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Klassen, Cornelius F. (1894-1954)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1954 May 13 p. 1
Birth date: 1894
text of obituary:
Akron, Pa. — C. F. Klassen, much of whose life activity was devoted to the cause of the Mennonite refugee, died of a heart attack in Gronau, Germany at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 8.
His death in Gronau was symbolic of his consuming love for refugees for it was through that German city that practically all Mennonite people passed in the migrations to North and South America after World War II. Bro. Klassen was director of the Mennonite Central Committee program in Europe at the time of his death, having served in that position since July 1953.
According to information received at MCC headquarters in Akron Saturday morning, the funeral was planned for Wednesday, May 12, with burial in Europe. Mrs. Klassen, who was in Europe with her husband at the time of his death, felt that he would want it that way.
Bro. Klassen had left his headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, last week and then visited Bremen and Hamburg before reaching Gronau. He was en route to a meeting in Amersterdam [sic Amsterdam]. On arrival in Gronau he had a severe heart attack and was moved to the hospital immediately. Mrs. Klassen was called and was in Gronau at the time of his death.
The many Mennonite communities in the United States and Canada will recall Bro. Klassen’s visit last April, May and June in behalf of the current MCC resettlement program of Mennonite refugees in western Germany.
Bro. Klassen, who would have been 60 years old this August, entered Germany in 1945 as an MCC commissioner for refugees and spent most of the time since then working with refugee movements and resettlements. His exhaustless efforts in those years contributed much to the movement of thousands of Mennonite refugees to South America, the United States and Canada.
Bro. Klassen's efforts in behalf of Mennonite refugees and his MCC services began in the early 1920’s in Russia. Following arrival in Canada around 1925 he was active in assisting in the Russian Mennonite movement into that country. Following 1930 he served the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization and the Canadian Pacific Railroad in collecting money to repay loans that had been made to pay for the transporting of these refugees.
Born in Russia in 1894, Bro. Klassen early in life experienced hardships and persecution, including imprisonment. In addition to Mrs. Klassen he is survived by four children—Harold, Walfried, Herbert and Irmgard, the latter two living in Europe with their parents at the time of the death of their father. The Canadian residence of the Klassen family is in Abbotsford. B. C.
Besides his interest in refugee work, the operation of the European Mennonite Bible School in Basel, Switzerland, and the publication of “Der Mennonit,” international Mennonite periodical, were particularly close to Bro. Klassen's heart. He was deeply interested in the European Mennonites and because of his knowledge of the German language he was particularly close to the German Mennonites — likely as close to them as any North American Mennonite. He was also active in Mennonite World conferences.
Bro. Klassen had been a member of the MCC since 1944, having been a member at large. He was also a member of the MCC executive committee. Belonging to the Mennonite Brethren church, he was a member of that group's General Welfare and Public Relations committee.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1954 May 20 p. 3
text of obituary:
Memorial Service Held At Akron, Penna. For Leader Of Mennonite “Pilgrims”’
FUNERAL SERVICES AND BURIAL OF C. F. KLASSEN IN FRANKFURT, GERMANY
Akron, Penna. — A service in memory of C. F. Klassen, much of whose life was spent seeking the welfare of his refugee brethren, was held at M. C. C. headquarters here Thursday, May 13.
Funeral services and burial for Bro. Klassen were held in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, May 12. Death came to him as a result of a heart attack in Gronau, Germany, Saturday, May 8.
In commenting on his services, Orie O. Miller, M. C. C. executive secretary and close friend of Bro Klassen for 30 years, said he knew Bro. Klassen to be driven by three particular passions: 1. The welfare of his refugee brethren, 2. The building of bridges between the various Mennonite brotherhoods, and 3. The anticipation of someday returning to Russia to minister to the brethren there.
Listing his characteristics as “kindness, enthusiasm, co-operativeness and tenacious courage,” Bro. Miller went on to elaborate on the pilgrim theme in Psalm 84 which he had heard Bro. Klassen use as a meditation.
“Bro. Klassen found deep joy in his pilgrimage. He went from strength to strength. He placed himself in the center of the Mennonite pilgrim movement. How fitting that he stopped at the spot he did! Gronau, where Bro. Klassen died, was the German city through which practically all Mennonite people passed in the migration to North and South America after World War II.
