Erwin H. Rempel
1944 – 2021
Erwin H. Rempel, 76, died June 25,
2021, at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in Harrisonburg, Va.
He was born Aug. 8, 1944, in Bell,
Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, to Henry H. and Elisabeth (Eitzen)
Rempel. At the age of 12, after his father and mother died just 15
months apart from different cancers, he and his two younger siblings
moved to his uncle and aunt's farm in northeast Montana. Erwin
graduated from Grace Bible Institute, Omaha, Neb., where here he met
Angela Albrecht from Bloomfield, Mont. They were married June 4,
1966, in Omaha.
Completing seminary, he served as a
pastor, international mission worker, and primarily as a mission
agency administrator. He was a member of First Mennonite Church in
Newton from 1982-2011.
In 2011, he and his wife moved to
Harrisonburg, Va., and he became a member of Ridgeway Mennonite
Church where he applied his administrative skills to support a
variety of Ridgeway's outreach ministries. In most of the various
places he lived, he enjoyed gardening and planted berries and fruit
trees.
In March, Erwin learned he had both
bladder cancer and metastatic pancreatic cancer.
He is survived by Angela, his wife of
55 years; daughter Marcia (John) Weaver of Broadway, Va.; son Marc
(Hannah) Gascho Rempel of Corvallis, Ore.; daughter Carla (Micah)
Hurst of Hesston, Kan.; grandchildren Rachel and Evan Weaver,
Madeleine and Katherine Gascho Rempel, Shawna and Jeremiah Hurst; his
sister, Barbara (Elwyn) Busenitz of Newton, Kan.
He was preceded in death by his
parents, his brother, Norman, his Uncle Alvin, Aunt Lena and cousin
Howard Eitzen.
A memorial service will be held at
Ridgeway Mennonite Church on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.
with Pastor Chad Miller officiating. Burial will be held privately.
The memorial service can be viewed
online by visiting www.ridgewaymennonite.org.
Memorial gifts may be designated to
Mennonite Mission Network at 718 N Main St. Newton, KS 67114-1703;
the Erwin Rempel Fund for AIMM Ministries at Africa Inter-Mennonite
Mission, P.O. Box 744, Goshen, IN 46527; or Virginia Mennonite
Missions at 601 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22802.
Online condolences may be made by
visiting www.mcmullenfh.com.
McMullen Funeral Home is in charge of
arrangements.
