William H. Regier
1929 - 2020
William H. Regier, 91, entered heaven
on Friday, November 13, 2020.
He was born on November 8, 1929 to
George and Mary Regier on a farm near Inola, Oklahoma. During his
childhood years Bill's father was pastor of the Eden Mennonite
Church. Bill quickly learned the privileges and sacrifices that came
with ministry! If there was a heavy snowstorm Saturday night they
would get up early Sunday morning, hook up a wagon to a team of
horses in order to arrive at the church in time to warm up the
building for any other brave souls!
On Sunday afternoons the family would
gather around the radio to listen to Christian programming. One
Sunday when he was about 12 years of age, after listening to the Old
Fashioned Revival Hour, Bill put his trust in Christ as his personal
Savior.
He graduated from high school in 1947
from Oklahoma Bible Academy. With a desire to serve the Lord he then
enrolled at Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Nebraska. At Grace he was
given many opportunities to develop his gifts and talents in
practical Christian service. Bill had a great love for music and
especially enjoyed singing in a traveling quartet that represented
the school.
While at Grace a girl by the name of
Dahna Koehn from his home state of Oklahoma captured his attention.
On July 18, 1952 they were married at the Grace Mennonite Church in
Enid Oklahoma. Shortly after their wedding, they moved to Wichita,
Kansas, to help found and pastor the Berean Bible Church.
They applied and were accepted by UFM
to serve as missionaries in Brazil, and sailed from New York by
freighter in the spring of 1957. Bill and Dahna enjoyed twenty
fruitful years of ministry in Brazil serving in various capacities:
church planting, teaching in Bible Institute and seminary, and
ministry by boat to churches and towns along the Amazon River.
When they retired from missions work
they moved to Elbing, Kansas where they could finish raising their
family and so their children could attend Berean Academy. Bill served
a couple of years at Newton Bible Christian School and subsequently
worked a variety of jobs. His special joy continued to be in ministry
and he loved to preach in local churches that were without a pastor.
At last count he had filled the pulpit in at least 28 area churches!
Bill leaves behind his wife of 68
years, Dahna of Newton; children Len and Janet of Newton, Linda
Renander and Jim of Omaha NE, Loren and Robyn of Hampton GA, Larry
and Roxane of Sharpsburg, GA, Lyle and Michelle of Newnan, GA; ten
grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Bill is preceded in death by his
parents, his brothers Henry and Dan, and his sister Freida.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00
A.M., Saturday (November 21, 2020) at the Newton Bible Church.
The service will be live-streamed from
the Newton Bible Church Facebook page or navigate to videos at
https://facebook.com/newtonbiblechurch/
Private family interment services will
be held prior to the services in the Fairmount Township Cemetery near
Elbing, KS.
There will be no visitation or viewing.
A memorial has been established with
the Newton Bible Church, contributions may be sent to Broadway
Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, KS 67114.
Arrangements are by Broadway Colonial
Funeral Home, Newton, KS.
