Jake Birkey was born Dec. 14, 1929, in Manson, Iowa, to John E. & Lena Oyer Birkey. He was the 14th of 15 children. After completing 8th grade at the Lincoln #9 one room school, he graduated from Manson High School in 1948.
Following graduation, he worked on the family farm, and as a mechanic for the International Harvester dealer.
He spent 1952-54 in 1-W service at the Kansas City Mennonite Children’s Home in Kansas City, Kansas where he ended up meeting a fellow worker—Lois Snyder. Jake and Lois were married on August 13, 1954, in Cheraw, Colorado, East Holbrook Mennonite Church. They returned to Manson and farmed as well as again working for the same Implement dealer part time.
In 1959, the family returned to Kansas City, where Jake served as Superintendent and Lois served as Matron at the same Kansas City Mennonite Children’s Home where they had met.
In 1968, the family returned to Iowa where Jake resumed farming and working for an implement dealer in the area until his partial retirement around 2000.
Jake is survived by his wife, Lois Snyder Birkey, 4 children: Lowell (Dianne) of Wichita, KS., Marlin (Cherie) of Hays, KS., Dellis (Sharon) of Wichita, KS., Marcia (Dave) Weaver of Apple Creek, Ohio, 15 Grandchildren, and 16 Great Grandchildren.
Jake accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior in his youth & united with the Manson Mennonite Church until moving to Hesston, Kansas in August of 2018, joining the Whitestone Mennonite Church.
Jake is preceded in death by his parents, 7 brothers, 5 sisters & 1 grandson.
Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, January 8, 2021 at Whitestone Mennonite Church. Burial will follow at Eastlawn Cemetery, rural Newton. Memorial contributions may be made to Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) in care of Miller-Ott Funeral Home, PO Box 32, Hesston, Kansas 67062.