Elda Suderman
Elda R. Suderman, 79, of rural Hillsboro died April 21, 2004, at Newton Medical Center in Newton.
Born in Visalia, Calif., she was the youngest of six children born to John H. and Sara (Schmidt) Ensz.
She was baptized at the age of 14 in the First Mennonite Church of Reedley, Calif.
She graduated from Visalia High School in 1942; attended Bethel College in North Newton for two years; and graduated from Fresno State College in California in 1946.
She taught school in California for six years.
She was part of the Voluntary Service team traveling throughout Europe. She spent six weeks working in an MCC camp in Germany, where she met her soon-to-be-husband Paul Suderman.
On April 5, 1952, at Reedley, Calif., the couple was married. He survives.
She taught for one year at Hillsboro Elementary School and then stayed home to raise her family.
In 1965, she went to work for the Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services as a foster care and adoption social worker.
She was a member of Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church and served as a Sunday school teacher, church librarian, a deacon couple with her husband Paul, and was active in MCC and MDS work.
She was preceded in death by brothers, Elmer Ensz in 2003 and Harold Ensz in 2000.
Survivors include her husband of the home; sons, Greg and his wife Beth Suderman of Elkhart, Ind., and Barry and Elaine Suderman of Tulsa, Okla.; daughters, Dena and her husband Ron Braun of North Newton and Ronda and her husband Nick King of Mexico City, Mexico; sisters, Marianna Habegger of Reedley, Calif., Adeline Sprunger of Canton, Okla., and Norma Jones of Greenview, Calif.; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Services were held April 25 at Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church in rural Hillsboro with Pastors Gaylord Goertzen and Vaughn Jost officiating. A private family burial was held before the services.
A memorial fund has been established with the church.
