Siemens, Jacob J. (1900-1968)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituaries: 1968 Sep 06 p. 24

Birth date: 1900 Apr 03

text of obituary:

REV. J. J. SIEMENS

It pleased the Lord to call to himself on July 25, Rev. Jacob J. Siemens, well known minister of our conference and pillar of the Coaldale (Alta.) Church. For the funeral services on July 28, the local MB Churoh was filled to capacity.

Rev. D. J. Pankratz lead in the opening prayer and read as invocation John 11 :23-26, "Thy brother shall rise .... Believest thou this?"

"When Jesus knew his hour was come that he should depart out of this world ... went to God ... (so) let us go hence" (John 13:1-3 and 14:29-31) was in essence the message given by Rev. H. H. Kornelsen. Brother N. Reimer chose as his text Ps. 90:1-12 and admonished us to apply our hearts, to wisdom.

It was Rev. D. J. Pankratz, for years an assooiate of Rev. Siemens in church leadership, who accredited the deceased with a testimony of John 8:51. "If any man keep my sayings he shall never see death." "Keep my sayings," Rev. Pankratz said, "implies believing, living and proclaiming God's Word. This Rev. Siemens has done without falsifying jot or tittle. The reward 'never to see death' as referred to in Rev. 21:8 awaits him now."

Rev. H. Siemens, Gem, offered the benedictory prayer and the church choir sang.

After the brother had been laid to rest, the church invited the assembled to a luncheon in the lower auditorium. Here Rev. D. G. Dyck paid tribute to monies from the congregation, telling of blessings received through Rev. Siemens ministry, solemnized the hour.

The late Rev. Jacob J. Siemens was born April 3, 1900, in Ladekopp, South Russia. His youth he spent in Danilowka, Crimea. On May 4, 1924 he married Sara Enns and God blessed them with a son and daughter. They left their homeland in 1929 and enroute to Germany had to leave their very ill, two-year-old son behind in Riga, Latvia, where he died shortly after. Later in the refugee camp in Hammerstein, God took their four-year-old daughter from them. (In 1949 their loss was restored when God again entrusted two orphaned daughters to them.)

The trials prepared the Siemens for training at the Wiedenest Bible School. Here, in 1931, upon confession of his faith in the Blood of the Lamb, brother Siemens was baptized and received into the congregation of the "Open Brethren" (Plymouth Brethren). They came to Coaldale in 1934 and in 1936 brother Siemens was ordained for the ministry in which capacity he served the Lord devotedly until the time of his passing. Death came through a heart attack.

With his wife Sara, daughters and sons-in-law the Coaldale Church shares a great loss. They and many other Christians and friends deeply mourn his passing, but will ever revere him for the faith, humility and godliness with which he served his Master.