Janzen, Aaron A. (1882-1957)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1957 Aug 29 p. 3

Birth date: 1882 May 24

text of obituary:

Pioneer Missionary To Belgian Congo Dies

M. B. MISSION WORK DEVELOPED FROM EFFORTS OF REV. A. A. JANZEN

Hillsboro, Kansas. — Rev. Aaron A. Janzen, a pioneer missionary of the Mennonite Brethren Church in the Belgian Congo, died on August 19 at Winnipeg, Man.

The 75-year-old churchman first went to Africa in 1912. In 1956 Bro. and Sister Janzen returned to America. Death came as the Janzens were on a deputation ministry in Manitoba in the interests of the work to which he gave his life.

Services at Mt. Lake

The memorial service was held in Mountain Lake, Minn. on August 23. Bro. Janzen was a member of the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. He is survived by Mrs. Janzen, the former Martha Hiebert, who first went to the Congo in 1928.

During his lifetime Bro. Janzen had the joy to see the Gospel work which he started make tremendous strides. Out of the independent work which he and the first Mrs. Janzen launched grew the large, present-day work of the Mennonite Brethren Church in the Belgian Congo. At present the M. B. missionary staff there numbers 65. The first Mrs. Janzen, Ernestina Strausz, laid down her life in Belgian Congo in 1937.

The life and ministry of Bro. Janzen touched many Congolese. Word of his death wil [sic] spread rapidly in the Congo for he was known and beloved by many who became his spiritual children.

The extent and effect of his ministry did not go unnoticed. At one time he was given high recognition by the government of the Belgian Congo for his service in behalf of the Congolese.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1957 Sep 5 p. 8

text of obituary:

AARON A. JANZEN

With the death of Aaron A. Janzen, the pioneer, senior missionary of the Mennonite Brethren Conference has left for his final reward.

Bro. Janzen, son of Aaron F. and Helena Neufeld Janzen, was born on May 24, 1882, at Mountain Lake, Minn. He grew up on a farm two miles west of Mountain Lake.

His early schooling was received in the small, nearby district school. Later he attended the Mountain Lake Bible school, graduating in May,1908. In order to prepare himself better for foreign missionary service, he attended the Moody Bible Institute from which he graduated in August, 1912. Later he spent one year at the Baptist seminary in Rochester, New York.

He was converted at the age of 24 and on July 8, 1906, was baptized and joined the Mennonite Brethren Church at Mountain Lake, Minn.

On June 1, 1911, he was united in marriage to Ernstina [sic Ernestina] Strausz with whom he shared the burdens of mission life for 26 years. Two children were born to them. A daughter Alvina died at birth and a son Aaron John died as a young boy.

In November 1912 they left New York for pioneer mission work in the Belgian Congo, where they were instrumental in opening up the mission field of the Congo Inland Mission. On August 11, 1916, they returned from the mission field. The following year, on March 4, 1917, they were ordained as missionaries at the Carson Mennonite Brethren Church by Elder Heinrich Voth.

Their second term on the mission field lasted from Jan. 25, 1919, till 1927. In 1920 they started a mission for the Mennonite Brethren Conference at Kafumba where he labored for 36 years. This was pioneer mission work, opening up the station in the jungles of Africa where no missionary had been before.

On Dec. 12, 1928, they left for the third term, Rev. Janzen not returning till July 5, 1946, thus being on the fiedler over 17 years without a furlough. His wife Ernstina [sic Ernestina] died on Sept. 25, 1937. [note: line misplace in original]

For six years he carried on the work alone. On Jan. 24, 1943,he was married to Sister Martha Hiebert at Bulawago, S. Africa.

They came home on furlough on July 5,1946. On Feb. 2, 1949, they left for another period of service in Belgian Congo, for himthe fourth and the last, returning May 13, 1956. Thus for 45 years Bro. Janzen had labored faithfully as a missionary on the Belgian Congo mission field.

A little more than a year they [phrase misplaced in original] made their home at Mountain Lake, where a home had been built for them. During this time several trips were made to the various churches of our conference.

Since the beginning of June they had been visiting the churches in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. On August 10, while at the home of Peter Dicks at Springstein, Manitoba, he became seriously ill and was rushed to the Concordia Hospital at Winnipeg. Here he found relief but a heart ailment set in and caused very hard breathing.

On Wednesday he suffered a stroke or a blood clot which caused him to be helpless and speechless. However, he recognized the many visitors who came to see him.

Upon the question of Rev. Geo. Huebert as to his readiness to die he answered: “Fully.” This was his last word. On Monday morning, August 19, at 9:30 he took his last breath and went to be with the Lord. He had reached the age of 75 years, two months and 25 days.

He leaves to mourn his sorrowing wife, Martha; two brothers, John of Salem, Oregon, and Henry of Reedley, Calif.; three sisters, Margaret of Mountain Lake, Bertha, Mrs. Peter Heppner of Morden, Manitoba, and Helen, Mrs. Frank Janzen of Mountain Lake.

Also surviving are four sisters-in-law and four brothers-in-law with their families, a host of friends in the community and the Conference, and the missionaries and many Christians on the mission field in Africa.

We lay his body to rest here at the cemetery; however, his heart and interest was on the mission field in Africa.

We mourn his departure in the glorious hope of meeting and seeing him again in the resurrection of the righteous. — Mrs. Martha Janzen.