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2007-12-18 issue:

James Waltner, church leader, dies at 76

by Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference

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GOSHEN, Ind.—James H. Waltner, 76, of Goshen, a longtime Mennonite pastor, died Dec. 18, 2007. He was born in rural Marion, S.D., Sept. 7, 1931, to Henry Jac. and Ida (Kaufman) Waltner. He graduated from Freeman Academy and Junior College at Freeman, S.D.  Later he attended Bethel College, North Newton, Kan., where he met Lenore Pankratz of Mountain Lake, Minn. They were married June 1, 1956.



James graduated from Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Chicago in 1958. He was ordained into ministry at Salem Mennonite Church, Freeman, S.D., and served Tabor Mennonite Church, rural Newton, Kan., 1958-1967. From 1967 to 1972, he served First Mennonite Church, Upland, Calif., and completed a D.Min. degree at Claremont School of Theology,  Claremont, Calif. James and his family moved to Normal, Ill., where he served First Mennonite Church, and after a congregational merger, the Mennonite Church of Normal, 1972-1986. He spent the last 10 years of his pastoral ministry at College Mennonite Church, Goshen, retiring in 1996.

James authored This We Believe, a catechism study book for young people, in 1967, and Psalms, a volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, published in 2006. 

He was active in church work for more than five decades, including serving as president of the Pacific District and Central District of the General Conference Mennonite Church, the GCMC General Board, chair of the Mennonite Biblical Seminary Board and moderator of the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. At his death, James was overseer for five congregations of the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. 

His wife of 51 years, Lenore, of Goshen, survives, as well as daughter Rachel and husband Duane Goossen of Topeka, Kan.; son Tim and wife Sandy Waltner of Mackinaw, Ill.; daughter JoAn and husband Rob Thieszen of Newton, Kan.; and grandchildren Ben and Elsa Goossen and Maura Thieszen. Other survivors include a brother, Harris and Christine Waltner of North Newton, Kan., sister, Hilda and Kenneth Kaufman of Sioux Falls, S.D., sister-in-law Shirley Waltner of Freeman, S.D., and nieces and nephews. His parents and two brothers, Harold and Calvin, preceded him in death.—Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference

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