Published: October 19, 2009 10:57 am      

Elno W. Steiner

Nov. 28, 1924-Oct. 16, 2009

Elno W. Steiner, 84, 1509 Dogwood Court, Goshen, died at 6:05 p.m. Friday at Elkhart General Hospital after having been ill since a fall on Oct. 3 while on a walk.

He was born Nov. 28, 1924, in Kidron, Ohio, to Homer and Bertha (Zuercher) Steiner, the eldest of 11 children.

He married Mabel L. Smeltzer June 14, 1947, at Olive Mennonite Church, Elkhart.

He lived in Goshen for 42 years, and had also lived in Wayne County, Ohio.

He graduated from Dalton High School in 1942. He received a bachelor’s degree in Bible from Goshen College in 1950 and a ThB in 1951 from Goshen Biblical Seminary. He was ordained as a Mennonite minister the same year, 1951.

He served as a pastor at the following Mennonite churches: Olive, Elkhart; Waterford, Goshen; Pleasant View and Chestnut Ridge, Orville, Ohio; Grand Marais, Upper Peninsula, Mich.; Sonnenberg, Kidron, Ohio; and Salem, Wooster, Ohio.

He retired in 2002 after 50 years of pastoral ministry. He also did volunteer service in Pinkney, Mich., and at Des Allemands, La.

Steiner had a genuine pastor’s heart and was an effective encourager to many. He devoted his entire life to serving others. He was precious to his family and they treasured him. He loved gardening and was also a writer and poet. He was admired, respected and beloved by his family, friends and congregation members alike.

Surviving are his wife; daughters Carol (Dan) Scheerer, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Gloria (Michael) Hood, Indianapolis; son Charles O. (Cheryl) Steiner, Goshen; grandchildren Chaun (Jodie) and Chane Steiner, Scott and Amy Hood and Chanda (Dustin) Miller; great-grandchildren Braeden and Bronson Steiner; brothers Roy (Vesta) Steiner, Mission, Texas, George Steiner, Wooster, Ohio, Marion (Ellen) Steiner, Temperance, Mich., Clayton (Ruth) Steiner, Kidron, Ohio, and Kenneth (Mae) Steiner, Orrville, Ohio; sisters Viola (Stan) Kuhns, Goshen, Dorothy (Calvin) Miller, Wilmot, Ohio, and Norma (Jim) Eberly, Jeromesville, Ohio.

He was preceded in death by sons David Lee, of a heart condition in 1955, Timothy Bay, stillborn in 1963, and Donald Lynn, in a car/train accident in 1997; a brother, Lee Steiner; and a sister, Arlene Nussbaum.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home and one hour prior to the 2 p.m. service on Tuesday at Olive Mennonite Church. Pastors Sharon and Kevin Yoder will lead the service.

Burial will be in Olive West Cemetery, Elkhart.

Memorials, in lieu of flowers, may be directed to the Mennonite Central Committee.

Online condolences may be sent at www.yoderculpfuneralhome.com.