic Jesus]. She had only a very limited education but was a great reader and read through the Bible several times.

She knew many hymns from memory and frequently sang at her work.

The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” II Timothy 4:6-8.

She was buried from the Steinmetz Chapel, where the Emmanuel church holds its regular meetings, and was laid to rest in the adjoining burial grounds on Thursday, April 19. Rev. Elmer Hess was in charge of the funeral service and spoke on the text, Genesis 5:24. Rev. Elmore Byler, who is married to one of the granddaughters, sang at the funeral home in Reamstown, Pa., “Thake [sic]Thou My Hands O Father” and at the church services he sang, “All The Way My Saviour Leads Me.” Mrs. Tina (Klassen) Bohl, a friend of the family, sang a German number, "Dort Uber Yenen Sternen Meer,” and a male quartet of grandsons sang “My Jsus [sic Jesus] I Love Thee” at the graveside services.

Rev. Hess was assisted in the funeral services zy [sic] Rev. Lauer and Rev. Mastbauer, pastor of the Evangelical United Brethren church in Lancaster, Pa. and former neighbors of Mr. and J. H. Unruh while they lived in Lancaster, Pa. Rev. Walter MacDowell, a former pastor of the deceased, led in the closing prayer and grandsons sang “My Jesus I Love [sic] used at the funeral were among the favorite of mother Unruh which she sang as she went about her household tasks.—The Children.

The Mennonite obituary: 1951 May 29 p. 355