Shem SWARTZENDRUBER

SWARTZENDRUBER, YODER, MARNER, GNAGEY

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/7/2006 at 21:12:59

Shem Swartzendruber, the youngest son of Frederick and Sarah (Yoder) Swartzendruber, was born in Johnson Co., Iowa, Aug. 26, 1865. He accepted Christ as his Saviour when a young man and united with the Amish Church, of which his father was bishop at that time. Oct. 30, 1887, he was united in marriage with Nancy Marner. This union was blessed with 9 children. They set up housekeeping on the old Swartzendruber homestead near Kalona, Ia. In the fall of 1892 he with two of his brothers-in-law started out with a team and covered springwagon to make a tour in search of cheaper land. After several weeks of travel they decided that the level prairies of north central Iowa were the most inviting; so he purchased 80 acres of raw prairie land in Wright Co., near Clarion, and moved there with his family the following spring. Other families also moved in and an Amish Mennonite Church was organized of which he was a charter member. He always took an active part in the work of the Church. By autumn of 1901 he had disposed of his Iowa possessions and moved to Centralia, Mo. He lived in this community about 14 years. In the spring of 1915 he moved to Henry Co., Iowa, which was his late home. Bro. Swartzendruber was of a quiet and kindly disposition and left many good friends in the different communities where he lived. He was mechanically inclined and did much custom grinding, sawing, corn-shelling, and threshing in his day. He seemed to be quite well physically and was constitutionally strong, but about eight years ago his health began to fail. He passed peacefully out of this life at the home of his son Earl near Wayland, Iowa, on Sunday morning, April 26, 1942; aged 76 y. 8 m. He leaves his deeply bereaved wife, 2 daughters, Esther (Mrs. Simon Gnagey, Pigeon, Mich.), Salina, at home; 7 sons (Fred, Herbert, and Thomas, Hopedale, Ill.; Omar, New Carlisle, 0.; George, St. Johns, Mich.; Lee and Earl of the home community), 1 sister (Mrs. Anna Yoder, Chapell, Nebr.), 36 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends to mourn their loss. Funeral services were held in the Sugar Creek Church near Wayland, conducted by Bro. Willard Liechty assisted by Bros. D. J. Fisher and Daniel Kauffman. Buried in adjoining cemetery.

Gospel Herald - May 14, 1942