Wirkler, Elizabeth (1878-1965)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1965 Feb 25 p. 5

Birth date: 1878 Mar 21

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1965 Mar 25 p. 11

text of obituary:

ELIZABETH WIRKLER

Elizabeth Wirkler, daughter of Christian and Elizabeth Rediger Wirkler, was born on March 21, 1878 at Wichita, Kansas and lived on a farm near there for the first ten years of her life. On hearing of a settlement of Mennonites at Halstead, Kan., the family moved to that place in 1888 and became associated with the Mennonite Preparatory Seminary. When the school moved to Newton and became Bethel College, the family moved along and Elizabeth graduated at Bethel in 1900. She then attended art school in St. Louis and returned to become art teacher at Bethel College from 1905 to 1914.

After this Elizabeth felt the desire to teach children and so took a two-year course at Oberlin College and then began teaching kindergarten at Watts, Calif. in 1946. Soon she transferred to the Los Angeles public school system where she taught first grade in various schools in the Highland Park area until her semi-retirement to take care of her mother in 1942.

Elizabeth took catechism at age 15 years in Halstead and later was baptized on her profession of faith in Christ at Newton, becoming a charter member of the Bethel College Mennonite Church. She also was a charter member of the Immanuel Mennonite Church of Los Angeles (later Downey) and a charter member of the Bethel Mennonite Church of Santa Fe Springs, Calif. where she retained membership until death.

In 1960 she disposed of her home at 4965 Marmion Way, Los Angeles, and went to stay with her nephew, Rev. Olin A. Krehbiel of Freeman, S. D. and then with her niece, Mrs. Harry W. Huffman of Bellaire, Texas. At the latter’s home she died on Feb. 18, 1965 at the age of 86 years, 10 months and 28 days. Her funeral took place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Calif., where she was buried along side of her parents. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Mrs. C. E. Krehbiel of Newton, a brother, John E. Wirkler, of Oberlin, and also a brother in infancy.

The Mennonite obituary: 1965 Apr 6 p. 234