Obituary

Fremont A. Regier, 74, of North Newton, died of prostate and bone cancer on Thursday (May 27, 2010) at his home.

Fremont was born on Aug. 7, 1935, in Newton, to Alfred and Ione (Ayers) Regier. He grew up in the rural Whitewater community together with his sisters Louvina (Lou) and Donice and was nurtured by the faith of his family, farming and 4-H activities. He was baptized at Emmaus Mennonite Church in rural Whitewater on May 13, 1951, and continued to follow Jesus and grow in a spirituality shaped by rich life experience.

Fremont graduated from Berean Academy and studied at Bethel College. He earned a B.S. in animal science and an M.S. in animal nutrition from Kansas State University, and later a Ph.D in adult and Extension education at the University of Wisconsin. Early in his life, Fremont sensed a call to mission and served two years with the PAX program in Belgian Congo before marrying Sara M. Janzen on Sept. 9, 1957, at Zion Mennonite Church in Elbing.
Together they served with Commission on Overseas Mission of the former General Conference Mennonite Church, Africa Inter Mennonite Mission and Mennonite Central Committee in Mexico (1961 to 1963), Congo/Zaire (1965 to 1976), Botswana (1981 to 1985) Mozambique (1993 to 1996) and Zimbabwe (1997 to 2000). His work focused on crop research and extension, vegetable / field crop and small animal production, adult education and community development, administration and social services. Fremont also was a consultant for numerous other relief and development agencies, colleges and church-related organizations in more than 30 countries, and was conversant in eight languages in the course of his life.

From 1977 to 1981, he was director and assistant professor of international development at Bethel College.
Fremont loved fishing, woodworking, bird-watching, playing tennis, traveling, telling stories and jokes, spending time with family and friends and learning to know people.

He is survived by his wife, Sara; son, Charles and his wife Cynthia and their children Abraham, Paul and Emma; daughter, Heidi and her husband David Kreider and their children Benjamin and Mark; son, Nathan and his wife Julie and their children Lauren, Emily and Asha; and sister, Louvina (Lou) and husband Herman Miller of rural Whitewater. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred and Ione Regier, and sister Donice Kelly.

Visitation with family will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Faith Mennonite Church, 2100 N. Anderson Ave. in Newton.
A memorial service celebrating Fremont’s life will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Faith Mennonite Church.
Family service for burial of ashes will be at a later date at Zion Mennonite Church cemetery in rural Elbing.
Memorial gifts may be given to Bethel College, designated for the Fremont and Sara Regier Scholarship Fund for international students, or Mennonite Central Committee, in care of Petersen’s Funeral Home, 215 N. Main St., Newton, KS 67114.