Dean Hochstetler's Memorial Service Obituary - as edited and read by Pastor Katie Cunningham, Yellow Creek Mennonite Church

Dean L. Hochstetler was born on October 6, 1928 in Marshall County, Indiana to William and Mary (Maust) Hochstetler. He was the second son born to William and Mary with two sisters and a younger brother to follow him. Dean's family attended North Main Street Mennonite Church where he was baptized on March 14, 1943 at age 14 along with his sister Mary Ellen. Dean graduated from Bremen High School in 1947, then served in La Plata Puerto Rico before his marriage to Edna M. Swartzentruber on December 7, 1952 in Sarasota, Florida. Together they had four sons: Clair, Donald, Verle and Lee.

Dean was owner/operator, of Equipment Service, a welding and farm machinery repair business between Nappanee and Bremen. Later, his son Verle partnered with him in the business. Dean enjoyed flying as a private pilot, enjoyed classical music, and widely read in a variety of disciplines. He was trilingual and enjoyed interactions with people from many cultures, traveling in some forty countries during his life, most of them alongside his wife, Edna. Enjoying her faithful support in the spiritual ministry, they often hosted friends and guests from across the country and around the world in their home in Nappanee, Indiana.

Dean became a skilled counselor, pioneering a Christian spiritual deliverance ministry spanning over forty years. On May 25, 1986, Dean was officially ordained by the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference, the first person to be credentialed for this particular specialized ministry in the history of the Mennonite church. Dean and Edna became members of Yellow Creek Mennonite Church on July 19, 1992, where they have been active for 15 years.

For the past ten years, Dean focused on teaching and leadership development to assure the continuation of the spiritual deliverance ministry for the generations to follow. A celebration of Dean's leadership in this ministry was held one year ago, at Yellow Creek Mennonite Church. Two weeks ago, Dean passed the "mantle of Elijah" on to Delora Reinhardt and Ben and Angela Snyder, as the new leaders of the spiritual deliverance ministry.

At 4:00 am on October 30, 2006, Dean died of natural causes in his home in Nappanee.

He donated his body to the Anatomical Education Center of Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Dean was preceded in death by Edna, his wife of 53 years, who died on April 25, 2006, his brother, Eugene, his son, Donald, and both of his parents.

Surviving are his three sons, Clair (Carole Anne) of Goshen, Verle, of rural Bremen, and Lee (Susan) of North Carolina, and eight grandchildren: Megan, Jordan, Landon, Shawn, Austin, Laura, David and Sarah Hochstetler.

Dean is also survived by three siblings: Mary Ellen Kaufman and Miriam Hochstetler of rural Nappanee, and Alan Hochstetler of Williamsburg, VA.

Memorial gifts may be designated in Dean's memory to the Mission Commission of Yellow Creek Mennonite Church, to be utilized to support the training expenses of persons involved in spiritual deliverance ministry.