Obituary

Esther Elizabeth (Boehr) Wenger

Obituary

Esther Elizabeth (Boehr) Wenger, 94, retired missionary and church worker, died Sunday (Dec. 18, 2016) at Kidron Bethel in North Newton. She was born April 1, 1922, in Wisner, Nebraska, to Henry and Elizabeth (Wiebe) Boehr. Baptized in 1935 at Salem Mennonite Church, she graduated from Wisner High School in 1939. Esther obtained a Secondary Teacher's Certificate at Bethel College and taught school in Goessel. In 1943, she took a summer session at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Esther married Malcolm Wenger Dec. 23, 1943, in Wisner. They were a few months short of their 60th wedding anniversary when Malcolm passed away.

As newlyweds, Malcolm and Esther moved to Montana and spent 22 years with the Northern Cheyenne, serving as General Conference Mennonite missionaries. Esther was an ordained minister of the General Conference Mennonite Church. In 1966, they moved back to Newton, where Esther was an active member, deacon and teacher at Faith Mennonite Church. In 1978, Malcolm and Esther moved to Manitoba, Canada, where they pastored Selkirk Mennonite Church, which included Metis and native Canadians. In 1985, semi-retirement brought them back to Newton from where they served for short periods in Crow Agency, Montana, Buhle and Kykotsmovi, Arizona. They attended Shalom Mennonite Church. In 1999, they moved to Kidron Bethel Village.

Esther frequently reached out to people of all ages, hosting guests, corresponding with and visiting others, with a concern for their faith. In addition to being an attentive mom and grandmother, she spent many years teaching Sunday School, directing church programs, playing piano and organ, and helping with youth camps. One of Esther's prayers was that "we will all find ways to live the love of Christ in our activities."

Survivors include three daughters, Betsy (Randall) Kaufman of Windom, Ann Wenger of Goshen, Indiana and Grace Wenger of Newton; sons-in-law, Ken Voth of Newton and Konrad Ege of Mt. Rainier, Maryland; three grandchildren, Cristina (Scott) Woodall of Phoenix, David (Sarah) Kaufman of Halstead and Hans Ege Wenger of Afghanistan; two great-grandchildren, Erik and Evan Kaufman; and one nephew, John (Kim) Schmidt of San Francisco.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two daughters, Becky Voth and Martha Wenger; sister-in-law Ruth (Wenger) Schmidt, Orlando Schmidt and their son Ted Schmidt.

Services will be Thursday (Dec. 29, 2016), with a viewing from 10 to 11 a.m. at Peterson Funeral Home, burial at 2 p.m. at Eastlawn Cemetery in Zimmerdale and a memorial service at 4 p.m. at Shalom Mennonite Church in Newton, with a meal and sharing to follow.

Memorial suggestion: White River Cheyenne Mennonite Church, Busby, MT.