Roy Allen Wolfer was born Sept. 15, 1928, in Hubbard, Oregon, to Hugh and Ina (Hostetler) Wolfer.
He married Loretta Burkey on Nov. 19, 1954, in Milford, at East Fairview Mennonite Church. To this union were born four children: Cynthia, Terry, Dan and Linda. Roy went to meet the Savior that he loved so much on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024.
Roy accepted the Lord as his Savior in his teens and was baptized at the Sheridan Mennonite Church, Sheridan, Oregon. Roy liked to tell people that, as a student, he was salutatorian of his class (of two). In his youth, Roy worked as a farmer’s hand, served in 1W service at a mental hospital in Oregon and rode a cattle boat across the ocean with Heifer Project International. After his marriage to Loretta, he drove a lime truck and then began farming. He farmed until his retirement. He was actively involved in prison ministry and was a grader for prisoners’ Bible Study courses for Gospel Echoes. He loved to tell people about Jesus.
After his retirement, he enjoyed gardening and sharing garden produce. When visiting the elderly in nursing homes, he often delivered fresh bouquets from their garden. He was a prayerful man, loved the Lord and the church and was a faithful member at Salem Country Church until his health no longer permitted him to attend. Being with family was a highlight for him, and he was a loving and faithful husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Ina Wolfer; infant daughter, Cynthia; brothers, Cliff (Mildred), Clate (Rosy), Lynn (Dorothy), and Hughie; sisters, Blanche (Paul) Kilmer, Luella (Howard) Nice, and Helen (Bud) Miller; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Perry (Teresa) Burkey, Clayton (Verda) White, Alda (Lloyd) Swartzendruber, Lorence (Floy) Burkey, Marlin Burkey, and Eldon Miller; and the babies who went before us.
He is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Loretta, children; Terry (Regina) of Columbia, South Carolina, Dan (Candace) of Beaver Crossing, Linda (Wes) Helmuth of Plain City, Ohio; 12 grandchildren, Matt (Bailey) Wolfer, David (Samantha) Wolfer, Blake (Janette) Wolfer, Paige (Jalon) Zook, Schyler Wolfer, Leyton Wolfer, Amanda (Andrew) Miller, Nate (Krista) Helmuth, Emily (Tyler) Dyer, Ben (Caroline) Helmuth, Mary (Leighton) Borkholder, and Stewart Helmuth; and 20 great-grandchildren; his brother, Les (Mary) of McMinnville, Oregon; sisters-in-law, Margie Burkey and Arla Leann Miller; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family expresses their special thanks to Dr. Brandon Henley, Sue Stutzman for her loving and faithful care of Roy the last 16 months and more recently the HoriSun Hospice Group.
The funeral service will be Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 10 a.m. at Salem Country Church in Seward with committal at the church cemetery. Arrangements by Volzke Funeral Home.
