Dick Toews, was born to Peter M. and Marie Ensz Toews on March 25, 1922, in Inman, Kan.

He passed away on December 20, 2014 at Oakwood Manor, Brooksville, Miss., reaching the full age of 92 years.

On Tuesday, Dec. 23, a memorial service was held at the Oakwood Manor chapel in Brooksville for his friends and neighbors in that community. Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon, Miss., was entrusted with those services.

His funeral service will be held on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 10:30 a.m. from the Cedarcrest Mennonite Church in Faunsdale with Ministers Ken Diller, Errol Wedel, Jody Nichols and Joseph Johnson officiating.

Interment will follow at Cedarcrest Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m.. Friday, Dec. 26, at the church. Kirk Funeral Home of Demopolis is entrusted with the arrangements.

Mr. Toews spent his childhood and teenage years in the Inman, Kan., area. He was baptized as a Christian on March 24, 1940, and was an ordained deacon in the Mennonite Church. Throughout all his years he served the church faithfully. This included time spent when he was younger by doing service work for four years in Colorado and Nebraska.

On July 24, 1949, he married Frieda Wiebe in Hillsboro, Kan. Together they shared life’s joys and sorrows for almost fifty-five years.

Mr. Toews had a deep appreciation for the work and welfare of the church and gave himself faithfully to that calling. He also had an adventurous spirit and with conviction to help colonize Brazil, he and his family moved there in 1968. Three years later they moved back to Kansas.

In September 1978, they moved to Faunsdale where they spent 26 years farming and seeing the growth of a new congregation. Mr. Toews was conscientious and was also a man of conviction, often clearing his way with the family. He didn’t know any strangers, which won him many friends.

On April 26, 2004, his wife Frieda passed away, leaving him very lonely. He desired companionship and on Nov. 28, 2004, he married Dorothy Weibe. They made their home in Lobelville, Tenn.

Mr. Toews is missed by his wife, Dorothy; and his eight children, Irene (Daniel) Clemmer of Uniontown; Earl (Patricia) Toews of Lobelville, Tenn.; Carl (Betty) Toews of Grifton, N.C.; Lee Roy (Marlene) Toews of Hardin, Mont.; Delton (Delia) Toews of Leesburg, Ohio; Eugene (Patricia) Toews of Faunsdale, Glen (Leslie) Toews of Faunsdale, and Linda (Lowellyn) Isaac of Lobelville, Tenn. Also left to mourn his passing are 38 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, one brother, three sisters, and one infant grandson.