If this site was useful to you, we'd be happy for a small donation. Be sure to enter "MLA donation" in the Comments box.
Eitzen, Sarah Nikkel (1893-1983)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 6 Jan 1983 p. 11
Birth date: 1893
text of obituary:
Sarah (Nikkel) Eitzen was born on Aug. 4, 1893 in the village of Kleefeld, South Russia, to Gerhard T. and Sara Abrahams Nikkel. She was the youngest of eight children, six of whom died in infancy.
She received her elementary school education in the village school. She was baptized upon confession of her faith on Pentecost Sunday 1912 by Elder David Nickel and became a member of the Rudnerweide Mennonite Church.
When her father died in 1912 she was left with the responsibility of managing the family farm until her sister and brother-in-law, Anna and Abram H. Harder, moved in with them. In 1914 war broke out followed by the revolution, disease and severe famine. Through relief sent from America and Holland they were spared death by starvation. Her mother passed away in 1923.
It became apparent that in order to survive they would have to seek a land where they could live peacefully and have freedom of worship. So in 1924 she and her sister's family emigrated to Canada, taking up residence in Arnaud, Man., and later in Steinbach and Gretna.
On May 28, 1933 she was married to David P. Eitzen of Mt. Lake, Minn., a widower. She joined the Gospel Mennonite Church, where she remained a faithful member until her death. Her husband died in 1958, a week after celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.
After she broke her hip in 1977 she moved to Good Samaritan Village where she resided until suffering a stroke on Sept. 21, 1982. She passed away at the Mt. Lake Community Hospital on Oct. 17 at the age of 89.
Services were held on Oct. 21 at the Gospel Mennonite Church with Peter Tschetter and Erwin Rempel officiating. Interment was in the Mt. Lake Cemetery.
Surviving are two stepsons and their wives, Peter D. and Susie Eitzen and Alvin D. and Lena Eitzen, all of Mt. Lake; a step-daughter-in-law, Mrs. Amanda Eitzen of Claremont, Calif.; nine grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and members of the Harder family in Canada. She was preceded in death by her husband; one stepson, David D.; one stepdaughter and her husband Elizabeth and Henry H. Rempel; one stepgrandson, Gordon Eitzen; her sister and husband; and four nephews, George, Henry, Abe and Peter.
