Suderman, John P. (1906-1978)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1978 Sept 15 p. 30

Birth date: 1906 Mar 15

text of obituary:

JOHN P. SUDERMAN

John P. Suderman of Clearbrook, B.C. passed away on July 23. He was born on March 15, 1906 in Alexanderthal, Molotschna, in southern Russia to Peter and Helene (nee Toews) Suderman. When he was a boy of six his parents moved to Siberia, where they lived in Gnadenheim, in the province of Omsk. His parents regularly attended the Mennonite Brethren church in Gnadenheim, and so the family had many opportunities to hear the Word of God. At the age of 15, John accepted Jesus as his Saviour and was baptized and joined the Mennonite Brethren Church. He attended the school in his village and later took three and a half years of high school and a year of Bible school.

When he returned home from Bible school in 1925, he found his parents preparing to emigrate from Russia. They were persuaded, together with a number of other families, to go to Mexico. But after only three disappointing months there, they left again, this time for Canada, and came to Emerson, Manitoba on January 25, 1926. On July 24, 1927 he was married to Helen Wedel, the daughter of his former village school teacher, Jacob Wedel, and together they farmed in the Wawanesa area of Manitoba until 1941.

Life contained various tests for the family and for him. In 1937 he became ill with diabetes and went into a diabetic coma. At other times, particularly n the early years in Canada, temptations and spiritual battles were severe. At such times several promises of the Word become especially meaningful.

In 1941, with a growing family of seven children, they moved to Clearbrook, B.C. Here they joined the North Abbotsford (later the Clearbrook MB) Church and remained its members for nearly 25 years. Three sons were born to them in B.C. Since 1966 they had been members of the Bakerview Mennonite Brethren Church. All of their children have accepted Jesus as their Saviour, have been baptized and joined the church. John Suderman passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 23, a day short of his 51st wedding anniversary. He is survived by his wife, Helen; six sons, John of Prince George, B.C., Peter, Jacob and Gerald of Abbotsford, Edward of Vancouver and Henry of Houston, Texas; four daughters, Luella (Mrs. Henry) Unger, Abbotsford, Erna (Mrs. John D.) Friesen and Lydia of Vancouver, and Elfrieda Mrs. Ernie) Block of Prince George; his mother, (Mrs.) Susan Suderman of Saskaoon; 19 grandchildren; five brothers and two sisters and many relatives and friends.