Klassen, Peter Edward (1886-1953)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1953 Jun 11 p. 6

Birth date: 1886 Apr 15

text of obituary:

. . .

— Funeral services for P. W. [sic P. E.] Klassen, aged resident of the Goessel community, were held Wednesday forenoon at the Alexanderwohl church, of which he was a member. Mr. Klassen passed away early Sunday morning.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1953 Jun 18 p. 10

text of obituary:

ETER EDWARD KLASSEN

Peter E. Klassen, son of Johann and Maria (Richert) Klassen, was born on April 15, 1886, near Goessel, in McPherson county, Kansas, where he grew to manhood. He attended the South Bloomfield grade school and graduated in 1902. Later he attended the Goessel Preparatory school. This was during the first year of the opening of the school. He continued further training at the Salt City Business College and graduated there in 1910.

On June 7, 1908, he was baptized by Rev. H. R. Voth and received into the membership of the Alexanderwohl church.

In 1914 he left for DuBois, Idaho where he took up a homestead claim and where he lived a number of years. In 1920 he left his homestead in DuBoise [sic DuBois] and moved to Long Beach, California where he was engaged as a foreman for a construction firm for about 10 years. He then went back to Aberdeen, Idaho where he spent some years on a ranch, and then returned to Kansas to take up farming, at which occupation he was engaged the remaining years of his life.

In the latter part of 1952 his health began to fail. He sought medical aid and was admitted to the Bethesda hospital at Goessel, Kansas on Jan. 9, 1953. After 10 days he was taken to the Axtell Christian hospital in Newton, Kansas and submitted to major surgery. When released from the hospital he spent seven weeks at the home of his sister, Mrs. John Nachtigal at Buhler, Kansas. The last five weeks he was a patient in the Bethesda hospital.

He passed away early in the morning of June 7, 1953 reaching the age of 67 years, one month and 22 days.

His father and mother, his stepfather Abraham H. Boese, and Maria Boese, a half-sister, preceded him in death.

He leaves to mourn his sudden departure one sister, Helen Klassen Nachtigal; one brother-in-law, John Nachtigal of Buhler; also two half-brothers, Henry T. Boese of Moundridge and Jacob A. Boese, and one sister-in-law, Mrs. Jacob Boese of Newton, Kansas: four nieces and one nephew and many other relatives and friends.

Rev. P. A. Wedel was in charge of the funeral services which were held in the Bergen funeral home and Alexanderwohl church on Wednesday June 10, 1953. He was assisted by Rev. H. T. Unruh, of North Newton, Kansas.