Gretl Jantzen, 84, of Beatrice passed away Sunday, October 5, 2014 in her home. She was born on March 15, 1930 at Neureut, Germany to Adolf and Luise Linder Ott.
She attended school in Germany through the ninth grade. She was confirmed in the Reformed Evangelical Church on March 5, 1944.
She lived through World War II and started working at age 15 to support her family. In 1949, she went to work for a family in Switzerland. Through a small German Mennonite community there, she made a decision to participate in a Visitor Exchange Program in the United States. She was assigned to work at the Mennonite Deaconess Hospital in Beatrice in September 1953. While working there she met Henry Jantzen and they were married on December 15, 1955 in Neureut, Germany.
They returned to the Jantzen family farm in February 1956. She was baptized at First Mennonite Church May 28, 1956. Life was very different for this town girl on the farm but with her sister-in-law Emma's help and Henry's patience, she became a farm wife. The union was blessed with five children. They had a busy life on the dairy farm with travel, church and community activities over the years.
Their wish to host participants in the Visitor Exchange Program became real in February 1978. They hosted 18 trainees over the next ten years.
In 1993, they moved to Beatrice. She was a member of First Mennonite Church where she taught Sunday and Bible School, sang in the choir for many years and was a member of the Women's Mission Society. She also volunteered at Burwood Books, the hospital gift shop, and was an active member of her exercise group. She enjoyed reading, quilting and writing letters.
Survivors include four sons, Vern Jantzen and wife Dolores and Glen Jantzen and wife Linda all of Plymouth, Mark Jantzen and wife Alice of Newton, KS and and Eric Jantzen and wife Joelle of Overland Park, KS; a daughter, Sarah Peters and husband Tim of Silverton, OR; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three brothers, Hans Ott and wife Renate of Karlsruhe, Germany; Bert Ott and wife Daffol of Carthage, MO and Adolph Ott and wife Margarate of Kevelar, Germany; one sister, Sieglinde Evensen and husband Rudolf of Sandefjord, Norway; many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Henry, who died on November 29, 2003; two grandsons, Justin Jantzen and Luke Peters; one sister, Irma Zickwolf and her husband Fred.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, November 1, 2014 at the First Mennonite Church of rural Beatrice with Pastor Brett Klingenberg officiating. Private burial will be in the First Mennonite Cemetery of rural Beatrice prior to the memorial services.
The body will lie in state at the Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice from 8:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. Friday, October 31, 2014 with family meeting and greeting friends and relatives from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Friday. A memorial has been established to the Mennonite Central Committee, Bethel College History Department and Gage County Habitat for Humanity with Letha Hamm and Laura Franz in charge.
Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice in charge of arrangements.
She attended school in Germany through the ninth grade. She was confirmed in the Reformed Evangelical Church on March 5, 1944.
She lived through World War II and started working at age 15 to support her family. In 1949, she went to work for a family in Switzerland. Through a small German Mennonite community there, she made a decision to participate in a Visitor Exchange Program in the United States. She was assigned to work at the Mennonite Deaconess Hospital in Beatrice in September 1953. While working there she met Henry Jantzen and they were married on December 15, 1955 in Neureut, Germany.
They returned to the Jantzen family farm in February 1956. She was baptized at First Mennonite Church May 28, 1956. Life was very different for this town girl on the farm but with her sister-in-law Emma's help and Henry's patience, she became a farm wife. The union was blessed with five children. They had a busy life on the dairy farm with travel, church and community activities over the years.
Their wish to host participants in the Visitor Exchange Program became real in February 1978. They hosted 18 trainees over the next ten years.
In 1993, they moved to Beatrice. She was a member of First Mennonite Church where she taught Sunday and Bible School, sang in the choir for many years and was a member of the Women's Mission Society. She also volunteered at Burwood Books, the hospital gift shop, and was an active member of her exercise group. She enjoyed reading, quilting and writing letters.
Survivors include four sons, Vern Jantzen and wife Dolores and Glen Jantzen and wife Linda all of Plymouth, Mark Jantzen and wife Alice of Newton, KS and and Eric Jantzen and wife Joelle of Overland Park, KS; a daughter, Sarah Peters and husband Tim of Silverton, OR; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three brothers, Hans Ott and wife Renate of Karlsruhe, Germany; Bert Ott and wife Daffol of Carthage, MO and Adolph Ott and wife Margarate of Kevelar, Germany; one sister, Sieglinde Evensen and husband Rudolf of Sandefjord, Norway; many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Henry, who died on November 29, 2003; two grandsons, Justin Jantzen and Luke Peters; one sister, Irma Zickwolf and her husband Fred.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, November 1, 2014 at the First Mennonite Church of rural Beatrice with Pastor Brett Klingenberg officiating. Private burial will be in the First Mennonite Cemetery of rural Beatrice prior to the memorial services.
The body will lie in state at the Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice from 8:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. Friday, October 31, 2014 with family meeting and greeting friends and relatives from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Friday. A memorial has been established to the Mennonite Central Committee, Bethel College History Department and Gage County Habitat for Humanity with Letha Hamm and Laura Franz in charge.
Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice in charge of arrangements.
