Hiebert , Cornelius (1894-1965)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1966 Jan 07 p. 18

Birth date: 1894 Dec 24

text of obituary:

CORNELIUS HIEBERT

Cornelius Hiebert was born at Plum Coulee, Manitoba, on December 24, 1894. His childhood was spent in the Winkler area. Following his high school and studies at a teacher training institution, he taught in the public school system for several years. As a young man of 19 he gave himself to the Lord and that same year (1913) upon confession of his faith, was baptized by the Rev. John Warkentin and joined the Mennonite Brethren church at Winkler. He married Elizabeth Bueckert in the fall of 1917 at Myrtle, Manitoba. God gave to them 46 years of married life together.

The Hieberts left Canada in 1923, lived briefly in Reedley and Bakersfield, and then settled in Los Angeles. Here he was employed for a short time and then entered business for himself in cabinet making.

In 1961 Cornelius and Elizabeth Hiebert located in Fresno, California, and set up a manufacturing plant in order to build and furnish the College-Seminary library. After the death of his wife Elizabeth in 1963 there followed some lonesome and strenuous times. But the Lord led into his life another helpmate, Olive Warkentin, to whom he was married in the spring Qf 1964.

His interests, even in his later years, were many. Particularly did he welcome the friendship of young people and for them he carried a deep concern. At the Los Angeles home, young people were freqently entertained. It was out of this interest in youth that he lent strong support to the Mennonite Brethren Conference school - a concern particularly evidenced in the donation of a library building, now known as the Hiebert Library.

His death came unexpectedly in his office on November 24 as a result of a heart attack. He leaves to mourn his sudden departure, his wife Olive; four daughters: Esther (Mrs. A. Bartel) of Fresno, Ida May (Mrs. Lowell Hiebert) of Selma, Louise (Mrs. Harvey Wall) of Concord, and Marjorie (Mrs. Gary Brandt) of South Pasadena; 11 grandchildren; and seven sisters: Mrs. Anna Pauls, Mrs. Mary Bueckert, Mrs. Tina Wiens - all of Winkler, Manitoba - Mrs. Susie Kroeker and Mrs. Ida Penner, both of Winnipeg, Mrs. Lena Schroeder of Downey, California, and Mrs. Justina Warkentin of Torrence. Of the family those who preceded him in death are: his wife, Elizabeth, and son John at birth, and a daughter (Mrs. Paul Epp) in 1964.

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Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1966 Dec 16 p. 22

Birth date: 1894 Dec 24

text of obituary:

CORNELIUS HIEBERT

Cornelius Hiebert left this earthly tabernacle on November 24, 1965 to be with his Lord and Saviour forever. A man of remarkable character, he has related how God has directed his path.

He was the son of Jacob Hiebert and Maria Dyck; one of a large farm family living in Manitoba. His grandfather Dyck was a furniture builder, and his parents were some of the first pioneers of the Mennonite Brethren in Manitoba to leave the Sommerfelder Church. A great heritage of humility, sincerity, honesty, love and respect for his fellowmen was passed on to Cornelius by his Sommerfelder father who added Bible study and family altar in his home.

Cornelius accepted Christ as Saviour when he was still young and became a member of the MB Church.

At first he was very active in church activities. A cause for stumbling came about, however, when a superintendent of the Sunday school took a lesson too lightly, which was in too great contrast with the deep reverence for the Word of God in his home. His love and regard for the church became less and continued in this way through adolescence and early adulthood. As the poem goes "Des Adlers Fliegel ward gebrochen, and er stieg nie so hoch wie zuvor." However, as he grew older he joined in with Christian endeavor with the means God had given him His grace to achieve. Cornelius attended the MCI at Gretna, Manitoba and became a teacher. He was united in marriage to Lizzie Bueckert and after a few years of teaching, he opened a dry goods store in Winkler, together with his brother. When the business failed to flourish, he gave it up and moved to California.

This was a dark chapter in his life. He was a stranger among strangers, with no money in his pocket. However, he had a great spirit of liveliness and optimism, and a sense of humor. When there was no money to buy things for his little girls he would go window shopping with them. Once in a bakery his daughter Esther said, "Daddy, that smelled good." "All right," he replied, "let's go back for another smell."

To keep the wolf from the door, he worked on the railroad during the day and took night classes in cabinet making during the evenings. He must have inherited some of his grandfather's artistic and creative tendencies because the sun soon dawned again for this hard working young man. A Hollywood star saw one of his pieces of furniture displayed in a window; he liked what he saw, bought it at a high price and called Cornelius to his office to give him more work to do. It was the first step to success.

Soon the C. Hiebert Cabinet Factory with 40 employees became a booming business with daily orders coming in from far and near for his fine furniture. He became a very prominent and wealthy business man. He was a faithful steward, however, and evidence shows that he gave 50 per cent of his earnings to charity.

As a husband and father he was concerned for the spiritual welfare of his family. The sudden death of his wife hit him very hard. However, God would not let him down. He remarried and lived together with his second wife for 19 months. With her help he reached a higher spiritual level in preparation to meet his master. When he died his wife said, "It was a 19-month honeymoon."

Cornelius could smile when he was penniless and remained humble when he was a rich man. It would be fitting if the words of Micah 6:8 could be put as a motto on the wall of the library building which bears his name as a tribute to this man who made this his practice: "He has showed you, 0 man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"