Edna Rempel

Edna Mathilda Rempel (nee Tieszen) passed away on January 11, 2017. She was born on Feb. 5, 1924, in Bingham Lake, MN. She was predeceased by her husband, Harry E. Rempel. She is survived by two daughters, Mary Jane Loewen (Paul) and Mavis Ruth Heupel (Rick), seven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. Edna's early days were spent in Mountain Lake. When she was three years old, the family moved to Mountain Lake. A house was rented, close to the small acreage that her father had purchased. A barn was moved onto the acreage and this was to become the family residence. Edna's father was a carpenter and did the necessary remodeling. In her brief memoir, Edna describes an early life of occasional economic hardship, yet one that never lacked the necessities of life. A large garden, carefully tended by her mother as well as Edna and her siblings, provided much of the necessary vegetables for the family. The farm had pigs, chickens and a cow, all of which provided meat and dairy products for the daily menu. Edna describes the good food that was available as homemade soup (borscht, green bean, hamburger potatoe), ever-present zweibachs and whole wheat bread, pies, cakes and cookies. In addition, there was "a lot of vegetables that mother had canned and some fruit." Most of the Tieszen diet in her early years was home-grown. She adds: "We were healthy." The weekly routine usually involved hard work and school on weekdays, then more preparation on Saturday and, finally, important Church attendance on Sunday. Many weekend afternoons would involve a "faspa" where extended family and friends would be served the traditional Mennonite foods. Following 12 years of public school in Mountain Lake, Edna attended Tabor College in Hillsboro, KS, with her sister, Leona, for a year. She was then hired as a grade school teacher in Meade, KS, where she taught 9 students, ranging from 1st graders to 8th grade, all at the same time (the 8th grader presented a bit of a problem as he was taller than Edna!) Following another year of College, Edna returned to teach first and second grade students at the Mountain Lake Bible School. It was during this time, that she and Harry "fell in love". He was a Christian and really good-looking. He wanted to go to Oregon to work with his brother but I stopped him." They met on Feb.5th, Edna's birthday, and were married on June 29, 1948. The births of her two "very cute" daughters occurred during her teaching days at the Christian Day School in Mountain Lake. She always marveled at the "miraculous" way that young children could learn to read. As well, all of her students would hear about Jesus and Christian faith. Teaching and evangelism were her life-long loves and interests. After her 26 years of grade school teaching, Edna and Harry became the janitorial staff at their beloved Mennonite Brethren Church (now the Community Bible Church). During this time they were also able to do more travelling, especially visiting their daughters and extended families. Edna would describe the most important event in her life as the decision to follow the Lord when she was 9 years old. That decision was to guide her throughout the rest of her life. The concern for the spiritual welfare of her family, students and friends was to become the hallmark of her life. She leaves a living legacy of many family members, all of whom cherish the formational teaching and guiding that characterized her life. Memorials may be made to the Mountain Lake Christian School. Visitation 1 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Saturday, January 21, 2017 Community Bible Church-Mt Lake 500 Klein St. Mountain Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159 Service Information 2:00 pm Saturday, January 21, 2017 Community Bible Church-Mt Lake 500 Klein St. Mountain Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159 Interment Information Mountain Lake City Cemetery 10th St. N at Midway Rd Mountain Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159