The Rev. Walter H. Dyck, 87, of 711 S. Cottage Ave., No. 103, Normal, died at 4 a.m. Thursday (May 16, 1996) at BroMenn Lifecare Center, Bloomington. Funeral at the Mennonite Church of Normal, the Rev. Donald Nester officiating. Burial in Ropp Mennonite Cemetery, rural Normal. Kibler-Smith Memorial Home, Bloomington, is in charge of arrangements.
He was the only surviving son of Heinrich J. and Katie Regier Dyck of Elbing, Kansas. In August of 1931 he married Agnes Schmidt and settled on a farm near Elbing, Kansas. The couple had three children: Gordon, Evelyn, and Gerald. Ordained in Zion Mennonite Church 1936, the Dycks moved to Walter's first pastorate in Burrton, Kansas. In 1940 Walter was pastor at the First Mennonnite Church near Beatrice, Nebr. and soon served as the recording and executive secretary of the General Conference. In 1949 Agnes was struck by a blood disease which made Walter accept a pastorate near Whitewater, Kansas closer to Newton (Emmaus, pastor 1948-1954). Agnes died soon therafter.
He then married widow Martha Harder Suderman on Aug. 14, 1950.
In 1954-55 Walter and Martha served in German immigrant churches in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina and also visited Columbia. 1956 they began work in the Mennonite church in Aberdeen, Idaho. In 1962 - 1977 they served pastoral assignments in Arvada, Colorado (1962 - 1965); Henderson, Nebr.(1965 - 1971); and Carlock and North Danvers, Ill. In retirement he helped out in Roanoke, Ill. (5 months); Ritzville, Wash. (4 months); Pandora, Ohio (summer of 1979).
Walter's Family: Gordon Dyck & Judy Beechy; Marvin & Delores (Suderman) Bartel; Evelyn (Dyck) & John Bertsche; Elvera (Peters) Suderman; Gerald Dyck & Helga Edvardsen-Dyck; a sister Dorothea. Pall bearers: Teresa & Jeffrey Dyck, Bonnie & Beth Bartel, Cynthia (Bertsche) Regier, Dan Bertsche, Janet Puzycki.