Friesen, Susanna Unruh (1866-1959)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1959 Nov 5 p. 8

Birth date: 1866 Feb 27

text of obituary:

MRS. SUSANNA FRIESEN

I, Susanna Unruh, daughter of John and Maria (Suderman) Unruh, was born on Feb. 27, 1866, in Johnsruh, South Russia. Alexanderfeld, Prangenau, and Elizabethal are the places where I received my early education.

In my 12th year, my parents emigrated to America, and we arrived on the 6th day of July, 1878, at Peabody, Kansas. My mother's sister, Aunt Peter Fast, met us at the station on a Russian wagon which they had brought along from the old country. I worked in different homes to help make a living.

At the age of 17, I was converted and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and was baptized in April of 1884 by jacob A. Wiebe, and joined the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church for fellowship.

On the 16th day of November, 1884, I was married to John J. Friesen. The Lord blessed us with 10 children, six sons and four daughters. We have shared joys and sorrows together for 55 years and five months. Then on the 31st day of July, 1939, the Lord called home my dear husband.

(Thus far our mother wrote her own obituary.)

Since our father was an elder in the Krimmer Mennonite Church and often traveled as a minister of the gospel, mother gladly carried on the work of the home, helping along and sharing in pioneer work.

She enjoyed comparatively good health most of her long life. About four years ago she came to California together with her youngest daughter, Susan. She entered the Reedley Home for the Aged and made her home there until the very last. Often she expressed a real desire to go home to be with the Lord. She had a strong faith in her Savior and lived a life of prayer and intercession. Saturday, she made the remark to one of her children, “I think the Lord will call me home tomorrow.” Thus it came to pass and Sunday afternoon, Oct. 18, 1959, at about 6:00 her soul went home to be with the Lord. She reached the age of 93 years, seven months and 21 days.

She leaves to mourn the following children: John C. Friesen, Reedley; Lena, Mrs. John Esau, Inman, Kansas; Rev. Henry S. Friesen, Salem, Oregon; Dan Friesen, Dinuba, Calif.; Peter S. Friesen, Reedley; Anna, Mrs. David Klassen, Reedley; Herman Friesen, Hillsboro, Kansas; and Susan, Mrs. George Kroeker, Dinuba.

Besides these there are 33 grandchildren, 62 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren; five daughters-in-law; three sons-in-law.

One son and one daughter, as well as one son-in-law and one daughter-in-law, preceded her in death. She also leaves many other relatives and friends.

The funeral service was held Oct. 20 in the Cairus Funeral Home at Reedley, Calif., with Rev. Dan Friesen officiating. Her body was sent to Kansas for burial.