Keith Sprunger, 87, of North Newton, Kansas, died on April
24, 2022, at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas, following a winter of
declining physical health.
Keith LaVerne Sprunger was born March 16, 1935, in Berne,
Indiana, to Arley and Lillian (Mettler) Sprunger. Upon confession of faith, he
was baptized as a member of First Mennonite Church of Berne.
He was educated at Wheaton College (Illinois), and the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning a Ph.D. in History in 1963.
In 1959, Keith was married to Aldine Mary Slagell, and they
had three children, all of whom became college professors.
He taught history at Bethel College (North Newton) for 38
years, earning multiple national and institutional awards for his teaching and
scholarship. Thousands of students took his History of Civilization classes,
featuring lively lectures illustrated from an extensive personal slide library.
His travel seminars to the Soviet Union and European Capitals brought history
alive for many students regardless of major. He retired from full-time teaching
in 2001.
A prolific scholar, he published five books and over 25
scholarly articles. His academic interests centered on English Puritans in the
Netherlands, printing history, church architecture, and Mennonite studies.
During his last weeks at home, he was completing final revisions on yet another
publication.
Dedicated to local history, he was active in organizations
that promoted history to wider audiences, including the Harvey County
Historical Society and Kauffman Museum. He wrote institutional histories of
Bethel College and Bethel College Mennonite Church. Wanting to know his
community from the inside out, he and Aldine systematically walked every block
of every street in Newton and North Newton, not once but almost three times.
Keith and Aldine also enjoyed travelling. Exploring the
small roads and towns of Kansas was an annual tradition. They traveled
extensively in Europemost recently to Sicily in 2017and also enjoyed trips to
Hong Kong and Morocco. On sabbaticals from Keith?s teaching, the family lived
in Amsterdam and London. Other hobbies included collecting books, reading,
gardening, and socializing with friends.
He is survived by Aldine, his wife of almost 63 years; three
children; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandson. Children: David
(Charlotte Siemens) Sprunger, North Newton; Mary (Rachid Nouri) Sprunger,
Harrisonburg, Va.; Philip (Elizabeth Yoder) Sprunger, Williamsport, Pa.
Grandchildren: Samuel (Elise) Sprunger, Maple Grove, Minn.; Jacob (Alzebeta
Lutzk?) Sprunger, Hustopece, Czech Republic; Anna Sprunger, Middleton, Wis.;
Abraham Nouri, New York, N.Y; Emma Nouri, Chicago, Ill.; Sophia Sprunger,
Williamsport; and Benjamin Sprunger, Williamsport. Great-grandson: Harvey
Sprunger, Maple Grove.
He was predeceased by his parents and siblings: Ardus Gene
(Lauren) Sprunger and Hugh David (Janet) Sprunger.
Visitation will be held at Petersen Funeral Home in Newton,
May 6 from 5-9. A memorial service will take place Saturday, May 7 at 10:30 at
Bethel College Mennonite Church in North Newton, with a live streaming option.
Interment will be at Greenwood Cemetery in a private ceremony prior to the
memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial gifts to
Bethel College or Bethel College Mennonite Church.
