Epp, Agnes Goossen (1890-1964)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1964 Dec 18 p. 18

Birth date: 1890 Jan 14

text of obituary:

AGNES (GOOSSEN) EPP

Our dear mother, Agnes (Goossen) Epp, was born on a farm at Marion, South Dakota, on January 14, 1890. Her parents, Rev. and Mrs. Henry A. Goossen emigrated to Canada in the spring of 1899, when Mother was nine years of age. The family settled on a homestead sixteen miles west of Rosthern, Saskatchewan, in what came to be known as the Salem community. She attended Springfield school unil her midteens, completing the course offered there.

During the great revival that swept the community in the spring and summer of 1905 both our parents came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, were baptised, and joined the Salem KMB church.

Our parents were married on March 10, 1907, and for about a year they lived on Father's homestead in the Great Deer area. In 1908 Father made a land trade, and our parents settled in their new home a mile east of Mother's childhood home. Here their five oldest children were born.

In the spring of 1916, obeying God's call, our parents left the farm to go to China as missionaries under the China Mennonite Mission Society, founded by Rev. H. C. Bartel. Their joint service there lasted six years. Owing to Mother's breakdown in health they returned to Canada in May of 1922 before the term was up. Mother was suffering from a complication of organic diseases, augmented by a nervous disorder. And though our parents hoped to return to the field after a year's furlough, the dream was never realised. By the time Mother had regained a measure of health, China's doors were closing. Three children had been born to them in China - Samuel, Matilda, and Albert - who died in infancy and was buried in the province of Shantung, China. Melvin, the youngest member, was born in Canada on the farm to which the family had returned.

On September 22, 1942, our father, always in robust health till then, died unexpectedly at the age of 57 after only six days of illness. With the help successively of three sons - Samuel, Melvin and Edward - Mother continued to run the home farm, four and a half miles north-west of Waldheim.

Two years ago this month we learned from the family doctor that Mother's old ailments, dormant for some years, had flared up, and that medical science knew no cure for the condition.

Shortly after the New Year, this year, she was admitted to the Saskatoon City hospital for tests and treatment - the first of three stays there.

In the last week in June she was readmitted to hospital for 272 weeks.Mother joined the ' family then for a succession of farewell gatherings when her oldest son, Jacob, and his family -her strongest remaining props - left for a new field of service in Hillsboro, Kansas, and the Sylvester Dirkses for their fourth term in Peru.

All of us felt this was likely to be our last family gathering with Mother present, yet we could not wish to detain our brother and sister - nor Mother, if God intended to call her higher. Sylvester voiced it for us all. "I'm not going to say goodby, Mother. I'll say goodnight here - and good morning up there!"

For a time after the actual wrench of parting was over, Mother's condition bettered slightly. But then it worsened sharply. In mid-September she was readmitted to hospital for the final time.

During the first two weeks in November she suffered intensely, lapsing at last, with the aid of sedations, into a state of unconsciousness. She came out of this abruptly on Friday, Nov. 13, and was more or less conscious, though not always rational, until the day of her death.

The closest family members, Henry, Selma, and Margaret, were called to her bedside, and were with her at the time of her death - as also was her sister, Mary (Mrs. J. B. Heppner) a post surgery patient in the same hospital. Mother had a very peaceful passage. She breathed her last at ten minutes to two in the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Mother attained the age of 74 years, 10 months and three days. Thirty-five and half years were shared with Father. She was widowed for twenty-two years, one month, and twenty-six days. Beside her husband, two children predeceased her - Albert in 1921 at the age of ten months, and Mary - Mrs. Albert Schmidt, then of Omaha, Nebraska - of a heart ailment in May of 1950, at the age of forty-one. Her oldest son-in-law, Albert Schmidt, too died very suddenly of a heart attack in early spring of 1956.

Mother is survived by two daughters, Margaret and Mathilda - Mrs. Sylvester Dirks, of Peru; five sons, J. H. Epp, of Hillsboro, Kansas, E. H. M. Epp, of Winkler, Man., H. H. Epp of Saskatoon, Sask., S. H. Epp, of Steinbach, Man., and Melvin, of Erwood, Sask.; three sisters, Mary (Mrs. J. B. Heppner) of Waldheim, Sask., Eva (Mrs. Geo. B.Heppner) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Elizabeth (Mrs. D. C. Schroeder) also of Abbotsford.

All her life our mother was fond of singing. She had stored the words of literally hundreds of hymns and songs in her memory. During her hours of intensest suffering these past weeks, the words of many came to sustain and comfort her. There were days when she writhed with pain, yet sang almost constantly - songs of salvation, of the Christian pilgrimage, songs of Heaven: "Erloeste Seel', bekenn' den Herrn" .. "Er nimmt die Schuld mir ab"... "Down at the cross where my Saviour died"... "I love Him far better than in days of yore; I'll serve Him more truly than ever before; I'll do as He bids me, whatever the cost; I'll be a true soldier, I'll die at my post."... 'Mut, harre auf den Morgen"... "Das ist meine Zuversicht"... "Have thine own way, Lord"... "Oh, I think of the home over there"... "Keiner wird zuschanden"... "Im Himmel ist kein Scheiden mehr..."

We thank God for a mother who made our spiritual welfare her main concern all our lives. We rejoice to know that with her to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. She is looking into the unveiled face of her Savior now. How could we wish it to be otherwise?

As family we wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all who eased her months of illness by visits in person, by card, or letter, and especially to those who prayed for her and us. We wish also to thank all who have evidenced their sympathy since her death. We deeply appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Gratefully, The Family