C. N. Hostetter, M. C. C. chairman, in a brief memorial meditation, recalled how he had met Bro. Klassen in the Gronau headquarters in 1950 and heard him say “I have seen many tears and heard many sad stories in this place but the joy of my life has been to help these people.” Bro. Hostetter in the meditation described a life of service as being one which “costs something, which is definitely related to the person of Christ and which is divinely defended and approved.”
Bro. Klassen was director of the M. C. C. program in Europe at the time of his death, having served in that position since July 1953. He had spent most of the time since 1945 in Europe working with Mennonite refugee movements and resettlements. Previous to this he gave much time and effort in the Mennonite refuge movement in the post-World War I period.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1954 May 27 p. 2
MEMORIAL SERVICE HELD FOR C. F. KLASSEN
Goshen, Ind. — A memorial service for C. F. Klassen was held at Goshen College during the chapel hour May 12, the day of the funeral service in Europe. Bro. Klassen, well known MCC worker and refugee resettlement leader, died at Gronau, Germany May 8.
E. E. Miller, president of the college, presided at the service here and H. S. Bender, dean of the Goshen College seminary, gave a memorial tribute. Music was provided by the Motet Singers and the College male quartet. Dean Atlee Beechy, who served in Europe with Bro. Klassen for three years, gave the closing prayer.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1954 Jun 3 p. 2
text of obituary:
Refugees' Memorial Service For Leader
ABOUT 50 ATTEND GATHERING SUNDAY AT NORTH NEWTON
A reunion of recent refugee immigrants was held in Kidron Park, North Newton, on Sunday, May 30. Approximately 50 refugees, including their families, had gathered for this occasion. These together with former MCC workers and others totaled more than 120.
Rev. J. J. Voth, who had worked with refugees in the Gronau, Germany camp, served as chairman. Devotionals were conducted by Gerhard Rempel. After an introduction of the refugees, which revived vivid memories of past experiences and informed those present of their present occupation. Hans Peters and his two sisters favored the group with a selection of music accompanied by an accordian [sic] and two guitars.
It was eminently fitting that this gathering of refugees should participate in a memorial service for C. F. Klassen, who passed away suddenly of a heart attack in Gronau a couple of weeks ago. P. C. Hiebert, for many years chairman of the MCC, gave an inspiring address depicting the life and unselfish service of Bro. Klassen in behalf of Mennonite refugees. This was followed by expressions of appreciation for his service by Johann Peters speaking in behalf of the refugees and by H. A. Fast speaking in behalf of MCC. This part of the service was closed by a thoughtful meditation by Cornie J. Dick of Elbing, Kansas, who also called attention to the overcoming faith that had characterized C. F. Klassen's service. Rev. H. J. Dyck closed the service with prayer.
The whole group joined in a picnic supper at 5 o'clock. in the Student Union Room in Memorial Hall for some slides on refugee work. At the evening meeting J. Winfield Fretz gave a helpful talk on refugee resettlement in Kansas in the light of his contacts with refugee immigrants.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1954 Jun 3 p. 10
text of obituary:
Representatives From Europe & America Take Part In Services at Frankfurt
The funeral of C. F. Klassen took place at 2:30 on May 12, 1954, in Frankfurt in the Nord-Ost Gemeinde, a Lutheran church in the city where Bro. Klassen liked to worship on Sundays when his work did not take him away.
"When all My Labors and Trials are O’er” was sung by the congregation after which Pastor Gottwaldt, of the Nord-Ost Gemeinde welcomed the assembly as brothers and sisters in Christ and read as an opening Revelation 7:14-17. After appropriate comments Pastor Gottwaldt offered the opening prayer.
C. Wall addressed the assembly with words of tribute to Bro. Klassen. ”We are gathered here to bury a man, but each of us says within himself, ‘to me he was more than a man’.” Brother Wall said the Lord led him to the passage in Psalms 84:5, 6, 7 on which he based his remarks. During the entire service reference was repeatedly made of Bro. Klassen’s motto, "God can," and how this challenged all who felt the power of his faith. Bro. Wall spoke of his personal loss, of the loss to MCC; he spoke to the refugees and implored them now to put the trust in God who would answer their prayers and prove his faithfulness to them just as he had to Bro. Klassen. He addressed himself to the family with words of comfort and encouraged them to put their trust in God who will be with them as he was with their father. Following this he read a brief obituary and also the tribute which was sent by the bereaved brothers in the words of II Samuel 1: 26, 27.
