Friesen, Henry A. (1909-1941)

Christlicher Bundesbote obituary: 1941 May 13 p. 15

Birth date: 1909

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1941 Mar 19 p. 1

text of obituary:

Winter's Worst Blizzard Takes Heavy Toll of Life and Property in No. Dakota and Minnesota.

TRAGEDY STRIKES ALSO MENNONITE COMMUNITY AT MUNICH, NORTH DAKOTA

The great blizzard which swept through several northern states over the past week-end took a heavy toll of life and property. Review readers will be especially grieved over the tragedy which struck also the Mennonite community at Munich, No. Dakota, where three lives were lost in the storm.

Mrs. Henry Adrian, the Review correspondent at Munich, gives the following report of the sad incident:

Munich, N. D., March 17. — The unexpected snowstorm of March 15, which struck our community a little after six o'clock in the evening took the lives of three of our neighbors, — Mrs. Jacob Hoffman, three-year-old Yvonne Hoffman and Henry A. Friesen.

They were returning home from Devil's Lake and had stopped on the road at their driveway to wait in their car for the storm to let up. But as it didn't, they began to walk to the house. But because of the strong wind and being all tired out they said they couldn't go on. So Mr.s Jacob Hoffman, their three-year-old daughter Yvonne and Henry A. Friesen sat down and said goodby to mr. Hoffman, who said he was going to the house and would return for them.

He got to the house, changed clothes and returned, but couldn't find the three where he left them. Looking for them without avail, he went to Jacob Harders. Mr. Harder returned with him and they found the three lifeless bodies a few feet from where Mr. Hoffman had left them, at 1:30 Sunday morning. They were about 300 feet from the house.

Mr. Hoffman suffered a badly frozen face and hands. Because of the snow-blocked roads no funeral arrangements have yet been made.

Henry Friesen was a cripple and at the time had been doing some carpenter work at the Hoffman home. He is a son of Mrs. J. C. Dick. Mrs. Hoffman was the former Annie Quiring. Her parents have both died. Henry Friesen was our neighbor, living about one mile north. The Hoffmans live about one an one-half miles west.

Mr. Friesen and Mrs. Hoffman were lying face down. Yvonne was lying on her back, all badly dark and faces drawn. The place where they froze to death is on the Hoffman yard, four miles south of Munich, on the former Peter J. Quiring farm. — Mrs. Henry Adrian.

The Mennonite obituary: 1941 Apr 8 p. 8
The Mennonite obituary: 1941 Apr 15 p. 12