Wiebe, Dietrich V. (1888-1955)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1955 Mar 31 p. 1

Birth date: 1888 Jan 1

text of obituary:

CALIFORNIA PHYSICIAN, NATIVE OF KANSAS, DIED AT SACRAMENTO

Dr. D. V. Wiebe of Sacramento, Calif., medical supervisor of the Indian reservation near there, passed away Friday night, March 25, according to word received by relatives at Hillsboro. Earlier in the week he had undergone an operation on the large blood vessels of the heart.

Dr. Wiebe, who was about 68 years of age, was born and raised in the Springfield community near Lehigh and returned last Thanksgiving for the Springfield School reunion at which he was one of the speakers. For many years he practiced medicine at Reedley, Calif.

His younger brother, Rev. David Wiebe and wife of Hillsboro, left for California to attend the funeral. A sister, Mrs. H. D. Flaming, is seriously ill in the Salem hospital at Hillsboro. He is also survived by his second wife. There are no children.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1955 Apr 21 p. 8

text of obituary:

DR. DIETRICH V. WIEBE

Dr. Dietrich V. Wiebe, former Selma and Reedley, Calif. physician, a figure in a perilous china mission, and for the last ten years director of the Federal Indian Afairs ureau at Sacramento, Calif., passed away Friday, march 25, 1955, at the age of 67 years.

Son of Peter A. and Sara Voth Wiebe, he was born near Lehigh, Kansas on Jan. 1, 1888. At the age of 13 he was baptized upon his confession of faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior by the Rev. Henry A. Wiebe in the Springfield Krimmer Mennonite Brethren church near Lehigh.

He received his elementary school education at the Sprindfield [sic Springfield] School near Lehigh, and in November 1954 was the principal speaker at the final homecoming anniversary of that school.

He attended Kansas State College, received the A. B. degree from Tabor College, and in 1925 the Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kansas. He performed his internship at the San Joaquin County hospital at Stockton, Calif. and was the house physician there for four years. For several years he was superintendent of the Weed hospital. He did post graduate work in medicine at Harvard University, Columbia University, and the Cook County School of Medicine, Chicago.

In 1931 he entered wedlock with Ina Jensen with early was broken by her death in 1949.

In 1935 he joined the First Mennonite church of Reedley, Calif., where he remained a faithful member til his death. During his residence in Reedley he was active in the church, serving as trustee for two terms. He was a charter member of the Men’s Brotherhood, established in 1940.

On Sept. 9, 1950, he entered wedlock with Haidee Nichols, whom he met during his Indian Service work.

The departed lived a very busy life, finding his greatest delight in serving people. He began his general practice as physician and surgeon in Selma, Calif. After two years he came to Reedley where he served for 10 years. At this time he was highly instrumental in establishing the Reedley General hospital. In 1942 he went abroad under the American Friends Service Committee and served for two years in China as a surgeon in the Chunking Hospital. When he came back he became the medical director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs at Fort Defiance, Arizona, and for the last ten years had been the hedical [sic] director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the State of California.

On March 24, 1955, he submitted to heart surgery and died the next day at the Mt. Zion hospital, San Francisco, having reached the age of 67 years.

He leaves to mourn his sudden departure his wife Haidee; two brothers, David V. and Peter V. and one sister, Agnes, Mrs. Henry Flaming, all of Hillsboro, Kansas; and many other relatives.

Funeral services were held at the First Mennonite church of Reedley with Rev. Aaron J. Epp, the pastor, in charge. Music was given by a male quartet comprised of Ray Ewy, Herb Lichti, Gus Boldt and Paul Ruth. Mrs. Arthur Krehbiel served as organist. Burial was made at the Floral Memorial Park, Selma, Calif., close to the place where less than five years ago his first wife was interred.

His was a most fruitful life of service to mankind and his Lord. To many he was “our doctor,” who with his wife Haidee, relatives and friends, deeply mourn his early departure, but who look forward to a blessed reunion.

The Mennonite obituary: 1955 Apr 26 p. 272