Eunice Hay Histand

Eunice May Histand, 92, of Goshen, died early Friday afternoon, September 29, 2006 at Goshen General Hospital.   Eunice was born on May 30, 1914 in Versailles, Missouri, to Amos and Nannie (Yoder) Gingerich. She graduated from Hesston Academy, Hesston, Kansas in 1933 and Hesston College in 1936. She obtained a teaching certificate from Kansas State Teachers College, Hays, Kansas, and taught school for two years before her marriage to Nelson W. Histand, an ordained minister, on July 17, 1938. Together they served in Mennonite churches in Culp, Arkansas, Pryor, Oklahoma, Dunlap, Indiana, Noxubee County, Mississippi, Parnell, Iowa, and Carlsbad New Mexico. During the time they lived in Carlsbad, Eunice taught in a school for special education and disabled children. They also farmed in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Iowa. They retired to Hesston, Kansas in 1981, where Nelson died in March of 1988. After moving to Greencroft in 1989 to be closer to family, Eunice served on several Greencroft committees and participated in many Greencroft and College Mennonite Church activities.   Eunice’s life was dedicated to caring for her family and the church. She greatly enjoyed being with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and hearing about their lives. She treasured the many friendships that she had forged in each of the diverse communities in which she lived. Even as a small child, Eunice loved birds and flowers, eagerly sharing them with others. She was a gifted gardener throughout her life. She was well known in the Greencroft community for her creation of and care for a beautiful, extensive flower bed, at one time filled with more than 90 different perennials and 30 different annuals. Eunice will also be remembered as a wonderful mother and grandmother, pastor’s wife, friend, foster parent, teacher, homemaker, seamstress, cook, and hostess.   Eunice is survived by four daughters: Marian (Ivan) Schwabbauer of Coralville, Iowa, Carol (Maurice) Lehman of Goshen, Delores (Stanley) Friesen of Fresno, California, and Catharine (Don) Lichti of St. Louis, Missouri; four sons: John (Nancy) Histand of Portland, Oregon, Stan (Carol) Miller Histand of Soldotna, Alaska and Goshen, Indiana, Timothy Histand of Portland, Oregon, and James (Linda) Histand of Goshen, Indiana; a sister: Lois Bender of Kalona, Iowa; three brothers: Paul (Vesta) Gingerich of Kalona, Iowa, Simon (Mary) Gingerich of Elkhart, Indiana, and Clayton (Myrtle) Gingerich of Kalona, Iowa; 26 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-granddaughter.   She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers: Leroy, Fred, Truman, and Orie Gingerich; a sister, Charity Troyer; and two great-grandchildren, Melissa Lehman and Nathan Lichti.   Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4, 2006 at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana.   A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, October 5, 2006, also at College Mennonite Church with the Rev. Firman Gingerich and Rev. Clare Schumm officiating.   Burial will be at a later date in the Eastlawn Cemetery, Hesston, Kansas.   Memorial contributions can be directed to the Nelson W. and Eunice May Histand Scholarship Fund at Hesston College, Hesston, Kansas, established in 1990 to help support students in the pastoral ministries program.