Friesen, John Dietrich (1895-1973)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1974 Feb 22 p. 30

Birth date: 1895 May 19

text of obituary:

JOHN DIETRICH FRIESEN

John Dietrich Friesen was born May 19, 1895, in Herzenberg , S. Russia, to Dietrich and Elizabeth Friesen, the seventh of eleven children. He was drafted into service in 1915 during World War I. After the war he returned home to find his parents had died and other family members scattered or on the "missing persons" list.

He married Tina Wall on November 6, 1921. God blessed their union with four sons and three daughters. In 1922 he recognized his spiritually lost condition, and found Christ as Saviour. He was baptized upon confession of his faith in 1924, joining Lichtfelde Alliance Church.

The family also started their journey to Canada that year, arriving in Quebec July 18. From there they went to Ontario, then Manitoba, where they lived for 17 years. Besides farming, he served a small comunity by conducting Sunday school worship services in the home.

In 1944 they took up residence in B. C. and upon retirement he moved into the Menno Home in Abbotsford. Mrs. Friesen was invalided in the Menno Hospital.

Mr. Friesen passed away on October 30, 1973. At the funeral, pastor Henry Warkentine tin spoke on Ezekiel 43: "We shall meet you just inside the eastern gate. It is now up to us if we want to meet again."

He leaves to mourn his wife; four sons: John and Anna (Enns), Peter and Anne (Dyck), Nick and Susan (Peters). Jack and Marilyn (Carlson); three daughters: Katherine and Rudy Thiessen, Mary and Frank Olson, and Magda; 27 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two sisters in Russia and one sister, Mary Isaac, in California plus many relatives and friends.