Obituary

Frances M. Luther

Obituary

Frances M. Luther, 88, of Hesston, went to be with her Lord on April 9, 2014, at Schowalter Villa, Hesston.

She was born on May 20, 1925, to William and Anna (Bechler) Birky near Minier, Ill., and grew up near Kouts, Ind. She married Charles Walter (Walt) Whitmer of Carlock, Ill., on June 17, 1950, and they lived in Illinois and Colorado. He died Oct. 3, 1968.

On Aug. 11, 1974, she married Martin R. Luther, and lived with him in Florida and Arizona, before they moved back to Kouts, Ind., in 1996. He died on Feb. 17, 1999. Since the death of Fran's second husband, she moved to Wakarusa, Ind., then to the Newton/Hesston area.

Fran was a homemaker and also did the bookkeeping for the business that she and her first husband owned in Colorado. Church life was very important to her. She sought out a church fellowship in each place she moved, and held various positions at these churches. She enjoyed extending hospitality to strangers and friends alike, taking in foster children, teaching neighborhood Bible studies and volunteering her time in the community.

Preceding her in death were her parents; husbands, C. Walter Whitmer and Martin R. Luther; a son, Gerald Whitmer; three brothers, Thomas, Ray and Lee Birky; two sisters, Bonita Schrag and Margaret Bless; and one stepson, Fred Luther.

Frances is survived by two daughters, Virginia (Lowell) Nunemaker of Wakarusa, Ind., and Karen (Ron) Bachman of Newton; one son, Lyle (Cindy) Whitmer of Fairbanks, Alaska; two sisters, Barbara Hartzler of Cable, Ohio, and Vera Urschel of Lake City, Fla.; one brother, James (Erma) Birky of Greentown, Ind.; four step children, Betty Jennings, Vera Kirby, Richard Luther and Gene Luther; and six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Services will be held on Monday, April 14, 2014, at 11 a.m. (Central Time) at Open Door Fellowship, 636 Baums Bridge Road, Kouts, Indiana, with Pastor BJ Leichty, of the Holdeman Mennonite Church of Wakarusa, Ind., officiating. There will be a time of visitation at the church prior to the service, starting at 9:45 a.m. Burial will follow at the Hopewell Cemetery, Kouts, Ind.