Cornelius Harder

Cornelius S. Harder, the son of Peter P. and Margaretha Harder was born on April 2, 1913 in Butterfield Township, Watonwan County, MN. In 1931, he graduated from Stanley High School in Stanley, ND. Cornelius came to faith in Christ at age sixteen. Pastor Unruh from the Mennonite Church in rural Lostwood, ND came to him privately and presented the Gospel. This was the first time anyone had specifically approached him about his relationship to Christ. He resisted Pastor Unruh for about a year before repenting and making a personal commitment to Christ. He was baptized in 1929 at the first Mennonite Church of Lostwood. After graduating from high school his family moved from North Dakota back to Butterfield, MN, where he then began farming. On September 12, 1940, Cornelius was united in marriage to Katharene E. Stoesz at First Mennonite Church, rural Butterfield, MN. He was a member of First Mennonite Church, where he was very involved in teaching adult Sunday School classes, was Sunday School Superintendent, and very active in leadership of the church. He served with Katharene as Sunday School Superintendents for the American Missionary Fellowship in southern MN for many years. Cornelius and Katharene made their home and farmed in the Butterfield area until they retired in 1978, and in 1979 they moved in to Butterfield. Katharene died on August 6, 1990. In 1998, he moved to Scottsbluff, NE to live near his daughter, Sherryl, and son-in-law, Jay Warren, and in 2003 he moved to Evansville, IN to live with Sherryl Jay. Cornelius died on Friday, February 8, 2008, in Evansville. Cornelius is survived by a daughter, Sherryl and her husband, Rev. Jay Warren, of Evansville; a son, Terrold Terry Harder and his wife, Linda, of Redford, MI; grandson, Greg Warren and wife Colbey of Fox River Grove, IL, grandson, Joel Warren and wife Jan of Lookout Mountain, GA, granddaughter, Wendy and her husband Ray Hellings of Birmingham, AL, and grandson, Josh Harder of Miami, FL; five great grandchildren: Abigail, Andrew and Christa Warren of Lookout Mountain, GA, and Whitney and Josie Warren of Fox River Grove, IL; two brothers; Jacob S. Harder of Mountain Lake, MN and Ben Harder and his wife Vernelle of El Paso, TX; a sister: Aganetha Harder of Mountain Lake; many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Katharene (Stoesz) Harder; parents, Peter P. and Margaretha (Sawatzky) Harder; four brothers and their wives, John Sarah, Peter Mary, Abraham Marie, and Frank Erna; a sister in law, Elizabeth Harder; and a brother in law, Henry M. Harder.