Edith Harms
Obituary
Edith G. (Entz) Harms, age 102, passed
peacefully from this life into the presence of her Savior on Friday
morning (May 4, 2018). She was born at home on the family farm in
rural Newton to Bernard and Anna (Claassen) Entz. At age 16, she was
baptized by her uncle John, the Reverend J. E. Entz, at First
Mennonite Church, Newton.
She attended Hesston Academy, graduated
with a degree in music from Bethel College in 1934 and became a
registered nurse through Bethel Deaconess Hospital in 1946. She
married Jacob A. Harms of rural Whitewater in 1950 and established a
farm home southeast of Newton, where she loved the outdoor life of
farming with her husband.
She was a music instructor in public
schools, a well-known piano teacher of hundreds of students, as well
as organist at First Mennonite Church, Newton, for 60 years. During
this time, she played for more than 80 weddings, many funerals,
directed church choirs and organized Christmas programs for decades.
Jacob and Edith celebrated 52 years of
marriage before his death in 2002. In 1993, she began caring for her
grandson on weekdays and after her husband's passing, the two
traveled together in Canada and Europe. She taught him to drive and
enjoyed flying with him later in life. She very much enjoyed flower
and vegetable gardening and landscaping the past 14 years while
living in the country with her son, DJ; his wife, Christine; and
grandson, Dakota.
She was preceded in death by her
husband; her parents; brothers: Walter, Samuel and Daniel; and
sisters, Hilda and Martha.
She is survived by her daughter, Carol
(Bob) Lewis of Littleton, Colorado; son, DJ (Christine) Harms of
Newton; grandson, Dakota of Newton; step-granddaughter, Allison
(Chad) Patton and their four children; and brother, Willard of
Newton.
Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m.
Thursday (May 10, 2018), with the family receiving friends from 6 to
8 p.m. at Petersen's Funeral Home. A committal service will be at 10
a.m. Friday (May 11, 2018) at Greenwood Cemetery, followed by
Memorial Service at 11 a.m. at First Mennonite Church.
Memorials are suggested to Samaritan's
Purse or Gideon's International.
