Dorothea Marie Janzen

Dorothea “Dotty” (Wirth) Janzen, 94, died December 12, 2024 at Kidron Bethel Village Health Care Center in North Newton, Kansas. She was born to Fred and Marie (Schneidenbach) Wirth on October 4, 1930 in Paterson, New Jersey. She was raised in a pastor’s family in Brooklyn, New York and was confirmed at the Wyona Street Evangelical and Reformed Church in Brooklyn. The family moved to Bergenfield, New Jersey in her teenage years, where she graduated from high school. She graduated from Beaver College (now Arcadia University), then an all-women’s college, in Glenside, Pennsylvania majoring in Bible and Christian education and later received a master of religious education from New York Theological Seminary in New York City. She married Heinz Janzen on September 10, 1955, and served as a pastor’s wife during Heinz’s pastorates in Washington, Illinois and Kidron, Ohio before moving to Newton in 1969 and joining Faith Mennonite Church. 

Dotty completed a Clinical Pastoral Education program at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita in 1974, then taught Bible and served in campus ministries at Hesston College from 1974-1980. Heinz and Dotty were called to be co-pastors of Trinity Mennonite Church in Hillsboro and in 1981, she was ordained to pastoral ministry. During their time in Hillsboro, she taught several courses at Tabor College. 

In 1990, she was called to be associate pastor of the Bethel College Mennonite Church in North Newton until she retired in 1997. Following her retirement she served for a year as interim pastor at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in Goessel, and later as a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and Ten Thousand Villages in Newton. 

Some of her contributions to the wider church included editing and rewriting along with Heinz the Minister’s Manual published in 1983. She served on the board of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary for 13 years and served on the Ministerial Committee and Executive Committee of the Western District Conference. She also served on the board of Kidron Bethel Village. 

She was preceded in death by her husband Heinz; theirs was a legendary partnership lasting 55 years. Survivors include sisters Ruth Sauter of Doylestown, Pennsylvania and Margaret (Richard) Diemer of New Harmony, Indiana; son Pete (Debra) Janzen of Wichita; daughter Margaret (Charlie) Hildebrand of Morden, Manitoba; daughter Mary Janzen of State College, Pennsylvania; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. 

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Kidron Bethel Health Care Center staff and Bethel College Mennonite Church for providing assistance and support to Dotty. 

The inurnment will be in the Bethel College Mennonite Church columbarium. A memorial service will be held at Bethel College Mennonite Church, 11 a.m. Monday, January 20, with a fellowship meal to follow. Contributions in remembrance of Dotty may be made to the Kidron Bethel Health Care Benevolent Fund or Bethel College Mennonite Church.