Tina Block Ediger

Tina Block Ediger was born April 25, 1931 near Steinbach, Manitoba to Julius H. and Katharina (Penner) Block. She was baptized in 1951 and died on October 16, 2014.  She attended Steinbach Collegiate High school and Red River Secretarial College in Winnipeg, and then worked as secretary in Manitoba .  From 1955 to 1981, she worked at the General Conference Mennonite Church Board of Missions in Newton, Kansas.  During this time she organized furlough visits for the U.S. by many missionaries and was known as “Aunt Tina” to the missionary kids.  Tina spent two years in India as the secretary-bookkeeper at the Union Biblical Seminary in Yeotmal. She is the author of the book “Window to the World” which describes 100 years of overseas missions of the General Conference Mennonite Church. While Tina worked fulltime for the Mission Board, she was a part-time student and completed a Bachelor’s Degree in English at Bethel College.  She often mentioned how grateful she was to Bethel for the scholarship that allowed her to finish her degree.  From 1986 to 1996 she worked in the Development offices at Prairie View Mental Health Center. In 2001 Tina volunteered to be a Low-German interpreter for the Kansas Dept of Health and Human Welfare in order to provide services to the Old Colony Mennonites who had immigrated from Mexico to Kansas.  In 2008 she moved into independent living at Kidron Bethel Retirement Community. Through-out her life she was able to travel to 38 countries, making many friends around the world.  She developed close friendships with a number of Bethel College students from China, Japan, and India.  Tina was a long time member of the Bethel College Mennonite Church.  She enjoyed cooking, entertaining, reading, writing, giving speeches, gardening, and serving high teas.

In 1975, Tina married Elmer Ediger of North Newton. She is survived by 3 children: Elaine (Bob) Burdette of Mulvane, Carol (Ron) Peters of North Newton, and Mark (Jocelyn Milner) Ediger of Madison, Wisconsin; 6 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, brothers William (Dolores) Block of Winnipeg,  Jim (Helga) Block of Morden, Manitoba, Peter (Mary) Block of Steinbach, Manitoba, sister Martha (Leonard) Epp of Brantford Ontario, and many nieces, nephews, and dozens of missionary kids who considered her Aunt Tina. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Elmer Ediger, brothers Jacob and Henry Block, sister Anna Isaak, sister-in-law Betty Block, nephew Terry Block and grand-daughter-in-law Jana Peters.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, October 25, 2014 at 10 am at the Bethel College Mennonite Church of North Newton. There will be no viewing or visitation. Memorials have been established with Bethel College and Prairie View Mental Health Center.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Petersen Funeral Home