Funk, Heinrich H. (1880-1941?)
Heinrich H. Funk was born 28 December 1880 in the village of Neuenburg, province of Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russia, the son of Heinrich A. Funk and Katharina Friesen. He attended the Chortitz Zentralschule for four years. Having been granted a scholarship provided by the churches he studied at the Theological Seminary (Predigerschule) in Basel, Switzerland. After graduating he accepted the position of teacher of religion and German literature at the Zentralschule of New York, one of the villages of the Ignatyevo settlement in the province of Ekaterinoslav. Here in 1908, he married Susanna Rempel; they had four children, two daughters and two sons.
Funk taught in New York for nearly 20 years. He was elected minister and later elder of the New York Mennonite Church. Since the latter appointment was made during the communist regime it necessitated his withdrawal from teaching in school. In 1929, on the eve of his intended emigration to America with his family, he was arrested and exiled to the Far North. In 1937 he was allowed to return to the South, and since his wife had died and his children scattered during his absence, he resided for some time at Karaganda, in the Kazakhstan region of Asiatic Russia, where his youngest daughter taught at a high school which Funk served as secretary. In 1940 he was banished to the North a second time and since 1941 has not been heard from.
Funk was known for his inspiring work as a teacher and for his effectiveness as a minister and elder of the church. His considerable influence came from his attractive personality which combined a natural, polished manner and warm Christian solicitude for those in his charge and all others he met. Wherever he went, even in his exile, he was appointed to important work. Thus, during the first period of his banishment he was attached for some time to an American geological mission studying in Russia. He is reputed to have greatly influenced his many students to love the noble and the good.
| Author(s) | Henry D Dyck |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Dyck, Henry D. "Funk, Heinrich H. (1880-1941?)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Funk,_Heinrich_H._(1880-1941%3F)&oldid=81092.
APA style
Dyck, Henry D. (1956). Funk, Heinrich H. (1880-1941?). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Funk,_Heinrich_H._(1880-1941%3F)&oldid=81092.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 421. All rights reserved.
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