Pauls, Anna Schmidt (1925-2001)

"Mennonite Brethren Herald" obituary: 2001 Sep 28 p. 26

Birth date: 1925 Feb 10

text of obituary:

ANNA PAULS

Anna Pauls of Abbotsford, B.C. passed away July 14. She was born Feb. 10, 1925 to David and Anna Schmidt in Steinbach, Molotschna, Ukraine. When she was 6, the family relocated to the Caucasus for safety. Her father was sent to a labour camp. Anna's mother moved the family to Zagradovka in 1937. After religious services were allowed in 1941, Anna accepted the Lord at a meeting held in her home. She was baptized in the Ingol River and joined the MB church. The family fled to Germany in October 1943, ending up in a refugee camp in West Berlin. In 1947 they went to Paraguay. She had met Cornelius Pauls in the refugee camp. They married in 1948. They moved to Germany in 1956 and to Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. in 1958. Here she worked in factories and cleaned houses, then was a seamstress in a bridal shop. She was an active member of Kitchener MB Church and generously volunteered for many service opportunities. In 1999 they moved to Abbotsford, joining Clearbrook MB Church; they made many friends, and she became involved in many service areas. She said that God had wonderfully led and sustained her and was grateful for all that He had done. Predeceased by son Peter in 1993, she is mourned by Cornelius and daughters Helene and Anne. The funeral was July 20 in Clearbrook MB Church, with Jay Neufeld ministering.