Lois Agatha Bartel, 84, of North Newton, Kan., died Feb. 26, 2022, after living at Kidron Bethel since 2007. She was born Dec. 26, 1937, to Julius A. and Agatha Dyck Franz and grew up with seven siblings in eastern Washington.

As a teen she was baptized and became a member of Menno Mennonite Church near Ritzville, Wash. She met Gladwin Bartel at Bethel College in Kansas, and they were married in 1957. They served two years in Mennonite Central Committee voluntary service at Boys’ Village in Smithville, Ohio, as an alternative to military service.

She earned degrees in elementary education and social sciences at Bethel College. She and Gladwin’s first son, Baron Craig, was born in Newton in 1962. They moved to Wisconsin for graduate studies, where their second son, Kelvin Franz, was born in 1964. The family moved to Spokane and then Pullman, Wash., where she earned a master’s degree in sociology at Washington State University. The family moved to La Junta, Colo., in 1970, and was active at Emmanuel Mennonite Church. She taught English and social studies for 22 years. She and Gladwin moved to Kansas in 2007 to be close to family and joined Shalom Mennonite Church.

Survivors include two sons, Barry (Brenda) Bartel of Golden, Colo., and Kelvin (Lisa) Bartel of Newton; a sister, Lucille (Les) Harms; a brother-in-law, Craig Dorsing; a sister-in-law Rosalie (Robert) Neufeld; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gladwin; and six siblings, Leonard Franz, Henry (Dorothy) Franz, Marie (Elmer) Ewert, Viola (Ralph) Boese, Clara (Walt) Reimer and Judy Dorsing.

A memorial service will be held at Shalom Mennonite Church, Newton, Kan., on May 28. Memorial gifts may be made to Mennonite Central Committee.