Voran, Christian J. (1866-1946)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1946 Jul 25 p. 1

Birth date: 1866

text of obituary:

Pioneer Kingman County Minister Called Away in Death

FUNERAL SERVICES FOR REV. CHRISTIAN J. VORAN LAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Kingman, Kansas. — Death removed from this community late last week Rev. Christian J. Voran, pioneer church leader, minister and farmer, who died at the Kingman Memorial Hospital after several years of ill health which came with the infirmities of old age. Rev. Voran, one of the few remaining members here who immigrated from Russia with the original settlers in 1874, was well up in the 80s.

While homesteading with his family in McPherson county for a number of years, he served briefly as an associate minister of the Hoffnungsau church there but later joined the group which moved to Kingman county and established the Bethany Mennonite church near Murdock in 1907. He was elder of this church until his retirement from the ministry in 1924. Besides his pastoral work, he was active also in various enterprises of the Western District and General conferences.

Funeral services held last Sunday afternoon were largely attended.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1946 Aug 1 p. 3

text of obituary:

REV. CHRISTIAN J. VORAN

Christian J. Voran, eldest son of Jacob and Anna Stucky Voran, was born March 4, 1866, in Volhynien, Russia, and departed this life on July20, 1946, at the Memorial hospital in Kingman, Kansas, having attained the age of 80 years, four months and 16 days.

When the great migration from Russia took place in 1874, he, at the age of eight years, accompanied his parents to America where religious freedom was promised them. They at first established their home on a farm near Moundridge, Kansas, where he grew to manhood. He was an ardent reader of the Bible and at the age of 17 gave his life to the Lord and was baptized upon confession of his faith by Elder Jacob Stucky and received into the fellowship of the Hopefield Mennonite church near Moundridge.

On March 4, 1886, he was united in marriage with Carolina Kaufman and together they shared the joys and sorrows of this world for nearly 57 years. One of the joys of their married life was their golden wedding celebration at the Bethany Mennonite church. This union was blessed with twelve children, six sons and six daughters. One son, Albert Theodore, and one daughter, Emma, preceded them in death. On October 2, 1942, he had the sad experience of losing his life’s companion in death.

In 1891 the Hopefield congregation elected him to become their pastor, which great task he faithfully performed for years. In 1907 he answered a call from a group in Kingman county to come and help organize a new church. The Bethany Mennonite church was the result and for 18 years he was the pastor. They located on a farm seven miles southeast of Kingman, which was their home until the end. Those who learned to know him will long remember him as an outstanding Christian character.

He leaves to mourn his departure five sons, Edward, Gustav, Henry and Fred of Kingman county, and Philip of Kinsley, Kansas; five daughters, Anna, Lydia, Clara and Esther of Kingman county and Amelia of Gentry, Ark.; 31 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Jacob J. of Kingman county and Joe F., Belpre; two sisters, Mrs. Andrew Schroeder of Hutchinson and Mrs. J. H. Kaufman of Kingman; and a host of friends and relatives.

Funeral services were conducted from the Bethany Mennonite church with the following pastors in charge: Rev. Herbert E. Miller of Belmont, Rev. B. H. Janzen of Lehigh, Rev. P. P. Tschetter of Pretty Prairie, and Rev. John H. Epp of Kingman. Burial took place in the Bethany cemetery.

The Mennonite obituary: 1946 Jul 30 p. 14