Gretl Jantzen, 84, of Beatrice passed away Sunday, October 5, 2014 in her home. She was born on March 15, 1930 at Neureut, Germany to Adolf and Luise Linder Ott.
She attended school in Germany through the ninth grade. She was confirmed in the Reformed Evangelical Church on March 5, 1944.
She lived through World War II and started working at age 15 to support her family. In 1949, she went to work for a family in Switzerland. Through a small German Mennonite community there, she made a decision to participate in a Visitor Exchange Program in the United States. She was assigned to work at the Mennonite Deaconess Hospital in Beatrice in September 1953. While working there she met Henry Jantzen and they were married on December 15, 1955 in Neureut, Germany.
They returned to the Jantzen family farm in February 1956. She was baptized at First Mennonite Church May 28, 1956. Life was very different for this town girl on the farm but with her sister-in-law Emma's help and Henry's patience, she became a farm wife. The union was blessed with five children. They had a busy life on the dairy farm with travel, church and community activities over the years.
Their wish to host participants in the Visitor Exchange Program became real in February 1978. They hosted 18 trainees over the next ten years.
In 1993, they moved to Beatrice. She was a member of First Mennonite Church where she taught Sunday and Bible School, sang in the choir for many years and was a member of the Women's Mission Society. She also volunteered at Burwood Books, the hospital gift shop, and was an active member of her exercise group. She enjoyed reading, quilting and writing letters.
Survivors include four sons, Vern Jantzen and wife Dolores and Glen Jantzen and wife Linda all of Plymouth, Mark Jantzen and wife Alice of Newton, KS and and Eric Jantzen and wife Joelle of Overland Park, KS; a daughter, Sarah Peters and husband Tim of Silverton, OR; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three brothers, Hans Ott and wife Renate of Karlsruhe, Germany; Bert Ott and wife Daffol of Carthage, MO and Adolph Ott and wife Margarate of Kevelar, Germany; one sister, Sieglinde Evensen and husband Rudolf of Sandefjord, Norway; many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Henry, who died on November 29, 2003; two grandsons, Justin Jantzen and Luke Peters; one sister, Irma Zickwolf and her husband Fred.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, November 1, 2014 at the First Mennonite Church of rural Beatrice with Pastor Brett Klingenberg officiating. Private burial will be in the First Mennonite Cemetery of rural Beatrice prior to the memorial services.
The body will lie in state at the Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice from 8:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. Friday, October 31, 2014 with family meeting and greeting friends and relatives from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Friday. A memorial has been established to the Mennonite Central Committee, Bethel College History Department and Gage County Habitat for Humanity with Letha Hamm and Laura Franz in charge.
Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice in charge of arrangements.
She attended school in Germany through the ninth grade. She was confirmed in the Reformed Evangelical Church on March 5, 1944.
She lived through World War II and started working at age 15 to support her family. In 1949, she went to work for a family in Switzerland. Through a small German Mennonite community there, she made a decision to participate in a Visitor Exchange Program in the United States. She was assigned to work at the Mennonite Deaconess Hospital in Beatrice in September 1953. While working there she met Henry Jantzen and they were married on December 15, 1955 in Neureut, Germany.
They returned to the Jantzen family farm in February 1956. She was baptized at First Mennonite Church May 28, 1956. Life was very different for this town girl on the farm but with her sister-in-law Emma's help and Henry's patience, she became a farm wife. The union was blessed with five children. They had a busy life on the dairy farm with travel, church and community activities over the years.
Their wish to host participants in the Visitor Exchange Program became real in February 1978. They hosted 18 trainees over the next ten years.
In 1993, they moved to Beatrice. She was a member of First Mennonite Church where she taught Sunday and Bible School, sang in the choir for many years and was a member of the Women's Mission Society. She also volunteered at Burwood Books, the hospital gift shop, and was an active member of her exercise group. She enjoyed reading, quilting and writing letters.
Survivors include four sons, Vern Jantzen and wife Dolores and Glen Jantzen and wife Linda all of Plymouth, Mark Jantzen and wife Alice of Newton, KS and and Eric Jantzen and wife Joelle of Overland Park, KS; a daughter, Sarah Peters and husband Tim of Silverton, OR; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three brothers, Hans Ott and wife Renate of Karlsruhe, Germany; Bert Ott and wife Daffol of Carthage, MO and Adolph Ott and wife Margarate of Kevelar, Germany; one sister, Sieglinde Evensen and husband Rudolf of Sandefjord, Norway; many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Henry, who died on November 29, 2003; two grandsons, Justin Jantzen and Luke Peters; one sister, Irma Zickwolf and her husband Fred.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, November 1, 2014 at the First Mennonite Church of rural Beatrice with Pastor Brett Klingenberg officiating. Private burial will be in the First Mennonite Cemetery of rural Beatrice prior to the memorial services.
The body will lie in state at the Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice from 8:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. Friday, October 31, 2014 with family meeting and greeting friends and relatives from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Friday. A memorial has been established to the Mennonite Central Committee, Bethel College History Department and Gage County Habitat for Humanity with Letha Hamm and Laura Franz in charge.
Fox Funeral Home of Beatrice in charge of arrangements.
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