Yoder, John (1952-1963)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1963 Jul 4 p. 3

Birth date: 1952

text of obituary:

Four Boys, Ages Eight to 13, Drown in Iowa Farm Pond

Riverside, Iowa. — An estimated 1,300 persons attended double funeral services at the Fairview Conservative Mennonite Church near Kalona last Saturday for two boys of the local community who lost their lives in a quadruple drowning in a farm pond near here June 27. The other victims were two young brothers from Iowa City.

Dead were Raymond Gingerich, 13, son of Min. and Mrs. Moss Gingerich; his cousin, John Yoder, 11, son of Min. and Mrs. David Yoder; and David Bell, 10, and Carl Bell, 8.

Fathers of the two local youths are both ministers of the Conservative Mennonite Church. The Bell bothers were wards of the Johnson County Juvenile Court in Iowa City and only recently had come to the Gingerich home for foster care. Funeral services for the brothers were held in Iowa city, and burial was made at the Fairview church near here.

The four youths apparently went swimming in the pond, located at the Noah Mast farm. Mrs. Mast said she saw them playing around the pond, and had cautioned them that part of it was deep. Later the boys clothing was found on the bank. The bodies were recovered by searchers.