Helene Marie Bartsch

Pedigree Index

My (Great) Aunt Helen was a Sister, or Deaconess, an order of Mennonite General Conference women who took a vow of celibacy to serve the Lord in the medical profession. Most of the sisters served at Bethel Deaconess Hospital in Newton, KS. Aunt Helen, as we called her (she was really my father's aunt) always served in the Bethel Home for Aged, located just south of the hospital.

In the years I can remember her, she lived at the Warkentin home on East First, Newton, during her weekends, perhaps, or holidays, but most often lived in a room at Bethel Home for Aged, 222 South Pine, Newton. She was matron of the rest home. She was a godly woman with a hearty laugh. I enjoyed working as a house-cleaner under her employ for the three summers of 1962-64. She had a real heart for the people there -- she was very kind and had their best interests at heart. She would sit with them while they were dying on many occasions -- can you imagine modern day administrators doing that? She would greet me in the halls with a cheery smile, and occasionally ask, "Well, Jimmy, are you still in the land of the living?"

She died of cancer in June of 1966 at the age of 71. Prior to her death, my father and mother and we six children sang for her in the chapel at the nursing home. We knew she was near death, and I know that I broke into tears part way during the song. There were a few other tears, although I am not certain my younger siblings knew as well as I that she would soon be gone.

Aunt Helen was one of the most godly people I have ever known. She would come to our home to eat with us, and, very occasionally, spend the night. She had no car, and so we would pick her up in our car and bring her to our home on 1300 West 9th St. I can remember that she once bought us a children's book and was reading it to us. A character in the book said, "Oh my goodness!" She thought that God was the only one who could be called "Good," and so she had scratched out the word "goodness" and left, "Oh my!" That seemed a little excessive to me, but I understood that she loved the Lord, and wished to protect His name and character.

The author, James T. Bartsch

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