Claassen, John Jansen R. (1885-1957)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1957 Feb 14 p. 6

Birth date: 1885 Oct 23

text of obituary:

. . .

— Word has been received here of the death of John J. R. Claassen, well-known retired farmer of Beatrice, Neb., who passed away Feb. 7. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at the Beatrice Mennonite Church. Mr. Claassen is survived by his wife, the former Christine R. Penner, one daughter and four sons, and two sisters. Mrs. Anna C. Linscheid of North Newton and Mrs. Margaret Bixel of Bluffton, Ohio.

---

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1957 Feb 21 p. 8

text of obituary:

JOHN J. R. CLAASSEN

John Jansen R. Claassen was born on Oct. 23, 1885, at Beatrice, neb., the son of the late Aaron E. and Anna (Jansen) Claassen. He received his elementary education in the local district school and later attended the Mennonite Parochial School where he was taught by Rev. J. K. Penner. He also studied at H. D. Penner's Preparatory School at Hillsboro, Kansas, and graduated from the School of Agriculture in Lincoln, Neb.

Mr. Claassen was baptized by Elder Gerbhardt [sic Gerhard] Penner in 1905 upon his confession of faith in Jesus Christ a his personal Saviour. He joined the Mennonite church, and was a member of the Beatrice Mennonite Church at the time of his passing.

He was married to Christine R. Penner on March 14, 1914. He and his wife were blessed with one daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Orendorff, Flanagan, Ill., and four sons, Paul G. Claassen, J. Carl Claassen, and Donald A. Claassen of Beatrice and Waldo F. Claassen, Wymore, Neb. He was a farmer by occupation, having been designated a "Master Farmer" in 1929. He was a resident of Beatrice, Neb. all his life.

Mr. Claassen had been in failing health for ten years and became bedfast in September 1956. He passed to his eternal home on the morning of Feb. 7, 1957. In addition to his wife and family, he is survived by a brother, A. J. Claassen, Beatrice, two sisters, Mrs. Anna Linscheid, North Newton, Kansas, and Mrs. Margaret Bixel, Bluffton, Ohio, one son-in-law, four daughters-in-law, and 15 grandchildren. Two brothers, C. J. Claassen and Dan Claassen, as well as a sister, Catherine Claassen predeceased hm.

The departed one has been relieved of pain and anguish, and has entered into his eternal r3est with Christ, his Saviour. "For we know that if the earthly ten we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (II Corinthians 5:1).

The Mennonite obituary: 1957 Mar 5 p. 158