Young, Clara Lela (1917-1968)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1968 May 9 p. 3

Birth date: 1917

text of obituary:

Taught at Goshen College

Singer, Mother of Four Dies in Highway Crash

Goshen, Ind. — Funeral services for Mrs. Viola (Horsch) Falk, 33, part time voice instructor at Goshen College and one of four persons killed in area highway accidents in a recent three-day period, were conducted April 30 in the Goshen College Church-Chapel.

David Falk, associate professor of music at the college and director of the Chamber Choir, was critically injured in the April 26 crash which took the life of Mrs. Falk. He was reported in fair condition but improved at Elkhart General Hospital.

The couple were returning home from South Bend in the evening when their car was hit head-on west of Elkhart by a South Bend motorist, who died later.

Mr. and Mrs. Falk, both talented musicians, came to Goshen three years ago after having completed four years of study in music at Detmold, Germany. As a concert soloist, Mrs. Falk had won numerous awards for her singing and had been featured a number of ties over the Canadian Broadcasting System.

A native of Winnipeg, she was a graduate of the M. B. Collegiate Institute there and a member of the North Kildonan M. B. Church. Surviving in addition to her husband are four children ages three to 12, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Horch of Winnipeg, and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. C. N. Hiebert of Reedley, Calif.

Officiating at her funeral were President Paul E. Mininger and Rev. John H. Mosemann. The Chamber Choir sang two numbers under the direction of Prof. Mary Oyer.

Instantly killed in a crash on US-20 near Shipshewana early Sunday April 28, were Mrs. Lester Christy, 58, and her sister, Mrs. Clara Lela Young, 51, both of Middlebury. A third sister in the car was seriously injured as were two men in the van which went out of control and overturned in front of the auto driven by Mr. Christy.

The sisters were natives of Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. Christy is president of Keene Metal Products Co., Middlebury. Double funeral services were conducted May 1 at the Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church near Middlebury, with Rev. Floyd Quenzer, the pastor, officiating.