Elma Marie Wiebe

Elma Marie Nachtigal was born on December 14, 1925, to Jacob J. and Justina (Boese) Nachtigal in McPherson County, Kansas. She joined 3 older siblings – Elsie, Henry and Albert. Elma’s brother Albert was happy for her arrival so he wasn’t the baby of the family anymore. She enjoyed life on the farm especially the kittens and her bottle fed lamb. She attended Riverside School for her elementary education and graduated from Halstead High School in 1945.

After accepting Jesus Christ as her personal Savior, Elma was baptized by Rev. A.J. Dirks on October 6, 1940, at the Garden Mennonite Church. After high school graduation, Elma’s dad made a career change from farming to work for the railroad so she and her parents moved to Newton, Kansas. She had a secretarial job at Berry Hatchery in Newton. Elma also enjoyed her role as aunt to her nieces and nephews. In 1950, the youth leader at First Mennonite church in Newton challenged a group of young adults to attend a Youth for Christ camp in Kansas City. Through that camp experience, Mom received assurance of her salvation and her life verse became John 5:24 which says, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” This experience changed the direction of her life and she attended Kansas City Bible College (now Calvary University) in the fall of 1950. She was a member of a ladies quartet and an evangelistic team. The following school year, Mom transferred to Grace Bible Institute where she had the privilege of singing alto in the Grace Chorale and the Evangelaires Trio. Other experiences included teaching children’s Sunday School and ministering in a nursing home on Sunday afternoons. In 1953, Elma graduated from Grace with a degree in Christian Education. After graduation from Grace, she entered the nursing program at Bethel Deaconess Hospital in Newton. While completing a pediatric rotation at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Elma was introduced to Lloyd Wiebe on a blind date. Lloyd was in Kansas City in the 1-W program working at the University of Kansas Medical Center. That blind date developed into a love story and after her graduation from nursing school in 1956, they were married at the First Mennonite Church in Newton on June 14, 1957.

For the first three months of their married life, Lloyd and Elma lived in a small apartment on Plum Street in Newton, Kansas. The couple then moved to Lloyd’s childhood home, located near Whitewater, where they would share 63 years of married life. Lloyd and Elma were blessed with three children – a daughter, Charis and sons, Lowell and Darren.

Elma’s first priority was her family and she was engaged in her children’s activities and enjoyed attending various school functions, piano recitals and sporting events. She was a prayer warrior for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, a role that will be missed. She also got the opportunity to be supportive of her grandchildren’s many activities and enjoyed the great grandchildren’s visits. Elma enjoyed gardening, both vegetable and flowers. Teaching children’s Sunday School classes and Willing Workers at Emmaus were also activities she enjoyed in her earlier years. Sewing was another activity she enjoyed. Over the years, Elma assisted with many farm errands as well as field meals. Her nursing career spanned 30 years and included local nursing homes as well as hospitals. Later in life, around this time of year, Mom enjoyed shopping for items to pack in shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

In May of 2021, Elma had major surgery and it was apparent that returning home to live alone would no longer work and she moved to Wheat State Manor. Her room had a view of Main Street in Whitewater and she enjoyed watching the flow of traffic. Elma’s telephone kept her connected to family and friends. She enjoyed the weekly Bible study and musical programs as well as dominoes and bingo. Mom left her temporary home on earth and entered her eternal home in Heaven on October 29, 2024.

Elma is survived by:

 Children: Charis and Charles Entz and Lowell and Lisa WiebeGrandchildren: Stephanie and Kevin Waldschmidt, , Logan and Paige Wiebe, Angela Entz, Maria and Tanner Hodgson, Loryn Wiebe, Austin Entz, Justin and Faith Entz and Laura Wiebe.Great-Grandchildren: Lainey Hodgson, Adalyn, Mason, Kinsley & Caden Waldschmidt and Harper & Maisie Wiebe.Sister-in-law, Evelyn Quiring and brother-in-law, Kenneth Wiebe and many nieces & nephews. 

Elma was preceded in death by her parents, Jacob and Justina Nachtigal, husband, Lloyd, son, Darren, sister Elsie and two brothers, Henry and Albert as well as their spouses.

Memorials may be directed to 

 Operation Christmas Child
Make checks payable to:
Samaritan’s Purse
Put Code #013477 on memo line or

Wheat State Manor