Eileen Doris Epp Janzen
1922 - 2014
Obituary
Eileen Doris Epp Janzen, 91, died in
her home at Kidron Bethel Village on July 10, 2014.
She was born to Dietrich G. and Marie
Dueck Epp on Nov. 4, 1922, on a farm near Lushton, Nebraska. When she
was 5 years old, she began going to school in a small one-room
country school where she learned to speak English.
Eileen's family moved to Arriba,
Colorado, when she was 9 years old. The Depression and the Dust Bowl
days saw the family returning to Nebraska in 1935, where Eileen began
high school in Henderson. After graduating in 1940, she attended
Henderson Bible School where she accepted Jesus as her Savior. She
was baptized and joined the Bethesda Mennonite Church in June 1941.
Eileen attended the Bible Institute of
Los Angeles (Biola) from the fall of 1942 until her marriage to
Lester Janzen on March 4, 1944. Six weeks after they married he was
sent to Europe to serve in the Army. While he was gone she worked as
a dental assistant in Henderson. After the war ended, they returned
to Los Angeles and were there until Lester graduated in June 1949. In
1950 they moved to Goshen, Indiana, where he attended and graduated
from Goshen College. He served as pastor of the Bethel Mennonite
Church in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, from 1951 to late 1956, when they
moved to Ritzville, Washington, to serve the Menno Mennonite Church.
In 1963 they moved with their five
children to Newton where Lester served as Stewardship Secretary for
the General Conference Mennonite Church. Along with being a
homemaker, Eileen volunteered with Released Time Bible School, taught
Sunday School and Bible School, served as a Cub Scout leader, and was
a member of the Mission Circle and the quilting group at Faith
Mennonite Church, where they were members. After the children were
all in school, she worked part- and then full-time as the offset
printing press operator for Faith and Life Press for 25 years.
In late 2001 Lester and Eileen moved to
a duplex at Kidron Bethel Village. On Oct. 8, 2002, Lester passed
away and their daughter, Faith, died unexpectedly on Jan. 1, 2003. In
addition to her husband and daughter, she was preceded in death by
her parents and her brother, Sylvester D. (Bob) Epp.
Survivors include her children, Cheri
Jantzen (David) of Houston, Texas, Judi Janzen of Salem, Oregon, Joel
Janzen (Natalie) of Denver, Colorado, Scott Janzen (Karen) of
Evergreen, Colorado; grandchildren, Kristen Allen (Eric), Trey
Jantzen (Melissa), Jessica Nikkel Thorson (Phil), Lucas Nikkel
(Julie), Brandon Jantzen (Amanda), Sydney Janzen and Oliver Janzen;
four great-grandchildren; and siblings, Dennis D. Epp and Geraldine
Friesen of Henderson, Nebraska, and Jane Hershberger of Newton.
A memorial service will be held at
Faith Mennonite Church in Newton on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, at 11
a.m.
Memorials may be made to Harry Hynes
Memorial Hospice or the Kinder Peace Garden project at Kidron Bethel
Village, in care of Broadway Colonial Funeral Home at 120 E.
Broadway, Newton, KS 67114.
Condolences may be left at
www.broadwaycolonialfh.com.
Arrangements are by Broadway Colonial
Funeral Home, Newton.
