Amanda K. Loewens

Hesston - Amanda Klassen Loewens was born in Mountain Lake, Minnesota on January 23, 1920. She was the youngest of nine children born to Abraham A. and Justina Wiebe Klassen. All preceded her in death. Five brothers: Abraham H., Sam, Arnold A., Leondo C., and Will Klassen. And three sisters: Mathilda Stoesz, Justina Janzen, and Elizabeth Harder. Amanda accepted Christ as her Savior and Lord in February of 1932 at a revival meeting. She was baptized by Rev H. E. Weins in 1938. At this time she became a member of the Mountain Lake Mennonite Brethren Church. Her first twelve years of education were in the Mountain Lake Public schools. She then attended Mountain Lake Bible School and graduated in 1940 with a teaching degree. She attended Tabor Academy in 1943 for one year. At the age of eleven she first saw Lavern at church. She smiled and he smiled back, its has been smiles ever since. This courtship led to their marriage on June 2, 1944, 71 years of smiles. Marabeth their firstborn arrived while LaVern attended seminary in Minneapolis. After graduation they moved back to Mountain Lake and Rosemary was born to the family. Their first church was a Baptist Church in Granite Falls, Minnesota where Timmy was born. He passed away at the age of two from cystic fibrosis in Paxton, Nebraska. Their ministry continued at different Mennonite Brethren Churches in Nebraska, Oklahoma, California, Kansas, and Colorado. Amanda was a pastor's wife and a homemaker. She had a gift of hospitality and loved having company for meals and overnight guests. She also was an excellent seamstress and sewed all of her daughters clothes. Amanda was a partner in Lavern's ministry (church secretary, printing bulletins, visitation, music, and many more gifts). She also led Bible studies for women and children and after school Bible programs. Her family gave many programs in churches where she would recite readings from memory. Marabeth and Rosemary would play the violin, Amanda the viola and LaVern the cello. She taught in a one room school house in Nebraska. She was secretary at the MB offices in Hillsboro for nine years . Amanda had the spiritual gift of encouragement. When her daughters were discouraged, she had a way of always building them up, as well as others who came to her with concerns. She was a good listener, not only to her daughters, but also to their friends that came over to visit. Everyone adored her. She would always set aside her own needs and put others first. She was always there for her family. She would take her daughters to her room, kneel down, and pray with them whenever they had a concern. She was also blessed with a delightful sense of humor that included the ability to lovingly tease. She was a godly women, spending a lot of time in personal Bible study and prayer. She had a strong desire to witness frequently to friends and relatives who didn't know Jesus as their personal Savior. She knew her Bible well and underlined many verses that were special to her. The fruits of the spirit were evident in her life. She was faithful to God to the very end. Amanda passed peaceful into the Lord's presence on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 in her room at the Schowalter Villa at the age of 95. Memorial Service will be at 3 p.m., August 15, 2015 at the Hesston Mennonite Brethren Church, Hesston. The family wishes to thank you for the care and prayers offered during the past weeks. Please join the family for a meal immediately after the memorial service. In lieu of flowers memory Memorials may be given to The Navigators (#172205) PO Box 6079, Albert Lea, MN 56007-6679 . She is survived by her husband LaVern of Schowalter Villa and two daughters, Marabeth and Allen Busenitz of West Lafayetta, Indiana and Rosemary and Richard Prieb of Hesston Kansas. And her seven grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.

Amanda K. Loewens

January 23, 1920 - July 22, 2015