11/15/2020
Arlene Emma Hege, 95, of Landis Homes, Lititz, died Sunday, November 15, 2020 at her residence. Born in Lampeter, PA, she was the daughter of the late Edwin W. and Anna Witmer Landis. She was the wife of Nathan B. Hege. Arlene was a member of the Willow Street Mennonite Church and was a graduate of Goshen College, IN, in 1950.
Along with her husband, Arlene served as a missionary in Ethiopia from 1950 to 1974 as a teacher and in production of Christian literature in the Amharic language. She published two books, Christian Family Living and a commentary on Jeremiah, and directed their translation and editing into Amharic.
Arlene later worked at Provident Book Store, Lancaster, in the book department until her retirement in 1995. She also taught Sunday school at Willow Street Mennonite Church. In 1998 she assisted Nathan in writing Beyond Our Prayers, a fifty year history of the Meserete Kristos Church in Ethiopia.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by: a daughter, Beth Ann Bonk (Matthew) of Lancaster; a son, Harold Wharton Hege (Pat) of Delran, NJ; a daughter-in-law, Sylvia P. Hege of Johns Island, SC; sisters-in-law Almeda Groff Landis of New Holland, Barbara Risser of Harrisonburg, VA, Dorothy Groff (Marvin) of Canton, PA; a brother-in-law, David Hege (Arlene) of Grantville, GA; grandchildren, Peter Hege, David Hege, Mark Hege, Crystal Hege, Joshlind Ginyard, Lania Clark, Andrea Claroni, Gabriel Hege and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by: a sister, Alta M. Landis; a brother, Edwin J. Landis; sons, John Allen and Peter Nathan Hege and sisters-in-law, Lois Hege Brenneman and Martha Kreider.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Eastern Mennonite Missions, 53 W. Brandt Blvd, Salunga, PA 17538, or by visiting www.emm.org.
A celebration of Arlene's life will be held at the Willow Street Mennonite Church, 399 E. Penn Grant Rd, Willow Street PA on Saturday, June 19th. Guests will be received beginning at 2:00 PM with the service (also live-streamed at https://www.willowstreetmennonite.com/watch/ and https://boxcast.tv/channel/fbnwsn9oo7pzsbp1pnpb) following at 2:30 PM. Guests are invited to stay after the service for a light meal and fellowship.