Erwin Henry Rempel Obituary (1944 - 2021)

Erwin H. Rempel, 76, died June 25, 2021, at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in Harrisonburg, Va. He was born Aug. 8, 1944, in Bell, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, to Henry H. and Elisabeth (Eitzen) Rempel. At the age of 12, after his father and mother died just 15 months apart from different cancers, he and his two younger siblings moved to his uncle and aunt's farm in northeast Montana. Erwin graduated from Grace Bible Institute, Omaha, Neb., where here he met Angela Albrecht from Bloomfield, Mont. They were married June 4, 1966, in Omaha. Completing seminary, he served as a pastor, international mission worker, and primarily as a mission agency administrator. He was a member of First Mennonite Church in Newton from 1982-2011. In 2011, he and his wife moved to Harrisonburg, Va., and he became a member of Ridgeway Mennonite Church where he applied his administrative skills to support a variety of Ridgeway's outreach ministries. In most of the various places he lived, he enjoyed gardening and planted berries and fruit trees. In March, Erwin learned he had both bladder cancer and metastatic pancreatic cancer. He is survived by Angela, his wife of 55 years; daughter Marcia (John) Weaver of Broadway, Va.; son Marc (Hannah) Gascho Rempel of Corvallis, Ore.; daughter Carla (Micah) Hurst of Hesston, Kan.; grandchildren Rachel and Evan Weaver, Madeleine and Katherine Gascho Rempel, Shawna and Jeremiah Hurst; his sister, Barbara (Elwyn) Busenitz of Newton, Kan. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Norman, his Uncle Alvin, Aunt Lena and cousin Howard Eitzen. A memorial service will be held at Ridgeway Mennonite Church on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. with Pastor Chad Miller officiating. Burial will be held privately. The memorial service can be viewed online by visiting www.ridgewaymennonite.org. Memorial gifts may be designated to Mennonite Mission Network at 718 N Main St. Newton, KS 67114-1703; the Erwin Rempel Fund for AIMM Ministries at Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission, P.O. Box 744, Goshen, IN 46527; or Virginia Mennonite Missions at 601 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22802. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.mcmullenfh.com. McMullen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.