Esau, Anna Neufeld (1896-1976)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1976 Sept 17 p. 31

Birth date: 1896 Dec 22

text of obituary:

MRS. ANNA ESAU

Anna Esau of Chilliwack, B.C. was born on December 22, 1896, in the village of Kamenka, Orenburg, Russia to Jacob and Anna (Penner) Neufeld. She passed out of this life on June 4, 1976. At the age of 18 she took the Lord Jesus as her personal Saviour and in the same year was baptized and received into the Mennonite Brethren Church in Kamenka. On March 27, 1918 she was married to Peter Esau, a union blessed with five sons and four daughters, two sons of which died in infancy.

In July, 1926 the Lord directed them to Canada, where they found a welcome first with relatives at Laird, Sask. In 1929 they moved to Melita, Man., and in 1943 to Chilliwack, B.C., where they bought a farm on Annis Road. In 1957 they retired to the town of Chilliwack. Though Anna first became ill with diabetes in 1966, and later experienced more serious illness, the Lord gave her strength and grace and she held firm to him.

She is survived by her husband, with whom she shared 58 years; three sons, Peter Jacob and John; and four daughters, Susanna (Mrs. Jacob) Thiessen, Helena (Mrs. Henry) Giesbrecht, Magareta (Mrs. Erwin) Gienger and Anna (Mrs. Abe) Thiessen, and their spouses, all of B.C.; 26 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; and two brothers and five sisters in Russia.