Obituary

John Jacob Penner, 88, Newton, former Halstead area resident, died Thursday, May 10. 1990 at Newton Medical Center. He was born July 18, 1901 near Halstead, the son of Frank and Elsie M. Will Penner. He grew up on a farm near Halstead and attended Pleasant Valley Grade School, District 47, located north of the Halstead Cemetery. He also took some courses at the business college in Hutchinson. In the early 20s he worked for the Santa Fe Railroad and spent some time working in the oil fields in Texas before returning to the farm.

He married Augusta Schroeder August 20, 1928 in Newton. They resided on the family farm. Augusta died January 10, 1940. In 1942 he and the children moved to Newton and he went to work for Boeing Aircraft in Wichita where he was employed until his retirement. Folloowing his retirement in the mid 60s he began coin collecting and enjoyed going to auctions. He had been a resident of Kidron-Bethel Home in Newton since 1986.

He was a member of the First Mennonite Church in Halstead, joining April 16, 1916.

Survivors: five sons, Vernon, Diamond Springs, California; John, Santa Maria, California; Frank, Arroyo Grande, California; Lawrence, Newton and Max, Kansas City, Missouri; two daughters, Evelyn Smith, Walton and Lucille Smith, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; 28 grandchildren; 29 great grandchidren and one great-great grandchild.

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Bernice in 1938, four brothers, Frank, Henry, Will and Erich; and two sisters, Ella Wiebe and Elsie Penner.

Services were held Saturday, May 12, at the church in Halstead with the Rev. John Waltner of the First Mennonite Church and his grandsons, The Rev. Roger Smith and the Rev. Dennis Schmidt. Burial was in the Halstead Cemetery.