Neta Faye Yoder, who served God’s people in Japan for 35 years, died April 22, in Iowa. She was a member of West Union Mennonite Church, Parnell, Iowa.
In 1961, Neta Faye and her husband Marvin Yoder moved to Japan with their children, as missionaries for Mennonite Board of Missions, a predecessor agency of Mennonite Mission Network. While in Japan, they lived in Tokyo, Nakashibetsu, Sapporo and Ashoro.
She taught English and cooking classes to women’s groups and taught English at
Hokusei Gakuen University, Sapporo. She served on the Executive Committee and Peace Committee for Japan Mennonite Christian Church Conference and served on the school board for
Hokkaido International School, Sapporo, for six years.
After the children were grown, she and Marvin pastored a congregation in Ashoro.
They retired from the mission field in 1996 and moved to Wellman, Iowa where Neta Faye served as Elder at
West Union Mennonite Church and assisted with Sunday School and Vacation Bible School leadership. Additionally, she served on the Iowa-Nebraska Mennonite Conference Executive Committee of Mennonite Women Program Committee as Spiritual Life and Wellness Secretary.
She also shared her hospitality as a docent at
Kalona Historical Village in Kalona, Iowa.
Neta Faye Sweigart was born on December 27, 1932, in rural Perryton, Texas, to Effie (Kauffman) and Milton Sweigart. She grew up in the Perryton area and remained proud of her Texas heritage throughout her life.
She attended Hesston (Kansas) Academy and
College and worked as a teacher at a country school in Yoder, Kansas. Later, she attended
Goshen (Indiana) College.
Neta Faye is survived by her husband Marvin, daughter Deborah (Robert) Kartheiser, sons Stephen (Karen) Kreider Yoder, and Jay (Diane) Yoder, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to
Mennonite Mission Network,
West Union Mennonite Church and
Pleasantview Home.
