Friesen, Katy Flaming (1874-1959)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1959 Jan 15 p. 5

Birth date: 1874 Aug 1

text of obituary:

Aged Pioneer Called Away In Death

Buhler, Kan. — Death on Friday, Jan. 9, removed from this community one of the early Mennonite pioneers and a life-time resident of Kansas.

Mrs. Katy Friesen, 84, a resident of the Sunshine Mission Home, passed away at the Grace Hospital in Hutchinson. Born at Marion on Aug. 1, 1874, she was sometimes referred to as the first child born in Kansas of Russian Mennonite parentage during the great immigration of 1874. Her parents, Rev. and Mrs. John A. Flaming, had been in Kansas only six days at the time of her birth.

The family at that time went by foot from Peabody to the homestead near the present site of Hillsboro, which was to be their future home.

Mrs. Friesen's husband, the late Gerhard Friesen, died in 1943.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1959 Jan 29 p. 8

text of obituary:

MRS. KATY FRIESEN

Mrs. Katy Friesen, 84, first child of Mennonite parentage to be born in Kansas after the initial contingent of emigrants arrived from Europe, died in Grace Hospital, Hutchinson, Kan. at 6:30 a. m. Friday, Jan. 9.

Mrs. Friesen was the daughter of the late Rev. and Mrs. John A. Flaming, who were members of a Mennonite contingent which came to the United States from the Russian Crimea in 1874.

She was born six days after the landing. The family was moving overland afoot from Peabody and Mrs. Friesen was born near Marion Aug.1, 1874. The family settled near Hillsboro.

A brief autobiography, translated from the German, 3reads as follows:

“I, Katy Friesen, nee Flaming, was born Aug. 1, 1874 of my parents, John A. Flaming and Katharina Flaming, nee Goertzen. My parents were born in Russia and migrated to the United States, arriving at Peabody, Kansas on July 25, 1874. They settled down in Marion County near Hillsboro.

“In the spring of 1893 I realized my lost and undone condition and by the loving kindness of God and the power of Jesus Christ, my Saviour, was saved through the shed blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

“On July 25, 1893, I was baptized by Elder Jacob A. Wiebe and received into the K. M. B. church.

“On Jan.3, 1894, I was united in holy matrimony with George D. Friesen and we joined the Ebenezer M. B. Church of Buhler, Kansas.

“At present I am in the Sunshine Mission Home for Aged, in Buhler, Kansas.”

Mrs. Friesen is survived by eight sons, two daughters, one sister and 72 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p. m. Monday, Jan. 12, at the Buhler Mennonite Brethren church, Rev. Ervin Adrian and Rev. J. K. Siemens officiating.