Clayton Kratz

Clayton Kratz (1898– 1920 or 1921) was a Mennonite relief worker from the U.S state of Pennsylvania, best known for his disappearance from the village of Halbstadt in the Russian Mennonite settlement of Molotschna during the Russian Civil War. Sent by the then newly-established Mennonite Central Committee, the story of Kratz served as an inspiration among the international Mennonite community, with a Goshen College residence hall and an educational grant program (sponsored by the Delaware Valley chapter of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), formerly known as the Clayton Kratz Fellowship) named after him. Kratz's story is recounted in the 1971 book When Apples Are Ripe: The Story of Clayton Kratz, and the 2001 documentary A Shroud for a Journey. Kratz attended Blooming Glen Mennonite Church in Blooming Glen, Pennsylvania as a child.