JEWEL LORENE BEHRHORST, 85, of Winfield, entered the Lord's rest on Sunday, March 8, 2015

She was born on May 6, 1929, in Madison, IL, the daughter of Harry Lee Hornberger and Ruby Faye (Matthews) Hornberger.

Jewel was baptized into the Christian faith on December 25, 1938 at Central Christian Church in Granite City, IL. She was confirmed in that faith on April 2, 1950 at Concordia Lutheran Church, also in Granite City. She attended elementary and high school in Granite City, graduating from high school in 1947. During her elementary school years she performed a number of times in Granite City and St. Louis in music reviews as a dancer and as a vocalist.

In 1947 she was accepted into the nursing education program of the Washington University School of Nursing at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. She completed graduation requirements and passed the Missouri State Board Examinations for licensure as a registered nurse in the summer of 1950.

In 1948, while she was a student in the Washington University School of Nursing, she met Wallace Behrhorst, her future husband. Wallace was a pastoral education student at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, preparing for service in the parish ministry of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. At the time he was employed by Barnes Hospital as an orderly and was also fulfilling a seminary-required term of hospital field education for graduation from the Seminary. They became engaged in the summer of 1949 and were married on June 3, 1950, at Concordia Lutheran Church, Granite City, where she was a member, the Rev. O.A. Gebauer, pastor officiating. Their marriage ceremony took place on the day after Wallace graduated from Concordia Seminary and three days before Jewel graduated from Washington Universtiy. Following their wedding, they lived in St. Louis until August 15 when Wallace left for Kinston, NC, to be installed as the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Kinston, and Trinity Lutheran Church, Washington. Jewel joined him in September after she had completed a summer school course at the School of Nursing and had written the Missouri State Board Examinations. While they were serving in North Carolina, their first child, a daughter, Kathleen Louisa, was born on November 6, 1951.

In September 1952 she and her husband moved to Norman, OK, where Wallace had accepted a call as the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church and also as the Lutheran campus pastor at the University of Oklahoma. While living in Norman, they welcomed into the family their second daughter, Paula Lorene, who was born on Dec. 5, 1953.

In August 1954 the family moved to Winfield when Rev. Behrhorst accepted an appointment to teach English and history in the St. John's Academy, the high school department of St. John's College, the school from which he had graduated in 1945. They remained in Winfield until August 1985 when at the closing of St. John's College, they moved to St. Louis when Rev. Behrhorst accepted an appointment as Director of Ministerial Recruitment and Admissions at Concordia Seminary. They returned to Winfield in August 1997 after he had retired from the Seminary staff in 1993 and later from the staff of World Mission of the Board for Mission Services of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. During the years 1955 to 1963 five other children, two daughters and three sons, joined the family: Krystyna Margaret, 1955; Carroll Dean, 1957; Theodore Paul, 1959; Friedrich Jacob, 1960; and Karla Ruth Esther, 1963.

During Jewel's years of residency in Winfield, she served as a registered nurse at a number of health-care settings; Newton Memorial Hospital, Winfield Medical Arts, Cowley County Health Department, and St. John's College as a member of the staff as the school nurse. While Jewel lived in St. Louis, she assisted in organizing several parish nurse programs in Lutheran congregations. She also was one of the planners for the parish nurse program at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Winfield.

The joys of her life were her family, her church, and the opportunities to give loving and compassionate care to the sick and suffering.

Among those who survive her are her husband, Wallace of the home;
Her sons: Carroll Behrhorst of Wichita, KS; Theodore (Beth) Behrhorst of St. Louis, MO; and Fritz (Shelley) Behrhorst of Phoenix, AZ;
Her daughters: Kathleen "Kathey" (Paul) Jeffries of Winfield, KS; Paula (Terry) Munder of Houston, TX; Krystyna (David) Clift of Winfield, KS; and Karla (Mike) Smith of Winfield, KS;
Her brother: Danny Lee Hornberger of Jefferson City, MO; and
Her 19 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Ruby (Matthews) Hornberger, who were residents of Winfield at the time they
were deceased; and her grandson, Joel Sowder. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday, March 13, 2015 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Winfield. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery. Friends may sign a register book from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M., Thursday, March 12, 2015. The family will greet friends from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M., that evening.

Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church and School, the St. John's College Alumni Association's Scholarship Endowment and Gentiva Hospice. Contributions may be made through Miles Funeral Service, 4001 E. 9th, Winfield, Kansas.