Irma June Groening

Irma’s life began on June 2, 1925, the daughter of C.R. and Martha (Funk) Duerksen in Hillsboro, Kansas. She was a cheerleader and graduated from Lehigh Class of 1943. She married Howard Dean Groening on March 8, 1946, at the Lehigh Mennonite Church. Irma helped her spouse on the farm with chores, and enjoyed refinishing wood furniture. She was a member of the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, taught Sunday School, traveled on bus trips, volunteered at the Et Cetera Shop for over 20 years, helped with the MCC Sale in Hutchinson, loved making quilts as wedding gifts for her sons, and baby quilts for her grandchildren.

Her loving family includes her sons and their wives, Jerry and Sherri Groening, Gordon and Shirley Groening all of Marion, Kansas; five grandchildren, Kristin (Matt) Brenzikofer, Justin (Tina)  Groening, Jami (Ray) Helmer, Jenny (Aaron) Acree and Ross (Hannah) Groening; eleven great-grandchildren; Colton, Alli, Tori, Sara, Eli, Rebekah, Brennen, Hanna, Samuel, Marianne, and Levi; two great-great-grandchildren, Lyla and Elsie; two brothers, Harlin Duerksen of Newton, Kansas, Gerald (Mary Jo) Duerksen of Dallas Texas; one sister-in-law, Joan Duerksen of Newton.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Howard in 1996; siblings, Roland, Mildor, Willis, Elfrieda, Luetta and granddaughter, Gayle. Irma passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, at the age of 94 years old.

Her family will gather with friends on Friday, March 6, from 6-8 p.m. at the Hillsboro Yazel-Megli-Zeiner Funeral Home. Graveside service will be held Saturday, March 7, at 10:00 a.m. at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Cemetery. Funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, 300 Prairie Pointe in Hillsboro.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Et Cetera Shop in Hillsboro or Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church in care of Yazel-Megli-Zeiner Funeral Home, 902 E. D Street, Hillsboro, Kansas 67063. Please sign her online guest book and leave a memory of Irma at www.ymzfh.com

Mother has her say...

God is love. Therefore I worship Him in love. I think of routine household chores as acts of love, not hated jobs, when I know my Lord is at my side. Although washing clothes and cooking meals are not glamorous and do become tiresome, still I thank God for my beloved family and what I can do to make life more pleasant for them.

    I find it easier to sense God‘s presence in my home all days after talking with him first thing in the morning. Not that he always makes it easy. I think he gives every wife and mother hard tasks and difficult decisions to make her stronger.  

   So I ask you, “How could I get through a day without God?” For me, our daily family worship is as important as feeding my children their vitamins. I don’t limit my worship to any time or place. In my home it is an “always” thing—