Friesen, Abraham Jakob (1907-2001)

"Mennonite Brethren Herald" obituary: 2001 Jun 8 p. 29

Birth date: 1907 Aug 31

text of obituary:

ABRAHAM JAKOB FRIESEN

Abraham Jakob Friesen passed away Apr. 11. He was born Aug. 31, 1907 to Jakob P. and Maria Friesen in Tokuschie, Siberia, the 9th of 12 children. He grew up in a Christian home where Bible reading and prayer were a daily practice. His father died when Abraham was 14. In 1922 he went to Slavgorod to learn shoemaking. He started his own shoemaking business in 1925. In 1926 the family immigrated to Canada. In 1927 he accepted Christ. He worked on a farm during the Depression. After his mother died in 1934, he started a shoe repair business in East Kildonan, Winnipeg. He married Katharina Martens Dec. 21, 1941. He was a conscientious objector during World War II, serving 6 months of hard labour at Headingly Jail, working on a farm in Manitoba till 1944 and then serving at the Poplar River Indian Mission run by the United Church of Canada. In 1946 he returned to Winnipeg and took up the building and bricklaying trades. In 1949 they moved to Clearbrook, where he opened a shoe repair shop, later expanding this to selling shoes. He was invited to preach in Clearbrook MB Church on Easter Monday 1950. He was ordained for the ministry in 1953 and served as associate pastor 1954-62. In 1961 they became house parents and administrators of Tabor Home, serving until 1975. In 1971 he took up oil painting and reflexology massage. During the following 20 years, he gave over 10,000 reflexology treatments, which sometimes included counselling and prayer. On his day off, he painted; he had 3-4 exhibitions a year. Katie died in August 1991. Nine months later, he married Martha Loewen. In 1985 he wrote his life story, God's Hand Upon My Life. He was looking forward to meeting his Saviour. Predeceased by Katie, he is mourned by Martha; daughters Betty Falk and Renetta Neumann; stepchildren Charles, Marjorie Toftager, Evelyn Neufeldt and Karen Bergen; 4 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; 14 step-grandchildren and 4 step-great-grandchi1dren.