Unruh, Selma Elizabeth Dick (1919-2003)

Newton Kansan obituary: 2003 Jan 18. p. 2

Birth date: 1919 Oct 13

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2003 Feb 3 p. 11

text of obituary:

SELMA E. UNRUH

Selma Elizabeth (Dick) Unruh, of North Newton, Kan., died Jan. 17, 2003. She was born Oct. 13, 1919, to Issac J. and Helen J. (Schroeder) Dick on a farm north of Mountain Lake, Minn. On June 5, 1938, she was baptized and joined First Mennonite Church of Mountain Lake. In 1939 she attended Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. She became secretary to Bethel President E. G. Kaufman in 1941. At Bethel she met Willard Unruh. They were married Aug. 18, 1943. They served in the Belton, Mont., Civilian Public Service camp, where she was the dietitian. In 1948 they went to India and served with the General Conference Mennonite Church for five years. When they returned to North Newton in 1959, she worked as a secretary at Bethel College Mennonite Church and in several areas at Bethel College.

She was a member of Spic and Span EHU, an interracial extension club, was active in Church Women United, Bethel College Reading Club and Ethnic Lunch Bunch. At Bethel College church she was a member of Women's Fellowship.

In 1974 they went to India and Nepal for four months, to Haiti for a month in 1976, then spent two years in Nepal and four months in Somalia in 1979. Later they spent four months in India, Nepal and Taiwan and took a trip to Europe.

She loved bird watching, growing flowers and gardening. She canned produce from her garden and made applesauce, juice, pie and cake from their apple trees. She enjoyed handwork, including knitting and sewing.

In later years she had Parkinson's disease. She suffered a stroke that reduced her mobility in 1995. Willard cared for her at home until August 2001. She then resided at Kidron Bethel until her death.

Survivors include three sons, Paul and his wife, Shirley, of Greensburg, Burton and his wife, Kathy, of Wichita, and Allan and his wife, DaLene, of Valley Center; two daughters, Carol Buller and her husband, Jerry, of Newton, and Louise Hurwitz of Stuart, Fla.; two sisters, Marcella Klaassen of Hillsboro and Mildred Stucky of North Newton; 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Willard, on March 9, 2002.