Eldena Friesen
Eldena F. Friesen, 92, entered her
heavenly home on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, at the Presbyterian
Manor in Newton, Kansas.
Eldena was born in Texas County
Oklahoma, at home to David and Elizabeth Schroeder. At the time she
had an older brother and sister, eventually there were 8 of them.
Eldena went through high school in Adams, Oklahoma, where she enjoyed
playing basketball.
After high school Eldena attended Tabor
College for a couple semesters and then went to Nurses Training at
the Bethel Deaconess Hospital in Newton, Kansas. She graduated from
the 3-year program in 1951. She then decided to get some Bible
education since she was interested in missions and attended Grace
College in Omaha, Nebraska.
It was at Grace that she met Homer.
Eldena remembered noticing him in the Prayer Band for Africa that
they both attended. They got married on July 23, 1953 in Adams
Oklahoma.
They attended missionary candidate
school in New York and were accepted by the SIM mission for service
in Ethiopia. In 1956 they left for Ethiopia and spent 8 years
there-Eldena served as a nurse on whatever station they were living
on.
Eventually they moved to Newton and
Eldena worked part-time as a nurse at Bethel Deaconess Hospital. They
have five children, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
During her years at Newton Bible church
Eldena taught 6th grade girls SS class and was part of the Women's
Missionary Circle.
Eldena was preceded in death by her
husband of 67 years, Homer; her parents and six of her siblings, Ed
Schroeder, Dorothy Wiebe. Raymond Schroeder, Wilbur Schroeder,
Theresa Franz and Gordon Schroeder.
She is survived by her children:
Douglas of Wichita, Marilyn Greenbush and the late John Greenbush of
Spring Valley, CA., Janet Regier and Len of Newton, Donald and Sandy
of Wichita, Becky Ringler and Grant of Hutchinson; nine grandchildren
and six great-grandchildren, and one sister Liz Sherrill.
Family Graveside service will be held
on Saturday (December 12, 2020) at Greenwood Cemetery in Newton.
The memorial service will be at Newton
Bible Church at 11:00 AM on December 12.
It is requested that those attending
the service follow proper physical distancing or join the service
on-line. The service will be live-streamed from the Newton Bible
Church Facebook page or navigate on the web to videos at Facebook -
Log In or Sign Upnewtonbiblechurch/
A Memorial has been established with
Newton Bible Church missions or Samaritans Purse. Memorials may be
sent to Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, KS
67114.
Condolences may be left at
www.broadwaycolonial.com.
Arrangements are by Broadway Colonial
Funeral Home, Newton, KS.
