View source for Swartzentruber, Amos (1893-1966)

[[File:SchwartzentruberAmos.JPG|300px|thumb|right|''Amos Swartzentruber, 1963. Mennonite Archives

of Ontario photo. '']]     Amos Swartzentruber, born 2 September 1893, died 2 July 1966 and his wife [[Swartzentruber, Edna (1901-1976)|Edna (Litwiller)]] were the first Canadian Amish Mennonite missionaries, serving a short term in Youngstown, Ohio (1923), followed by work in [[Argentina|Argentina]] (1924-63). Born near [[Baden (Ontario, Canada)|Baden]], [[Ontario (Canada)|Ontario]], Amos worked for several farmers following grade school. He had a [[Conversion|conversion]] experience at about the age of 15 during meetings he attended at a United Brethren Church in [[Kitchener-Waterloo (Ontario, Canada)|Kitchener]]. He was baptized at the [[Steinmann Mennonite Church (Baden, Ontario, Canada)|Steinmann (Amish) Mennonite Church]] a few years later. His first wife, Clara Jantzi, died of cancer after three years of marriage. [[Derstine, Clayton Freed (1891-1967)|C. F. Derstine]], Peter Mayer, and other visiting preachers he heard at [[First Mennonite Church (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada)|First Mennonite Church]], Kitchener, Ontario and the [[Baden Mennonite Church (Baden, Ontario, Canada)|Baden Mennonite Mission]] influenced him to attend Bible college. He enrolled at [[Bethany Theological Seminary (Richmond, Indiana, USA)|Bethany Bible Training School]] ([[Church of the Brethren|Church of the Brethren]]) in [[Chicago (Illinois, USA)|Chicago]], where he met Edna Litwiller, a student from his home community. They were married 23 June 1920, and had three children, Doris, A. Orley, and Anita. Amos was ordained a minister 17 February 1924, the day before he and Edna left for [[Argentina|Argentina]].

As a missionary Amos was a good administrator and manager. He was elected bishop in 1934. For most of his term of service he was treasurer of the Argentine mission (1927-58), chairman of the building committee, and bishop. The family was faced with tragedy in 1947 as their daughter Doris and her husband [[Snyder, Clifford A. (1914-1947)|Clifford Snyder]] and two children were en route to missionary service in Argentina; Clifford died of a cerebral hemorrhage on board ship. Health conditions meant retirement for Amos in 1963. The couple moved from Argentina to Kitchener, Ontario.
= Bibliography =
Bender, John, ed., <em class="gameo_bibliography">Pilgerleben, Pilgrims, Peragrinos. </em>Western Ontario Mennonite Conference, 1984.

Springer, Nelson and A. J. Klassen, compilers, <em class="gameo_bibliography">Mennonite Bibliograpy,1631-1961</em>, vol. 2. Scottdale, PA, 1977: 509.
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