Voran, Mary Eliza Blllau (1899-1982)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1982 Aug 5 p. 8

Birth date: 1899 Sep 9

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1982 Oct 14 p. 11

MARY E. VORAN

Mary Eliza Billau Voran was born on a farm near Hesston, Kan. of Sept 9, 1899. Her parents were Eliza Jane Harmon and William Henery Billau. She died on July 27, 1982 at the age of 82.

Mary lived with her parents in the Hesston-Moundridge community until age nine when the family moved by covered wagon to a farm i Kingman County. There the family attended the Methodist church at Norwich. As a girl she became a member of this church.

On May 31, 1925 she married David Voran from Hesston. They lived on the family farm in Kingman County for two years. In 1927 they moved to a farm two miles southwest of Hesston. Mary's parents had both died, leaving several young children. Mary and David took the youngest, three-year-old Ruth (now Mrs. Andrew Mabry) to live with them. Mary loved and nurtured her as she did her own two children.

After moving to the Hesston community the family attended the Garden Mennonite Church. Mary joined the Garden Church and became a faithful member until her health made attendance too difficult. She pieced many comforter tops for the Ladies Mission society of the church, and enjoyed making quilts and comforters for her children and grandchildren.

Mary and her husband lived together almost 50 years on the Hesston farm. In 1975 David died. She continued to live on the farm for a year and one-half with her grandsons who were college students. Because of failing health she moved to Schowalter Villa in August 1977. At the Villa she made many new friends and became an active member of the Villa community. Mary passed away at Bethel Deaconess Hospital after a week's stay.

Mary was devoted to her family and the fulfilling of their spiritual and physical needs was always important to her. Her greatest joy was being with her family. She lived her Christian faith by her patience, unselfish service to others and uncomplaining spirit. Even her last days in the hospital she showed these characteristics.

She is survived by one son, Melvin, and his wife Marilyn of Goshen, Ind., one daughter, Wileta, and her husband, Walter Tieszen, of Wichita, three sisters, Ruth Mabry of Ypsilanti, Mich., Beulah Luhdorff and Mildren Piepgrass, both of Visalia, Calif., seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.