Obituary: Edith Harms

Edith G. (Entz) Harms, 102, passed peacefully from this life into the presence of her Savior on Friday morning, May 4.

She was born at home on the family farm in rural Newton to Bernard and Anna (Claassen) Entz. At age 16, she was baptized by her uncle John, the Reverend J E Entz at First Mennonite Church, Newton. She attended Hesston Academy, graduated with a degree in music from Bethel College in 1934, and became a registered nurse through Bethel Deaconess Hospital in 1946. She married Jacob A. Harms of rural Whitewater in 1950 and established a farm home southeast of Newton, where she loved the outdoor life of farming with her husband. She was a music instructor in public schools, a well-known piano teacher of hundreds of students, as well as organist at First Mennonite Church, Newton, for 60 years. During this time, she played for more than 80 weddings, many funerals, directed church choirs, and organized Christmas programs for decades. Jacob and Edith celebrated 52 years of marriage before his death in 2002. In 1993 she began caring for her grandson on weekdays and after her husband’s passing, the two traveled together in Canada and Europe. She taught him to drive and enjoyed flying with him later in life. She very much enjoyed flower and vegetable gardening and landscaping the past 14 years while living in the country with her son DJ, his wife Christine, and grandson Dakota.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, brothers, Walter, Samuel, Daniel, and sisters, Hilda and Martha.

She is survived by her daughter, Carol (Bob) Lewis of Littleton, Colo., son, DJ (Christine) Harms of Newton, grandson, Dakota of Newton, step-granddaughter, Allison (Chad) Patton and their four children, and brother, Willard of Newton.

Visitation will be Thursday, May 10, from 5 to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends 6 to 8 p.m. at Petersen’s Funeral Home. A committal service will be at Greenwood Cemetery at 10 a.m., Friday, May 11, followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. at First Mennonite Church.

Memorials are suggested to Samaritan’s Purse or Gideon’s International.

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