Elvira McMullen

Hastings, Nebraska resident, Elvira Maryetta (Engel) McMullen, 96, passed away Friday, May 27, 2016 at her home.

Memorial Services will be held Friday, June 17, 2016, in Hastings, Nebraska. Burial, with military rites by Hastings Veterans Organizations, will be held at Parkview Cemetery at 10:00 A.M. with Rev. Dr. Samuel R. Rathod officiating. A Celebration of Life service will follow at 11:00 A.M. at First United Methodist Church, Hastings with Pastor Greg Lindenberger and lay-minister Homer Pierce officiating. Memorials may be given to Green Lake Conference Center, First United Methodist Church in Hastings, Nebraska, or Celiac Disease Foundation. There will be no viewing or visitation.

Elvira was born July 23, 1919 at Avon, South Dakota. She was the fourth child born to Rudolph and Kathryn (Hebner) Engel. Elvira was brought up in a Christian home and she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at nine years of age at the First Baptist Church in Avon, South Dakota. After completing eight grades of elementary school, she graduated following four years at Avon High School in 1938. The following year she received her Junior Secretarial degree from Mitchell Business College, Mitchell, South Dakota. While serving as bookkeeper at Vallet Cleaners, she decided to enlist in the Navy. She was sent to Hunter College, New York for boot camp training, followed by secretarial training in Cedar Falls, Iowa. From Cedar Falls, she was sent to Washington, D.C. for active duty. Her primary work was to give examinations for advancement in rating to WAVES and Sailors. Elvira served in the Navy for two years and nine months at which time she received an honorable discharge. After a short stay at home, she enrolled at Baylor University, Waco, Texas in 1945. On August 28, 1946 she married Reverend Harold McMullen at First Baptist Church in Loveland, Colorado. They had met and committed their lives to each other while both were active in the historic downtown Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Education from Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. Her majors were English and Latin. Next she enrolled in Andover Newton Theological School, Newton Centre, Massachusetts where she received her Master's of Religious Education Degree in May, 1952. Two weeks later on June 13, Bonita Kay was born in Boston Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. August 1, 1952, Harold began his pastorate at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. On July 5, 1955, Norman Harold was born. Following two other pastorates in Kansas City, Missouri and San Jose, California Elvira began her teaching career in 1972 through 1984 when she retired. In retirement, she served as a commissioned leader of Stephen Ministry for six years in Almaden Hills United Methodist Church, San Jose, California. In 1992, Elvira and Harold moved to Good Samaritan Village in Hastings, Nebraska. They became active in First United Methodist Church.

Blessing her life and preceding her in death were her caring parents, Kathryn and Rudolph Engel; a loving sister, Doris Hazel Pudwill; a devoted brother, Joseph Gerald Engel; and a dear sister, Marcella Crystal Kruger.

To praise God for this gracious and loving wife and mother are a loving and devoted husband, Harold McMullen; a caring daughter, Bonita Kay McMullen; a caring son, Norman Harold McMullen and wife, Amy Lee McMullen; and two inspiring grandchildren, Tristan James McMullen and Emily Faye McMullen.