John’s Homegoing Celebration October 2, 1998
Written by Lois, presented by Jerry

Life, Death, Life Again

We would like to share a little of our Dad’s life story with you. John Samuel Detwiler was born on December 27, 1918 in Fayette, Pennsylvania during the height of a flu epidemic. With illness already in the family, Lorena Miller Detwiler, left her own home and husband, Elmer Jacob Detwiler, and stayed with an Aunt for the delivery and until the flu had passed. Making a living was difficult in those days. Our Grandpa Detwiler was a painter by trade and Grandma did domestic work in nearby New Wilmington, a college town in need of extra women to clean and do the wash. The family grew to include seven children, all educated through elementary and high school with many of them obtaining college educations. Dad’s family, our Aunts and Uncles, include: Bernice, and her husband Abner Schroeder, Esther and her husband Gordon Yoder, Delbert Detwiler, now deceased, and his wife Helen Joyce, Jean and her husband Dr John Mann. These all live in the Elkhart, Indiana area. Dale Detwiler and his wife Marcella, live in Tiskilwa, Illinois and Carl Detwiler and his wife Lynda, live in Houston, Texas.

Before Dad entered college he worked for a local dairyman milking cows by hand, bottling it, and delivering it fresh, via horse drawn wagon, to the doorsteps of customers in town. The suggestion of a college education actually came from a college recruiter who encouraged Dad to go to college. It was a big decision for a young country boy to go all the way to Goshen College. While in college, Dad worked at a milk condensing plant in order to finance his education. In 1943 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a year later with a Theology and Bible degree. Wanting to know his Lord even more, he later attended several semesters at Northern Baptist Seminary in Chicago.

While at Goshen College, he met a young college student and post office worker, Lois Carolyn Burck from Albany, Oregon, our Mom, who he married on June 10, 1945. After college, and through Dad’s love of farming, he became acquainted with a family who was renting out farmland around Buda, Illinois where he eventually moved his young family. When the land was sold seven years later, the Detwilers, now with five children and twins about to be born, moved about 20 miles to the Annawan, Illinois area to farm more acreage consisting primarily of corn, soybeans, wheat, and to raise a few sheep. As the family grew, it became necessary for Dad to take on winter employment as a welder at the John Deere plant in Moline, Illinois and later at Pearson Bros in Galva, Illinois. In the fall of 1972, Dad sold his farming business and moved onto an 80 acre farm in Syracuse, Indiana. While there, Dad was employed as a general laborer in several production facilities and still enjoyed refinishing furniture, cutting wood, going to auctions, and tending to the sheep and lambs. Upon his retirement, the folks moved to Valparaiso, Indiana area in 1987 where Dad continued to work as a laborer at Valparaiso University then Beach Asphalt Company for seven more years.

Dad enjoyed relatively good health until nearly three years ago when diagnosed with Myloid-Displasia Syndrome, a fatal blood disease. As the disease and Dad’s weakness progressed, it became more and more obvious that a change in lifestyle would be needed. The country home near Valparaiso was sold and a condominium in Valparaiso was purchased. Moving was stressful for the folks but clearly of the Lord. As the needed transfusions followed transfusions, Dad’s weakness became debilitating, leading to severat falls which also contributed to his eventual death and Home-going Sunday, September 27, 1998 at the age of 79 years 9 months.

His children, many of their spouses, his grandchildren, and great grandchildren are here today to celebrate both his life, and his promotion to Heaven. His oldest son, John, is here with his sons Joshua and Joel from Escondido, California. Tim and his wife, RaeJean, live in Elgin, Illinois with daughter Kristina and an older daughter, Rachel, who lives in Texas. Lorena lives in Monroe, Wisconsin with husband Dave Koning while their children Matt, Kris, Robin, and Brad are living in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin along with their spouses and children. Lewis lives in Fillmore, California with wife Kathy and three daughters Charissa, Melissa, and Anna Marie. Jerry lives in Mexico, Missouri with wife Diana and children Jill, Julie, and Michael. Willa lives with husband Mike Nuppnau and boys Ryan, Kevin, and Johnny in Valparaiso, Indiana. Wilma lives in Chesterton, Indiana with husband Ken Willard and daughters Amber and Anna.

Dad and Mom both lived to enjoy their seven children, their sons and daughters in law, twenty grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. They were also able to visit Alaska, the Bahamas, Hawaii, and Europe (with Sounds of Hope) several times together over the years.

As a family, we can proudly say our Dad was a great man who provided us an example of Christian character and living. He was baptized as a young boy in Pennsylvania and continued in his faith and practice all 79 years of his life. He was active in churches wherever he lived, having private and family worship regularly and completing yet another reading of the entire Bible with Mom this past September. He participated in teaching and leadership roles in the church, was a disciplinarian to his family by teaching and desiring only God’s best for us, and dedicated each of his children to the Lord He was literally able to “walk where Jesus walked” with son John in the Holy Land and spoke of that experience often. Now he is living and walking in Glory with his God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The pain is gone and a new song is on his lips. Dad loved music. In fact, he selected not only the songs we will hear and sing today but also the people providing and leading us as we worship our God in both word and in song to celebrate John’s mortal life and death on Earth, followed by eternal life in Heaven.

We, John’s family, thank you for being an important part of his life and your interest in his illness, for your many prayers and acts of kindness. The praying hands on his coffin are symbolic of his life of worship and in appreciation of your many prayers. Prayers for his wife, children, grandchildren, and great~grandchildren flowed from his heart and lips literally until his death. Just as the aging Apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy, Dad could have rightfully claimed the words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

God’s blessing on you all.

Amen.