Wiebe, Orlando H. (1919-1971)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1971 May 13 p. 3

Birth date: 1919 Jul 3

text of obituary:

Professor at M. B. Seminary Dies

Hillsboro, Kan. — Word was received here that Rev. Orlando Wiebe, faculty member at the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif., died on May 5. He had been in ill health for about a year and was in the hospital for about a week before his death.

Rev. Wiebe was on the faculty of Grace Bible Institute, Omaha, Neb., from 1956 to 1960. He was formerly professor of Bible and chairman of the division of Bible and Philosophy at Tabor College. He received the B.D. degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and completed his Ph.D. studies at the University of Iowa.

Surviving in the immediate family are his wife, Laura, and five children: Joyce, Wayne, Wendell, Charis and Laura Beth.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1971 Jul 22 p. 11

text of obituary:

ORLANDO H. WIEBE

Orlando H. Wiebe was born to Henry and Anna Wiebe on July 3, 1919, at Langham, Sask., Canada, and died May 5, 1971, at Fresno, Calif., after an illness of about a year. He reached the age of 51 years, 10 months and two days.

His first 20 years were spent with his parents, brothers and sisters in the Dalmeny - Langham are of Saskatchewan. He finished high school at Dalmeny, went to a Bible school in Saskatoon for part of a winter, then took his teacher's training course at the Normal School in Saskatoon.

During these growing-up years the reality of Christ and Christianity were deeply laid upon his heart through a strong Christian home and a vital church. In his early teens he came to know Jesus Christ as personal Savior at revival services conducted by an uncle, Rev. George P. Schultz. He was baptized and joined the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church at Dalmeny. He became active in church work, singing in the church choir and teaching vacation Bible school.

In 1939 the family moved to Mt. Lake, Minn., where he taught grade school for two years. During the summer he taught vacation Bible school in Upper Michigan. There God worked in a wonder way and laid His hand upon him in a call to full-time Christian service. As result he went to Tabor College to spend a year in study before entering church work.

On Aug. 29, 1942, he was married to Laura Klaassen at Mt. Lake, Minn. That fall they moved to Meade, Kan., where he became pastor of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church and principal of a rural Bible school. Seven years were spent at Meade, during which a Bible academy was begun under his direction.

In 1949 he entered Fuller Theological Seminary, graduating in 1952 with a B.D. degree. During this time he also served as pastor of Your Neighborhood Chapel, in Pasadena. From 1952 to 1956 he served as pastor of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church at Dalmeny, Sask. Part of this time he was also principal of the Bible school there.

In 1956 the family moved to Omaha, Neb., where he served on the faculty of Grace Bible Institute and as pastor of Grace Fellowship Chapel for a period of four years.

In 1960 he became a student at the University of Iowa, spending three years there and finished resident requirements for a Ph.D degree in the field of religion. During this time he also served as pastor of the Mennonite church in Donnellson, Iowa.

From 1963 to 1968 he served as a faculty member at Tabor College and also finished his thesis and the Ph.D. degree was granted him by the University of Iowa. Part of this time he served as interim pastor in a Baptist church near Hillsboro, Kan., and in the Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church in Hillsboro. In 1968 the family moved to Fresno, where he joined the faculty of the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, teaching in the fields of practical and historical theology until December of 1970.

His whole ministry was characterized by a passion for the Word of God so that all of his teaching thoroughly Biblical. He had a deep compassion for people. Young people were especially the object of his concern and many of those whom he touched were led to commit their lives to Christ and the ministry and for the cause of mission.

He preached at many Bible conferences and evangelistic meetings, made a trip to Africa in the interest of missions and served on various conference boards.

Preceding him in death were a brother, who died in infancy, and his father, who died in October of 1970.

Surviving him are his wife, Laura; children, Joyce, Mrs. Timothy Epp of Wheaton, Ill., Wayne, a student at Grace Bible Institute; Wendell, Charis, and Laura Beth of the home in Fresno.

Other survivors include his mother, Mrs. Anna Wiebe, Clearbrook, B.C.; Arno, Mission Viejo, Calif., Allen and Henry, Omaha, Neb., and Loren of Whittier, Calif.; three sisters, Anne, Mrs. Harold Buller, Beatrice, Neb., Erna, Mrs. Dan Jantz, and Jean, Mrs. Louis Janzen, both of Fresno; and a large host of other relatives and friends.

We await the day when Jesus Christ shall return. Jesus said, "I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am you may be also." What a glad day of reunion and rejoicing that will be! — The Family.