Berta Lillian Jantz

Berta Lillian Mehling began life on July 29, 1922, the daughter of German/Russian immigrants, Henry and Mary Mehling, in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. She was the youngest of five living children and learned hard work in the beet fields and at school, where she excelled. She learned to love God in a small German Baptist church and committed herself to following Jesus at the age of 11. Berta loved to read, and reading past bedtime was the only thing that ever earned her a whipping.

There were not many opportunities for a smart young woman in Scottsbluff, so at 20, Berta moved to Washington, DC, where she worked for the Army Signal Corps at the Pentagon, as a civil servant. She later moved to Los Angeles with one of her sisters and found jobs in bookkeeping and cost accounting. Through one of her Sunday School students (who would become her sister-in-law, Dorothy) Berta met a returning U.S. soldier and was soon married to Herbert Jantz, a German immigrant himself, on November 24, 1946, at Fifteenth Street Baptist Church.

Daphnelynn was born to Berta and Herb in 1950, Debbie in 1953, and Barry in 1959. When Barry was in preschool, Berta went back to work as a bookkeeper for credit unions and the Association of Christian Schools International. Everywhere she lived, Berta joined a Baptist Church and loved singing in the choir and reading most of the books in the church library!!

In 1973, Berta and Herb left Los Angeles with Barry, the only child left at home, and settled in San Diego. They began attending College Ave. Baptist Church where Berta sang in the church choir, taught four-year-olds in Sunday School, served with the Women’s Missionary Fellowship, and even used her prodigious sewing skills for the TLC ministry’s Mexican mission. She also worked in the clothing room serving the Community Care Center’s homeless outreach. She still has some stockings waiting to be sewn together for children in a Mexican orphanage and possibly some overdue library books.

Berta loved her family and was blessed with sons-in-law, Pat Major and Rick Yorgey, and daughter-in-law, Colleen Jantz. She is survived by her loving husband Herb, of nearly 68 years. Also she leaves behind her children and their spouses and 8 grandchildren and their spouses: Matt and Kim Major, Mindy and Todd Putnam, Brent and Joyia Yorgey, Lynette and Steve Winslow, Elissa Yorgey, Alonzo Carter, Eric Yorgey, and Kayleigh Jantz. Omi was also delighted with her great-grandchildren, Malachi and Deseray Carter, Vaughn and Logan Major, Noah Yorgey and Grace Putnam. She also leaves behind many loving nieces and nephews.

Berta lived a life of love for God and her family and all those she ministered to through her clothing and other missionary projects. She longed for all who come behind her to find her faithful.

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, October 5, 2014, at 2 p.m. in the Fireside Room at College Avenue Baptist Church, 4747 College Ave., San Diego, CA 92020.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to CABC Global Outreach, 4747 College Ave., San Diego, CA 92020, or to The Navigators (www.navigators.org/donate) PO Box 6079, Albert Lea, MN 56007-6679, designated to Rick & Debbie Yorgey.