Klassen, Maria Fehdrau (1875-1969)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1969 Apr 3 p. 8

Birth date: 1875 Jul 4

text of obituary:

. . .

• Mrs. Maria Klassen, 93, one of the few remaining immigrants from South Russia in the 1870s, died Sunday at Bethesda Hospital, Goessel. the funeral was conducted Wednesday afternoon at the Alexanderwohl Church, with Rev. Aaron Epp in charge. Mrs. Klassen, the former Maria Fehdrau, came to the Inman community with her parents in 1876. She was married to P. J. Klassen, and they lived on a farm near Moundridge and in Hillsboro. He died in 1961, and in 1962 Mrs. Klassen moved to the Bethesda Home. She leaves a son, Rudolph F. of Goessel; three daughters, Mrs. A. R. Duerksen of Newton, Mrs. E. J. Schmidt of Hesston, and Mrs. Otto Janzen of Route 2, Hillsboro; 15 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1969 Apr 24 p. 11

text of obituary:

MRS. P. J. KLASSEN

Mrs. Maria Fehdrau Klassen, daughter of Gerhard and Katharina Pauls Fehdrau was born July 4, 1875 at Fuerstenwerder, South Russia. The following year she came with her parents to the United States and settled in the Inman-Buhler, Kansas community.

She received little formal education. As a young woman she found the Lord, and dedicated her life to Christ. She was baptized by Rev. Bernhard Buhler and received into the Hebron Mennonite Church on Sept. 3, 1893.

After her marriage to Peter J. Klassen on Sept. 16, 1896, they moved to the farm in Mr. Klassen's community near Goessel, Kan. Here she joined the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church. Five children were born to this union. It was their privilege to celebrate the 25th, 50th, and 60th wedding anniversaries.

In 1930 they moved to Hillsboro. Mr. Klassen died Feb. 8, 1961. That fall she sold everything at public auction and spent a few months with her children, the Ernst Schmidt's, after which she became a resident at the Bethesda home in February of 1962.

Mrs. Klassen was an energetic, hardworking wife and mother. What she undertook to do she did with vim and vigor. In her retirement years she expended much enegy with flowers, quilting, sewing, preparing handiwork for children and grandchildren. Family devotions and prayer were an integral part of her faith and life, so that in her weeks of illness she prayed and sang to her Lord.

Last September she entered the Bethesda Hospital and never regained her health and strength. Her prayers were fulfilled when God called her to himself on Palm Sunday, March 30, 1969, having reached the age of 93 years. Her husband Peter, one son Gerhard, two sisters, Mrs. I. D. Klassen and Mrs. P. A. Martens, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild preceded her in death.

Those who remain to cherish the memory of her life are their four children Katharina and husband A. R. Duerksen of Newton, Rudolph and wife Esther of Goessel, Ella and husband Ernst Schmidt of Hesston, and Irma and husband Otto Janzen, Rt. 2, Hillsboro; 15 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends.

The Mennonite obituary: 1969 Apr 29 p. 289