Friesen, Gerhard (1886-1970)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1970 May 28 p. 8

Birth date: 1886 Mar 22

text of obituary:

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— Rev. Gerhard Friesen, 84, died Tuesday morning at Bethel Hospital after a long illness. A retired minister, Rev. Friesen taught at a Mennonite school in Altona, Man. and at Meno Bible School in Oklahoma in his earlier years. He then served in pastorates at Turpin and Deer Creek, Okla. and Lehigh, Kan. He was a graduate of Bethel College, Bluffton College, and Witmarsum Seminary. Surviving are his second wife, the former Helen Regier, a son, Eric, of Clay Center, one daughter, Mrs. Eldon Graber of Freeman, S. D.; one brother, J. John of Butterfield, Minn.; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in the Bethel College Church, with Rev. H. B. Schmidt and Dr. Lloyd Ramseyer officiating.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1970 Jun 11 p. 11

text of obituary:

REV. GERHARD FRIESEN

Gerhard Friesen was born near Mountain Lake, Minn. on March 22, 1886, the youngest child of Jacob and Helena Penner Friesen. Only one of his eight brothers and sisters, J. John Friesen of Butterfield, Minn., survives.

He was married to Marie Schmidt on Aug. 25, 1915, and they shared almost 45 years of happy married life before she died on Feb. 27, 1960. He married Helen Regier on Aug. 28, 1961, and they enjoyed nearly nine happy years together.

He died early Tuesday morning, May 26, 1970, at the age of 84 after being weakened by several heart attacks. Survivors include his widow, one son Eric and wife Dorothy of Clay Center, Kan., and one daughter Martha and husband Eldon W. Graber of Freeman, S. D. He has nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many relatives and friends who loved him.

He attended Mountain Lake High School. He was baptized on July 8, 1906 by Rev. H. H. Regier at the Bethel Mennonite Church in Mt. Lake. He graduated from Bethel College in 1916 and began his career by teaching at the Mennonite Educational Institute at Altona, Manitoba, and the Meno, Okla. Bible Academy.

After he had received a call to enter the ministry he was ordained as evangelist in 1918, as minister in 1919, and as elder in 1922. He held pastorates at Turpin and Deer Creek, Okla. and then completed a master's degree at Bluffton College and a bachelor of divinity at Witmarsum Seminary in Bluffton, Ohio. He became pastor of the Lehigh, Kan. Mennonite Church and later also served Congregational churches at Udall and Partridge, Kan.

He served the Western District Home Missions Committee as itinerant pastor to churches in Carnegie and Gotebo, Oklahoma, during and after World War II. He also had a term as secretary and later as central treasurer of the Western District Conference. He was on the staff of Bethel College as farm manager for three years, during which time he joined the Bethel College Mennonite Church.

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The Mennonite obituary: 1970 Jun 23 p. 432

text of obituary:

Gerhard Friesen, Bethel College Church, North Newton, Kan., was born Mar. 22, 1886, and died May 26.

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The Mennonite obituary: 1970 Jun 30 p. 446

text of obituary:

Gerhard Friesen, Bethel College Church, North Newton, Kan., was born Mar. 22, 1886, near Mountain Lake, Minn., and died May 26. A teacher at Mennonite Educational Institute, Altona, Man., and at Oklahoma Bible Academy, Meno, Okla., he also served as a minister at Turpin, Deer Creek, Carnegie, and Gotebo, Okla.; Lehigh, Udall and Partridge, Kan.