Elsie May Bartel

Elsie May Bartel, 88, of Colony, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully on September 4, 2025, at Corn Heritage Village in Corn, OK.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home, 2500 W. Modelle Ave., Clinton, OK. The family will receive friends from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Corn Mennonite Brethren Church, 100 W. Main Street, Corn, OK. Burial will follow at the Corn Mennonite Brethren Cemetery.

Elsie was born on September 11, 1936, in Fairview, Oklahoma, to John J. and Helen Karber. She grew up on a farm south of Fairview alongside her older sister Edna, her twin brother Allen Ray, and her younger sister Lucy. She attended the Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church, where she was baptized at a young age, and later graduated from Corn Bible Academy. It was there that she met the love of her life, Jonathan Bartel. The two attended Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, and were married on March 29, 1956, at the Fairview church, beginning a loving partnership that lasted nearly seven decades.

Jonathan and Elsie first lived in a small farmhouse near Colony before moving into a larger home that had been in Jonathan’s family for generations. Together they lived and worked on the family farm for 67 years. Elsie was not only a devoted wife and mother but also an integral part of the farming operation. They raised three children: daughter Janet Lynn, and sons Howard Jon and Paul Allen.

Elsie and Jonathan were active members of the Corn Mennonite Brethren Church, where Elsie contributed her time and talents in many ways. She played a key role in the Junior Mission Circle, where she spent years quilting, mentoring, and helping to publish several editions of the church’s beloved cookbook. For more than 27 years, she faithfully prepared Wednesday night fellowship meals - often feeding over 200 people weekly - and regularly cooked for wedding receptions and other church gatherings. She delighted in finding grocery bargains to support these efforts.

Elsie also served on the Corn Bible Academy Women’s Auxiliary, where she helped organize the annual German Supper fundraiser. Her commitment to service was matched only by her joy in doing it.

Music was one of Elsie’s lifelong passions. She sang in the church choir and in a ladies’ trio that performed at church and throughout the local area. She and Jonathan also sang duets at many weddings.

Her culinary skills were a treasured gift to both her family and community. She often packed meals to deliver to the wheat fields during harvest, and her kitchen was a place of comfort and celebration. Family dinners were filled with love, laughter, and Elsie’s signature dishes - especially her traditional German favorites like verenika, zwieback, and peppernuts at Christmastime. Many of her recipes were featured in the Corn Church Cookbook.

In addition to running the household, Elsie was an industrious farm wife - canning vegetables, raising chickens, and even driving the wheat truck during harvest.

Above all, Elsie cherished her family. Jonathan was truly her rock and she loved him deeply. She poured her heart into raising her children and found immense joy and pride in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her loving husband of 69 years, Jonathan Bartel of Corn, OK; daughter, Janet Thiessen and husband Ed of Edmond, OK; sons, Howard Bartel and wife Cynthia of Weatherford, OK; and Paul Bartel and wife Tomi of Baton Rouge, LA. She is also survived by her brothers-in-law, Reuben Ulrich of Fairview and John May of Oklahoma City. Additionally surviving and celebrating her legacy are eight grandchildren - Kyle, Brandon, Krysten, Aaron, Emily, Katie, Ethan, and Grace; and fourteen great-grandchildren, plus six nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Helen Karber; her sisters, Edna Ruth Harbour and Lucy Ulrich; and her twin brother, Allen Ray Karber.

Elsie’s life was marked by her deep faith, her generous heart, and her tireless service to others. She leaves behind a legacy of love, hospitality, and unwavering devotion to her Lord, her family, and her church. Her spirit - full of spunk, warmth, and grace - will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.