Yoder, Mary Jean (1939-1964)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1964 Jun 18 p. 3

Birth date: 1939

text of obituary:

Medical Graduate Fatally Injured In Highway Accident

Goshen, Ind. — A highway accident near here Saturday evening claimed the life of Dr. Mary Jean Yoder, 25, a June 8 graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, and injured her parents, Dr. and Mrs. Jonathan Yoder and a sister, Ruth E. Yoder, 16.

Dr. Yoder was to be married here June 27 to R. Wayne Clemens, executive coordinator of Mennonite Disaster Service, Akron, Pa. She had planned to take her internship at Bethlehem, Pa.

The fatal accident occurred about four miles east of Goshen. The family was en route to their home in Middlebury in Miss Yoder's Volkswagen, and when another auto approached from a side road, she apparently thought it was going to pull out in front of her. She swerved and the light car went out of control and overturn. Miss Yoder died three hours later at Goshen Hospital.

Her father, who practices medicine at Middlebury, suffered an arm fracture and other injuries. Mrs. Yoder sustained a fractured spine, and Ruth Yoder received a fractured elbow and severe lacerations.

Dr. Mary Jean Yoder was born in Madhya Pradesh, India where her parents were serving as missionaries. She was a graduate of Bethany High School and of Goshen College, and was a member of the College Mennonite Church, where the funeral services were to be held Tuesday afternoon.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1966 Apr 14 p. 7

text of obituary:

Memorial Fund to Aid Medically Deprived

Elkhart, Ind. — Establishment of the "Dr. Mary Jean Yoder Memorial Endowment" to promote relief from suffering and better health in underdeveloped countries has been announced here. The fund will be administered by the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities.

Miss Yoder was fatally injured In an auto accident near Goshen on June 13, 1964, shortly after receiving her Doctor of Medicine degree with honors from Indiana University. She had planned to devote her life to medical missionary service, and while in medical school had served for short periods in Nepal and in Puerto Rico.

The daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Jonathan G. Yoder, she was born in India where her parents served on the mission field for many years.

Income from the fund is to be used for these purposes: Loans to Christian nationals from developing countries who have been admitted to medical school, or who wish to study in other areas of medical work; grants to nursing schools and other phases of medical help in developing countries.