David PlettHillsboro, KS

David Plett obituary

Weighing in at 12 pounds at birth, David was born to Cornelius and Katharina (Reimer) Plett, on December 11, 1927, in the village of Nickolaipol, Aulie Ata, Turkestan, USSR. In 1929, his family migrated to Alberta, Canada, eventually settling on a farm near Gem. On the farm, David’s chores included milking cows, feeding pigs, gathering eggs, and carrying drinking water from the neighbor’s well back to the Plett house. As a pre-teen, David accepted Jesus as his personal Savior and was baptized.

When David’s father sold the farm and bought a printing business, he learned to operate a linotype. The Plett family later moved to Yarrow, BC, where David graduated from high school and then attended a church-run Bible School. David began to sense God’s call to pastoral ministry. Shortly thereafter, David traveled in the United States, visiting his Reimer and Bartel relatives in Oklahoma, and then staying to work on his Uncle Albert Becker’s farm near Freeman, South Dakota. During that stay, he taught VBS at church, sang in the choir, and played baseball (pitcher) for the Freeman Cubs. More importantly, David met and fell in love with Elvira Kroeker. On June 5, 1951, they were married at the Silverlake Mennonite Brethren (MB) Church.

David attended Sioux Falls (SD) College and then transferred to Tabor College, graduating in the spring of 1954. He also pitched for Tabor’s baseball team. While at Tabor, David and Elvira were house parents at North Hall. Their daughter Cynthia was born in the old Hillsboro hospital. During the summer months, the young couple served in pastoral ministry at the Culbertson (NE) MB church. In 1955, when the MB conference opened their seminary in Fresno, California, Dave and Elvira moved there, and he was a member of the seminary’s first graduating class 3 years later. During their time in Fresno, daughter Norine was born.

After seminary, David pastored a church in Ingalls KS, and during his ministry, the church and parsonage buildings were moved to Cimarron. Daughter Beverly was born in Dodge City. In 1964, the family moved to Henderson, Nebraska, where he served eight years at the MB Church; here daughter Brenda was born. In 1972, the family moved across the country to Rosedale, California (near Bakersfield) where David and Elvira served for 9 years. Next, God led them to the Enid (Oklahoma) MB Church, where they ministered for 10 years. From 1991-1994, Dave and Elvira served the Cordell (OK) Bible Church.

David “retired” in 1994, when they moved to Hillsboro, KS. But he soon “unretired” and took interim pastorates at various churches including Ulysses, Koerner Heights (Newton), Hillsboro MB, Zoar MB (Inman), Cimarron, Henderson (NE), Topeka, and 8 years as visitation pastor at the Hillsboro MB church. In 2006, Dave & Elvira moved into a duplex at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro where he ministered to residents of the nursing home.

Around 2011 or 2012, Dave started an internet ministry, sending out Bible verses and short devotionals to family. This expanded into a broader ministry that included email recipients all around the world. After Elvira’s diagnosis of dementia in 2011, Dave cared for her in their home. However, in 2018, as the disease progressed and it became harder for him to care for her, Dave and Elvira moved to Newton to live with their daughter Norine. Elvira passed away in December, 2020, and David continued to live with Norine until the time of his death.

David is preceded in death by Elvira, his wife of 69 years, his infant grandson Seth Rust, his parents, 4 sisters, 4 brothers and their spouses. He is survived by his daughters Cindy Vix (Olathe, KS), Norine Plett (Newton, KS), Beverly Plett (Hillsboro, KS) and Brenda (Paul) Rust (Elbing, KS). His grandchildren are Karie Vix (Kasilof, Alaska), Kristen Vix (Soldotna, Alaska), Brandon Vix, (Olathe), Janelle (Zach) Goodrich (Hesston), Cameron Rust (Wichita), Clayton Rust (Newton), and Devin (Zoe) Rust (Hesston). Great grandchildren are Brylee, Jace, Lakyn Goodrich, and Kayden Rust.

In 2017, at age 90, dad wrote these words: “I am exceedingly grateful to God for calling me into pastoral ministry, and for giving me a fabulous wife as partner. We have a wonderful family. We’ve served exceptional people in churches with delight. Thanks to all for whom I was a pastor, to all who received Bible verses and comments via the Internet, to family and friends. This is my memorial farewell testimony, and I can only say with the Psalmist: ‘Not to me, but to you Lord and Master, be the glory.’”

David Plett passed away in the early morning hours, Monday March 23, 2026.

Celebration of Life will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 4, 2026 at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church in Hillsboro.  Family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the Church on Saturday.  Memorials to Good Shepherd Hospice or M.B. Missions in care of Jost Funeral Home P.O. Box 266 Hillsboro, KS 67063.  Online condolences at www.jostfuneralhome.com