Allan R. Mast

*NOTICE* Services have been changed: Family will greet friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, February 24, 2025 at the Schowalter Villa Chapel. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, February 25 at Hesston Mennonite Church with a luncheon to follow. Allan Ralph Mast, 85, of Hesston, Kansas, died Thursday, December 26, 2024 at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas. He was born October 12, 1939 in Harrisonville, Missouri to Jonathan M. and Sarah Alma (Hershberger) Mast. Together with his parents and older brother John, Allan did custom combining during his teen years, following the wheat harvest from Oklahoma to Nebraska. He received his associate’s degree from Hesston College in 1959 and a bachelor’s degree from Goshen College in 1961. After college, Allan completed two years of voluntary service in Mennonite Central Committee’s PAX program, living near Salzburg, Austria. He and the other “Pax Boys” constructed houses and a church building for Yugoslavian refugees after World War II. Allan kept in touch with other “Pax Boys” for the rest of his life through reunions, correspondence, and visits. Allan and Jeannene (Reschly) Mast were united in marriage on August 10, 1968 at Hesston Mennonite Church. They shared over 56 years of marriage together. Allan helped his father construct several houses in Hesston. Allan and Jeannene lived in two of those houses. Allan worked as a typesetter for the Hesston Record newspaper from 1965-2003. When the Record transitioned from a Linotype machine to a computer system, Allan familiarized himself with the computer by reading the entire manual. In 1991, he and Jeannene became custodians at Hesston Mennonite Church, where they were members. Allan continued to lock and unlock the church building until 2023. Family and genealogy were important to Allan. Most summers included at least one road trip – with Allan driving – to a family reunion or to visit family or friends. Kansas Mennonite Men’s Chorus (KMMC) was another important part of Allan’s life. Since the chorus began in 1969, Allan was a member nearly every year. He not only sang with the chorus in April concerts but also participated in KMMC tours. A highlight for both Allan and Jeannene was the chorus’s trip to Europe. KMMC’s motto is, “We sing that others may live.” Offerings from concerts are donated to Mennonite Central Committee, which works to meet basic human needs and promote peace and justice worldwide. Allan is survived by his wife, Jeannene (Reschly) Mast of Hesston; daughter, Anita (Mast) Christian of Hutchinson, and husband, Matt; son, Timothy I. Mast; grandson, Micah Christian; brother, John Mast and wife, Margaret; sisters-in-law, Linda (Reschly) Schrock and Lois (Reschly) Stauffer and husband, Ken; brother in law, Don Diller and wife, Debbie; ten nieces and nephews; and numerous other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, John and Alice Reschly; sister-in-law, Jane (Reschly) Diller; and brother-in-law, Delbert Schrock. Friends may visit at the Schowalter Villa Chapel on Monday, February 24, 2025 from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, February 25. at Hesston Mennonite Church (309 S. Main St., Hesston). A luncheon will follow. Memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) (PO Box 500, Akron, PA 17501) or Kansas Mennonite Men’s Chorus in care of Miller-Ott Funeral Home, PO Box 32, Hesston, KS, 67062, www.wigginsfuneralhomes.com

Allan R. Mast

October 12, 1939 - December 26, 2024