Carl Johannes Wesselhoeft

Carl Wesselhoeft

May 16, 1929-March 6, 2023

Carl Johannes Wesselhoeft was born in or near Rostock, Germany, on May 16, 1929.  He was the third child born to Paul and Ada Wesselhoeft. His boyhood was spent on the family farm. After World War II, Carl found work in Sweden and then emigrated to Kitchener, Ontario on a Canadian government agricultural apprenticeship. There he met and married Leota Good from Logan, Ohio. They then went to Harrisonburg, Virginia where Carl completed his BA at Eastern Mennonite College.

Carl and Leota accepted a call to the mission field in Somalia where they served from 1955 to 1966. They traveled to Somalia with two young children, Ruby and Paul, and a third, John, was born shortly after arriving in Somalia. Carl and Leota were organizers and administrators of a boys’ boarding school in a Somali village north of Mogadiscio. During this time, they had a furlough in Athens, Ohio, where Carl completed in MEd in administration.

While in Somalia, Carl and Leota were blessed with three more children, Evelyn, Ruth and Carol. Eveyln died at six weeks of age of lobar pneumonia. On return to the U.S. in the fall of 1966, they settled in Perry County, SE Ohio, where Carl was the pastor of Turkey Run Mennonite Church and taught math in the Logan, Ohio junior high school until he retired. Soon after the return to the US, Carl and Leota were blessed with the completion of their family, the birth of their youngest child, Conrad.

Carl and Leota continued to live in Perry County, Ohio and were blessed with a large family as their children grew, married and had families of their own. Leota died after a brief illness on March 13, 2006. Carl continued to serve his family and church as a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and retired pastor.  Currently Carl’s family numbers close to 100 people! Carl passed away after a brief illness on March 6, 2023.

Carl was preceded in death by his brother, Ky, his parents, Paul and Ada (von Falz-Fein) Wesselhoeft, his wife Leota (Good) Wesselhoeft, an infant daughter, Evelyn, a son, John, and a sister, Gisa. He is survived by his sister, Heidi, his remaining children, Ruby (Bob) Dunlap, Paul and Mary Lou (Yoder), daughter in law, Debbie (Yoder), Ruth (Mike) Bender, Carol (Glen) Kempton, and Conrad (Marcie) and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

A celebration of life will be held at Turkey Run Mennonite Church, 4 PM, Wednesday, March 8, 5661 Township Rd, 372, Logan, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Turkey Run Mennonite Church building fund.

Arrangements are by Cardaras Funeral Home, 183 E. Second St., Logan.

Please sign his online guestbook at www.cardaras.com