Obituary

Jessie M. Gaeddert

Obituary

Jessie M. Gaeddert, 88, died Saturday (April 24, 2010) in Denver.

Jessie was born on Sept. 27, 1921, in what was then Peking, China, to missionary parents, Henry J. and Maria Brown.

She attended school in Jigung Shan through her junior year.

In 1937, she returned to United States with her parents and graduated from Freeman Academy in Freeman, S.D.

She attended Bethel College and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in nursing.

After nursing at Bethel Deaconess Hospital, she accompanied Sam and Pauline Goering to Europe after World War II to participate in a feeding program and deliver food, clothing and blankets to German war victims.

Upon returning to Bethel College she was director of the campus health center and taught physiology, anatomy and advanced first aid.

In 1952, she married Menno Gaeddert.

She taught nursing and worked at a hospital in Lawrence while Menno studied for his degree. They moved back to Newton and she again worked at Bethel Deaconess Hospital.

In 1962, the family moved to Denver where she was active in the Arvada Mennonite Church, worked with Gideons International and various other endeavors.

On April 16, she was injured in a rollover accident on I-70, east of Colby. She was flown to the Denver Swedish Hospital's trauma unit. After a lengthy surgery, she lived six days and died Saturday.

She is survived by her husband, Menno Gaeddert; sons and families Donald Gaeddert of Larned, Kenneth Gaeddert of Hesston, Dwayne of Denver; and daughter Diane Wittwer and spouse of Denver.

Also surviving are six grandchildren.

Jessie also had served as a member of the General Conference Mennonite Church Foreign Mission Board, serving for almost three years in Taiwan.

The funeral service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Arvada Mennonite Church in Denver.