Walter Erb, 87, died Nov. 12, 2012, at Newton (Kan.) Medical Center. He was born May 4, 1925, in Cummings County, Neb., to John K. and Lena Oswald Erb.
He was a dairy farmer near Frazee, Minn., for 27 years and then worked as groundskeeper at Schowalter Villa for 27 years, retiring in 2006. In 1947 he married Stella Gingerich, who died in 1972. In 1973 he married Mary Zook of Wichita, and she died in 2010.
He received his education at District 21 near Beemer, Neb., and joined Plum Creek Mennonite Church, later named Beemer Mennonite, at age 12. The family moved to Minnesota in 1943, and there he joined the Lake Region Mennonite congregation, where he married Stella Gingerich and farmed until her death in 1972. In 1973 he was reacquainted with a family friend, Mary Zook of Wichita, whom he married at Hesston Mennonite Church. He was employed by Bob Erb in Hesston before he and Mary served a two-year voluntary service assignment at Glencroft Friendship Community in Glendale, Ariz. They returned to Hesston in 1978, where he was employed at Schowalter Villa. He was an active church member, enjoyed gospel music and participated in Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus. He enjoyed his home recording studio, wrote poetry and studied Scripture.
Survivors include three children, Merlin Erb and his wife, Loretta, of Dalton, Ohio, Verla Hochstetler and her husband, Jon, of Frazee, Minn., and Dan Erb and his wife, Kamme, of Hesston; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by seven siblings and their spouses.
Funeral services were held at Schowalter Villa Chapel, Hesston. Burial was in Eastlawn Cemetery, Hesston.
He was a dairy farmer near Frazee, Minn., for 27 years and then worked as groundskeeper at Schowalter Villa for 27 years, retiring in 2006. In 1947 he married Stella Gingerich, who died in 1972. In 1973 he married Mary Zook of Wichita, and she died in 2010.
He received his education at District 21 near Beemer, Neb., and joined Plum Creek Mennonite Church, later named Beemer Mennonite, at age 12. The family moved to Minnesota in 1943, and there he joined the Lake Region Mennonite congregation, where he married Stella Gingerich and farmed until her death in 1972. In 1973 he was reacquainted with a family friend, Mary Zook of Wichita, whom he married at Hesston Mennonite Church. He was employed by Bob Erb in Hesston before he and Mary served a two-year voluntary service assignment at Glencroft Friendship Community in Glendale, Ariz. They returned to Hesston in 1978, where he was employed at Schowalter Villa. He was an active church member, enjoyed gospel music and participated in Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus. He enjoyed his home recording studio, wrote poetry and studied Scripture.
Survivors include three children, Merlin Erb and his wife, Loretta, of Dalton, Ohio, Verla Hochstetler and her husband, Jon, of Frazee, Minn., and Dan Erb and his wife, Kamme, of Hesston; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by seven siblings and their spouses.
Funeral services were held at Schowalter Villa Chapel, Hesston. Burial was in Eastlawn Cemetery, Hesston.
Walter Erb, 87, died Nov. 12, 2012, at Newton (Kan.) Medical Center. He was born May 4, 1925, in Cummings County, Neb., to John K. and Lena Oswald Erb.
He was a dairy farmer near Frazee, Minn., for 27 years and then worked as groundskeeper at Schowalter Villa for 27 years, retiring in 2006. In 1947 he married Stella Gingerich, who died in 1972. In 1973 he married Mary Zook of Wichita, and she died in 2010.
He received his education at District 21 near Beemer, Neb., and joined Plum Creek Mennonite Church, later named Beemer Mennonite, at age 12. The family moved to Minnesota in 1943, and there he joined the Lake Region Mennonite congregation, where he married Stella Gingerich and farmed until her death in 1972. In 1973 he was reacquainted with a family friend, Mary Zook of Wichita, whom he married at Hesston Mennonite Church. He was employed by Bob Erb in Hesston before he and Mary served a two-year voluntary service assignment at Glencroft Friendship Community in Glendale, Ariz. They returned to Hesston in 1978, where he was employed at Schowalter Villa. He was an active church member, enjoyed gospel music and participated in Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus. He enjoyed his home recording studio, wrote poetry and studied Scripture.
Survivors include three children, Merlin Erb and his wife, Loretta, of Dalton, Ohio, Verla Hochstetler and her husband, Jon, of Frazee, Minn., and Dan Erb and his wife, Kamme, of Hesston; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by seven siblings and their spouses.
Funeral services were held at Schowalter Villa Chapel, Hesston. Burial was in Eastlawn Cemetery, Hesston.
He was a dairy farmer near Frazee, Minn., for 27 years and then worked as groundskeeper at Schowalter Villa for 27 years, retiring in 2006. In 1947 he married Stella Gingerich, who died in 1972. In 1973 he married Mary Zook of Wichita, and she died in 2010.
He received his education at District 21 near Beemer, Neb., and joined Plum Creek Mennonite Church, later named Beemer Mennonite, at age 12. The family moved to Minnesota in 1943, and there he joined the Lake Region Mennonite congregation, where he married Stella Gingerich and farmed until her death in 1972. In 1973 he was reacquainted with a family friend, Mary Zook of Wichita, whom he married at Hesston Mennonite Church. He was employed by Bob Erb in Hesston before he and Mary served a two-year voluntary service assignment at Glencroft Friendship Community in Glendale, Ariz. They returned to Hesston in 1978, where he was employed at Schowalter Villa. He was an active church member, enjoyed gospel music and participated in Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus. He enjoyed his home recording studio, wrote poetry and studied Scripture.
Survivors include three children, Merlin Erb and his wife, Loretta, of Dalton, Ohio, Verla Hochstetler and her husband, Jon, of Frazee, Minn., and Dan Erb and his wife, Kamme, of Hesston; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by seven siblings and their spouses.
Funeral services were held at Schowalter Villa Chapel, Hesston. Burial was in Eastlawn Cemetery, Hesston.
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