Viola Ediger (1922 - 2015)
Obituary
Viola Edna Duerksen Ediger was born on
August 27, 1922, on the west side of Lake Inman on the Wiens farm (3
mi E & about 1 mi N of Inman), which belonged to her Grandpa, CJ
Wiens, because that was the farm that Grandpa Wiens had put his
daughter Marie on.
She had 3 sisters, Louise, Elda, and
Darlene. At a young age, she felt a calling to be a missionary. Her
pastor, J.E. Kaufman, inspired her to be an active participant in
church life as a teenager. She attended Bethel College for several
years, before leaving to teach school near Inman, and then in Newton.
From there, her journey ventured out to California and to
Poughkeepsie, NY for voluntary service, and then to Paraguay, South
America for two years with the Mennonite Central Committee, where she
taught school in German to Mennonite refugees.
While there, her calling to be a
missionary was strengthened, and Viola came back to Bethel College
with that resolve. It was fortuitous that she met Ferd Ediger, a
Canadian, at Bethel, who also had this sense of calling. They were
married in 1950 and, after seminary in Chicago, prepared to serve
with the Commission on Overseas Missions in Japan. While they were in
Chicago, their first son, John, was born.
Then, just as they were preparing to
leave for Japan on a freighter, in early January 1953, they received
a call from Belfast, Ireland, saying that Viola's sister, Elda, had
been killed in a plane crash there. After several postponements of
ship's departure, the ship was delayed long enough so they were able
to be in Inman for Elda's funeral.
On the voyage to Japan, Viola was
pregnant with their second child, Anne Marie, and two years later, a
second son, James, was born in Kobe, Japan. After two years of
language study in Kobe, they moved to begin church planting in Hyuga,
on the southernmost island of Kyushu, which began with a tent
evangelistic campaign and much curiosity by the local people.
After several years in Hyuga and a year
of furlough in North America, Ferd was invited to assume
responsibility for the Mennonite Central Committee Peace Section
office in Tokyo, so they packed up and move there.
They served in Japan from 1953 until
1983. Most of those years were spent in church planting, teaching
English, doing peace work with MCC, and raising their three children.
Of course, Viola, who had already been a teacher, began teaching
English at several colleges and universities. She was a stickler for
English grammar, a legacy she has passed on to her daughter, Anne.
Viola and Ferd came back to Canada due
to health concerns. Ferd pastored a church in Regina, Saskatchewan,
until his death in 1988. Viola traveled occasionally back to Kansas
as a member of the Mennonite Mission Board, and there, ran into Stan
Voth, an old college friend. She and Stan had known each other since
Bethel days. In fact, Stan was a roommate of Ferd at Bethel for one
year. Stan and Viola were married in 1992 and subsequently celebrated
23 years of marriage.
Viola enjoyed traveling, reading,
gardening, and being with people, a legacy which she has passed on to
her son, John, except for the gardening part. Over the years, she
memorized hymns and enjoyed singing them, a love for music that went
back to the time when she sang alto as a sixth grader, and took
violin lessons from a lady from Lindsborg, and piano lessons from her
cousin, Hilda Enns, a legacy that she has passed on to her son, Jim.
Her mother gave her this verse that has
given her strength for many years: "The eyes of the Lord range
throughout the entire earth, to strengthen those whose heart is true
to him." II Chronicles 16: 9.
Viola is survived by her husband, Stan
Voth, her 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and two great-grand-children.
A memorial service is scheduled for
Friday, August 14, 2015 at 4:00 P.M. at the Bethel College Mennonite
Church in North Newton. Prior to the service, a visitation will be
held from 2:30 to 3:30 at the church. In lieu of flowers, the
Ediger-Voth family requests that gifts in memory of Viola Ediger be
sent to: Mennonite Mission Network, 718 N. Main St., Newton, KS
67114.