Bro. Wall introduced the numerous speakers on the program who represented the various areas of service within the Mennonite brotherhood in Europe in which Bro. Klassen had been active.
A quartet of PAX men, Don Wyse, Donald Short, Nelson Waybill, and Dean Shetler, sang a German funeral hymn after which D. C. Kauffman, assistant European director of MCC, spoke on behalf of MCC and also on behalf of the refugees for whom Bro. Klassen gave himself in untiring service. Bro. Kauffman based his remarks on II Timothy 4:6, 7, 8, “I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. . .” He concluded his message by reading telegrams expressing the sympathy and comfort of those who could not be present.
His words were translated by David Neufeld who in the name of the Canadian M. B. Conference and the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization, relayed the sympathies and tributes of the Canadian Mennonite brotherhood. He added words expressing the great loss of Bro. Klassen’s untiring efforts in connection with the immigration work which is carried on by the Bremen office.
The following men then spoke: Ulrich Hege of Reihen, Sinsheim, substituting for Johannes Hotel, Batzenhof, representing the Bayrische Wurttemberg Bayrisch Gemeindeverband; Abraham Braun, Ibersheim, as chairman of the Konferenz der Sueddeutschen Mennoniten and secretary of the Zentral Ausschuss of which Bro. Klassen was the chairman; B. H. Unruh, Karlsruhe, spoke on behalf of Russian Mennonites and the settlers in North and South America; Peter Froese, Heidelberg, spoke as a personal friend, having known and worked with Bro. Klassen already in Moscow.
At this point the PAX quartet sang their second number, "Still, Still with Thee."
Otto Schowalter, Hamburg, represented the Vereinigung der duestchen Mennoniten and the Hilfswerk der deutschen Mennoniten. Otto Wiebe of Niederbieber, Torney, spoke on behalf of the new settlers in Germany. Fritz Hege, Reutlingen, represented the three Mennonite old people's homes in Germany. Albert Schantz of Regensberg spoke for the Mennonite relief work, Christenpflicht.
The MCC workers choir sang “In the Sweet By and By.”
From Holland, as representative of the Dutch Mennonites, Ds. van der -Zijpp from Rotterdam gave a brief tribute. The Swiss Mennonites were represented by Fritz Goldschmidt of Basel. The Elsatian and French Mennonites were represented by Hans Nussbaumer, Schweighof, and the French-speaking group by Andre Graber. The closing was conducted by Richard Wagner of the Frankfurt Mennonite church who also spoke fitting words of tribute and led in the closing prayer. The assembly sang "Haare Meine Seele.”
Only a very brief service could be held in the cemetery chapel the next at 12 noon. The coffin was placed in the chancel where the family and close friends paid their last respects. The service was in charge of Richard Wagner, and Bro. C. N. Hiebert, M. B. missionary in Neuwied, gave a brief message basing his remarks on Psalm 90, particularly verses 10 and 12.
At the close of this service the long procession made its way through the cemetery to the grave where Bro. Wagner again led the service. Bro. Wall, as well as Bro. Gerhard Hein of Sembach, co-editor of "Der Mennonit,” spoke fitting words, and Bro. Wagner concluded the ceremony with prayer. The family, as well as the friends, followed the German custom and strewed earth and flowers into the grave.
A mixed quartet composed of Mahlon Amstutz, Nelson Waybill, Helen King and Hilda Carper, sang "Lift Your Glad Voices In Triumph On High," and one could not but experience a feeling of triumph—a man who had lived so selflessly and victoriously and had been called home out of the midst of his most fruitful labors — from glory to glory—was indeed a reason to praise God and to be challenged to deeper devotion and more faithful service.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1954 Dec 2 p.5
text of obituary:
. . .
The body of C. F. Klassen, who died May 8, 1954, has been moved from its original burial site in the Hauptfriedhof in Frankfurt, Germany, to the cemetery on the grounds of the Mennonite Old People's Home at Leutesdorf. The moving of the body was planned for Nov. 18. Burial on the grounds of one of the three homes owned and operated by the German Mennonites is considered a more appropriate resting place for the remains of Bro. Klassen who spent much of his life seeking the welfare of his refugee brethren.
The Mennonite obituary: 1954 Jun 8 p. 367
The Mennonite obituary: 1954 Dec 7 p. 766