Franklin Isaac Smucker

from: The Gospel Herald - Vol. LIII, No. 20 - 17 May 1960 - pages 462, 463.

Smucker, Franklin Isaac, son of Jonathan P. and Salome (Pecht) Smucker, was born June 14, 1875, near Knox, Ind.; died April 17, 1960; aged 84 y. 10 m. 3 d. He grew up in the Nappanee, Ind., area, where his father served as bishop for 25 years, was baptized in the stream known as the Yellow Creek, and received into the fellowship of the Mennonite Church. On Dec. 5, 1897, he married Mary Elizabeth Albrecht of Tiskilwa, Ill. They started farming near Tiskilwa on the same farm where they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1947. From 1916 to 1918 they served at the Mennonite Orphans' Home at West Liberty, Ohio. He was active in the Willow Springs Mennonite Church, where (in 1894) he introduced English singing and four-part singing. When a children's department was added to the Sunday school in 1907, he became its first superintendent. He was active in organizing and promoting the summer Bible school, and conducted many children's meetings on Sunday evenings and during special church services. He served the Willow Springs Church in many ways and also served on the Board of the Mennonite Old People's Home in Eureka, Ill. He was also interested in nature and wrote nature articles for the Youth's Christian Companion. In 1947 they moved to Morton, where his wife died in 1948. During the last three years he lived with his daughter Ruth-- Mrs. Carl Magnuson. Also surviving are another daughter (Dr. Esther Hodel, Morton), 2 sons (Mark, Wheaton, Ill.; and Milton, North Vernon, Ind.), 12 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held at the Willow Springs Church, in charge of C. Warren Long and J. N. Kauffman.