Obituaries

Was a past vice president of General Conference Mennonite Church

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Former First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, pastor, Jacob T. Friesen died June 6, 2020​, at Kidron Bethel Village, North Newton, Kansas.

​He was born ​on​ Dec. 30, 1919, to Jacob L. and Helena Toews Friesen, Mountain Lake, Minn. Jacob married Lisbeth Koehn of Meno, Oklahoma, Sept. 2, 1945, and she preceded him in death on Jan. 20, 1971.

He graduated from Bethel College, Kansas, ​in 1944. Advanced degrees earned include a Th.B. from ​New York Biblical Seminary and ​a​ ​Th.M. ​from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.​ 

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Greyden Jack Wells, 2 1/2 died Thursday, June 11, after battle with pediatric cancer.
He is survived by his mothers, Beth and Jackie Wells; siblings, B. and Noah Taylor; host brother and best friend, Niladri Aich; grandparents, Jack and Kathy Wells, Scott and Kim Helberg, Randall and Deborah Gross; great-grandparents, Jerry and Barbara Johnston, as well numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

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Paul R. Pursell, 89, died on June 9, 2020, at 11:20 a.m., at his daughter's home, surrounded by his family.  

Paul was born July 26, 1930, in Gomer, to William and Nola (Wegley) Pursell who both preceded him in death. On Dec. 24, 1963, he married Pauline "Polly E." (Shaw) Pursell who preceded him in death on Oct. 11, 2013. 

Paul attended Bluffton High School. He was a 45-year retiree from Ford Motor Company.  

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Mildred L. Laudick, 80, died on Friday, June 5, 2020, at 2:53 a.m. at the Shawnee Manor in Lima, Ohio.

She was born on July 8, 1939, in Lima, Ohio, to the late Harold and Pauline (Donehoo) Steele. Mildred was formerly married to Paul J. Laudick and he preceded her in death on July 11, 1999.

Mildred retired from ATI of Ada, where she worked as a machinist.

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Jacob T. "Jake" Friesen, 100, died Saturday, June 6, 2020, at Kidron Bethel in North Newton, Kansas.

Services are pending and will be announced by Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, Newton. He was a former pastor of First Mennonite Church, Bluffton.

Bluffton native was former Bluffton News editor, active in Bluffton and Washington, D.C., organizations

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CLICK HERE for a column "Remembering Charles Hilty."

Bluffton native Charles R. Hilty, 85, died on May 30, 2020, of complications of COVID-19. He had a  career as a newspaper editor and as a senior government administrator in both the legislative and executive branches of the federal government.  

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