Henry B. Enns, of Toutle, passed away April 20, 2006, in the Longview Community Home Health/Hospice. He was born August 2, 1912, to Henry H. and Katherine Balzer Enns in Hooker, OK, third in a family of six boys and six girls.
Arriving in Toutle in 1950, Mr. Enns taught at Toutle Lake High School for 25 years. retired, then he and his wife Ruby enjoyed traveling throughout North and South America, often on volunteer mission projects. Mr. Enns was a member of a mission tour to India and Bangladesh with the Mennonite Central Committee relief organization, during which time he was invited to be one of three Mennonite delegates to a World Relief Seminary meeting of representatives from world-wide relief organizations operating in India.
Later, while enjoying writing classes at Lower Columbia College and the Castle Rock Senior Center, Mr. Enns compiled his life history. He found many interested listeners as he recounted his German Mennonite heritage, tracing family migrations from Austria through Holland and Prussia to the Mennonite Molotschna Colony of South Russia (Ukraine) where his paternal and maternal grandparents were born in the early 1880's. His father, Henry H. Enns, was also born there and was part of the migration to the USA in the late 1880's, settling in the Oklahoma Panhandle where son Henry was born.
Growing up on a farm during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years, Henry learned a strong work ethic which served him well throughout his life. He graduated from Adams Public High School in Adams, OK, the Corn Bible Academy in Corn, OK, and in 1942 earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Panhandle Agriculture & Mechanical College in Goodwell, OK.
On September 7, 1941, he marries Ruby Bernice Reimer of Corn, OK, in 1946 moved to Birch Bay, WA, where in 1950 he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching credential at Western Washington College of Education in Bellingham.
Henry and Ruby Enns were founding and long-time members of the Toutle Lake Community Bible Church, now Toutle Christian Fellowship. In addition to his classroom duties at Toutle Lake school, Henry prepared many Toutle youth for the highways in driver's training classes and was faculty advisor to the Honor Society, member and President of the Cowlitz County Education Association, and member and Chairman of the Toutle Lake School Faculty Association. He was a founding member of the Toutle volunteer fire department.
He was known for his woodworking skills and brought pleasure to many people with his work, building homes in the area, creating furniture and other projects in his home woodshop. He taught special Saturday woodshop classes for Toutle Boy's Ranch residents, and in recent years welcomed Toutle school 5th graders into his home shop for special classes.
On July 24, 1997, Henry's wife and beloved companion of 56 years passed away in Longview. Henry remained in the family home at Toutle until several weeks prior to his passing away at the Hospice in Longview. He is survived by sons Dr. Paul Enns of Lancaster, CA, and Nelson Enns of Seattle, WA, grandchildren Kyle Enns and Jeni Enns of Tulsa, OK, Heidi Osier of Yelm, WA, Nicole Pierson of Seattle, WA, Julie Snyder of Sacramento, CA, Christina Snyder of Denver, CO, Christopher Snyder of Portland, OR, and great-grandchildren Ruth and Josiah Enns of Tulsa, OK.
Henry B. Enns, of Toutle, passed away April 20, 2006, in the Longview Community Home Health/Hospice. He was born August 2, 1912, to Henry H. and Katherine Balzer Enns in Hooker, OK, third in a family of six boys and six girls.
Arriving in Toutle in 1950, Mr. Enns taught at Toutle Lake High School for 25 years. retired, then he and his wife Ruby enjoyed traveling throughout North and South America, often on volunteer mission projects. Mr. Enns was a member of a mission tour to India and Bangladesh with the Mennonite Central Committee relief organization, during which time he was invited to be one of three Mennonite delegates to a World Relief Seminary meeting of representatives from world-wide relief organizations operating in India.
Later, while enjoying writing classes at Lower Columbia College and the Castle Rock Senior Center, Mr. Enns compiled his life history. He found many interested listeners as he recounted his German Mennonite heritage, tracing family migrations from Austria through Holland and Prussia to the Mennonite Molotschna Colony of South Russia (Ukraine) where his paternal and maternal grandparents were born in the early 1880's. His father, Henry H. Enns, was also born there and was part of the migration to the USA in the late 1880's, settling in the Oklahoma Panhandle where son Henry was born.
Growing up on a farm during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years, Henry learned a strong work ethic which served him well throughout his life. He graduated from Adams Public High School in Adams, OK, the Corn Bible Academy in Corn, OK, and in 1942 earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Panhandle Agriculture & Mechanical College in Goodwell, OK.
On September 7, 1941, he marries Ruby Bernice Reimer of Corn, OK, in 1946 moved to Birch Bay, WA, where in 1950 he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching credential at Western Washington College of Education in Bellingham.
Henry and Ruby Enns were founding and long-time members of the Toutle Lake Community Bible Church, now Toutle Christian Fellowship. In addition to his classroom duties at Toutle Lake school, Henry prepared many Toutle youth for the highways in driver's training classes and was faculty advisor to the Honor Society, member and President of the Cowlitz County Education Association, and member and Chairman of the Toutle Lake School Faculty Association. He was a founding member of the Toutle volunteer fire department.
He was known for his woodworking skills and brought pleasure to many people with his work, building homes in the area, creating furniture and other projects in his home woodshop. He taught special Saturday woodshop classes for Toutle Boy's Ranch residents, and in recent years welcomed Toutle school 5th graders into his home shop for special classes.
On July 24, 1997, Henry's wife and beloved companion of 56 years passed away in Longview. Henry remained in the family home at Toutle until several weeks prior to his passing away at the Hospice in Longview. He is survived by sons Dr. Paul Enns of Lancaster, CA, and Nelson Enns of Seattle, WA, grandchildren Kyle Enns and Jeni Enns of Tulsa, OK, Heidi Osier of Yelm, WA, Nicole Pierson of Seattle, WA, Julie Snyder of Sacramento, CA, Christina Snyder of Denver, CO, Christopher Snyder of Portland, OR, and great-grandchildren Ruth and Josiah Enns of Tulsa, OK.
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