Katie A Swartzentruber

The immortal spirit of Katie Chupp (Stutzman) Swartzentruber was born February 16, 1934, in Shipshewana, Indiana, to Andrew A. and Anna B. (Yoder) Chupp.

Her father died when she was seven years old, leaving her mother with eight children to care for. Katie attended Scott School through the fourth grade. In 1944, her family moved to Goshen, Indiana, where she completed her eighth-grade education at Clinton Community School.

In 1951, the Chupp family moved to Oregon for one year. While there, a young man sought her friendship. Before the family returned to Indiana, Floyd L. Stutzman and Katie were married on February 1, 1952, at Sheridan Mennonite Church in Oregon. While living there, they were blessed with two children, Evelyn and Virgil. After returning to Indiana in 1959 to help support Katie’s mother, they were blessed with another daughter, Linda.

They became members of Salem Mennonite Church in New Paris, Indiana. In 1970, Floyd was ordained as a minister. As a minister’s wife, Katie embraced many responsibilities and opportunities, and she was fondly remembered for her gracious hospitality.

Floyd passed away on September 23, 1983, following complications from surgery. Katie was only 49 years old and deeply heartbroken.

To support herself, Katie turned her love of sewing into work as an industrial seamstress at Veada, an RV business in New Paris. On weekends, holidays, and other free times, she especially cherished being with her family.

In God’s providence, Katie later became a companion to widower Paul E. Swartzentruber of Kalona, Iowa. They were married on May 30, 1992, in Goshen, Indiana. Katie moved to Iowa, where she learned the life of a farm wife and grew close to Paul’s family. Paul and his first wife, Martha (who preceded him in death in 1990), were blessed with seven children, all of whom Katie came to love and appreciate, along with their families.

Katie’s family fondly remembers her love of flowerbeds adorned with rocks, many of which she brought with her from Indiana to Iowa. Her children and grandchildren consider her godly life and influence to be their most valuable inheritance.

Katie and Paul volunteered together at Crowded Closet (MCC resale shop) in Iowa City and participated in prison ministry revivals in Montgomery, Alabama, and Oakdale Prison in Coralville, Iowa.

Surviving are her three children, Evelyn J. Martin (Emerson “Mike”) of Hayward, Wisconsin; Virgil R. Stutzman (Dawn) of Vandalia, Michigan; and Linda F. Martin (Roger) of New Market, Virginia; 21 grandchildren; 67 living great-grandchildren; five living great-great-grandchildren; brother Andrew Chupp of McMinnville, Oregon; seven stepchildren, Twila Beachy (Ken) of Kalona, Iowa, Mark Swartzentruber (Madonna) of Riverside, Iowa, Grace Kurtz (Paul) of Mechanicsburg, Ohio, Fern Bontrager (Merle) of Wellman, Iowa, Michael Swartzentruber (Melanie) of Centerburg, Ohio, Doris Petersheim (Duane) of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Crystal Eby (Phil) of Ephrata, Pennsylvania; 20 step-grandchildren; and 34 step-great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, Katie was preceded in death by her husbands, Floyd L. Stutzman and Paul E. Swartzentruber; brothers Benjamin, Isaac, and Levi Chupp; and sisters Lizzie Chupp, Mattie Schrock, Millie Eicher, Anna Yoder, Dema Mishler, Drucilla Chupp, and Emma Chupp.

Services were held December 23, 2025 at McMullen Funeral Home, Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Local visitation will be held Sunday, December 28, 2025 at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home, Goshen, Indiana from 2:00–4:00 p.m. and 6:00–8:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Monday, December 29 at 10:00 a.m. at Salem Mennonite Church, 23984 County Road 46, New Paris, IN 46553 . There will be one hour of visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. prior to the funeral service. The service will be live streamed, visit the church website (https://salemmennonite.church/) to view.

Burial will follow in the church cemetery.