Aaron Donald Augsburger

Don’s seminary community has recently learned of his passing. We offer heartfelt condolence to the family and offer thanksgiving for the decades of Don’s faithful servanthood. The ripple effects of his life and ministry surely cannot be numbered.

I’ll always remember Don as a kind, caring Christ-natured man, always ready to engage in conversation, always genuinely interested in how I, and others, were doing. He will be especially missed in the VMRC community where he spent the last years of his life.

We remember and appreciate Don for many things, but we particularly appreciated his pastoral leadership at Park View Mennonite Church when we moved back to Harrisonburg in the mid 70s. He played a special role in the church life of our family, including our children becoming members of Park View Mennonite Church. Thanks, Don, for being a faithful shepherd.

I appreciated Don’s inquisitive mind and intellect. Just this last year, we had a long discussion about why groups of people (such as the Mennonites) have gravitated to strong (male) figures who have dictated behaviors -such as dress codes. He drew from his research findings at Temple and his years of working within the church. It was a lively and fun discussion. On another note, many years ago before I became an Augsburger family member, I knew of Don’s leadership in the Sarasota area. The top city/county public health officer there told me about how Don was the first of the local church leaders to join in planning the community response to a new disease-HIV/AIDS. We will miss Don’s mind and empathy.

I was born and went to church with the talented Augsburger family. I always admired the stature and abilities of Don and his brothers and sister. Don moved away, but I always followed the family with great interest. They put “Elida” on the map of the world! I am a “short Shenk” still in Elida, with few talents, but have always marveled how Clarence and Stella Augsburger who also lived in the country, were able to have children of world wide fame? Then, I remembered the parable of the talents! Don, rest in peace. My condolences to his family and to Anna Mary and Myron. Myron and Esther, hopefully our paths may cross at the Dairy Queen again in Park View!

In late June of 1958, Don was the guest speak at the Elmira Mennonite Church, Ontario and observed me leading the singing at the opening of the Sunday School hour. He invite me to be the song leader for his mid-summer tent campaigne in Centerville Long Island New York, arranged by a local Mennonite Church and a Methodist Church (if I remember correctly). At the end of the week of meetings he encouraged me to attend Eastern Mennonite College. I had planned to attend an agriculture college near home. That July I struggled very much with his invitation and decided to go to EMC. I do not know what Don saw in me that led him to make the invitation, or if he was an recruitment agent for EMC, but without his double invitations to be song leader and attend EMC my life work would have been very different. I became an ordained Mennonite misister, pastoring in serveral churches, because of his invitations him.

These last couple years I was privileged to talk to Don frequently in the halls at VMRC where we visit the Wellness Center frequently, and he always asked about my mother, who died about a year ago. We compared notes and he would often recall how my father, who served with Don as a deacon at North Goshen, had talked him into wearing a bow tie like he did. 🙂 I was blessed also to be baptized by Don, called to the principal’s office at Bethany one time for an embarrassing situation, and traveled many miles laughing with his daughter Phyllis, as my sister drove us all to Bethany together (carpooling).

When we heard of the death of Don, it triggered wonderful memories for those of us at Marion Mennonite who were privileged to get to know your father and brother. Even though it has been a long time ago, we still have a fondness for Don that puts a smile in our hearts when we walk by his photo on our wall honoring the pastors who have served our congregation. We benefitted from and enjoyed his wise leadership, and we all remember Don with fondness.

We remember his love of poetry. We remember how he always seemed to have at least one story, many times from his own life, in every sermon. He had such a rich personal history to draw on. We remember joyful baptisms. We remember the hospitality Don and Martha showed us in their home. Don was such a kind and gentle man – his love of Jesus and of scripture was evident.

In short, we see Don and Martha as a wonderful gift to our congregation. It was only a short time but they had a big impact. We thank you for sharing them with us!

Don Augsburger towers among the mentors in my life. While pastoring at North Goshen Mennonite, he welcomed me as a seminary student to serve as his assistant and shepherded me into pastoral ministry. As Paul to Timothy, he walked beside me as a model and teammate with encouragement, guidance, and trust. Thank you, God, for my dear brother Don.

I enjoyed serving with Don on the staff at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. He was a kind, gentle man. May he rest in peace.