Lorenz, Jacob William (1879-1959)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1959 Nov 5 p. 6

Birth date: 1879 Dec 12

text of obituary:

. . .

— Funeral services for Rev. Jacob W. Lorenz, 80, who lived with his children near Medora, were to be held Thursday at the First Mennonite Church in Hutchinson. Rev. Lorenz, a former pastor of the Pretty Prairie Mennonite Church, died Monday morning in St. Elizabeth's Hospital at Hutchinson after several years of ill health. He is survived by his wife, Lena; two sons, Jacob W. Jr., Wichita; Walter, Chicago; and a daughter, Mrs. W. C. Stoughton, Medora.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1959 Nov 12 p. 8

text of obituary:

JACOB W. LORENZ

Jacob William Lorenz was born Dec. 12, 1887 [sic 1879] in the village of Friedensdorf, Ukraine, in South Russia. When he was six years of age his parents moved to Tiege, where he entered school.

On June 12 1902 he was baptized in the Mennonite church by Elder and Missionary Gerhard Nickel. He went to Germany in 1904 and entered a theological seminary finishing the course in 1909. After that he studied one year in London, England. Then he journeyed back to his home in Russia.

In 1912 he began his ministry. In the same year he also married Anna Thiessen, daughter of John Thiessen. After bearing him a son on July 21, 1913, she died in child labor. In 1917 he married her sister, Lena.

Then came the Russian revolution and being unable to stay there due to economic and religious persecution he moved with his family to the town of Halbstadt, Molotschna province, in South Russia.

On June 23, 1924 the family left Russia and came to Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. In 1925 he was called to the ministry of the Mennonite church at Pretty Prairie, Kansas. Here he served as minister until 1932, when he and his family moved to Hutchinson, Kansas. While living there he helped as preacher in the Arlington Mennonite church.

In 1947 he suffered a light stroke. In April of this year he suffered a blood clot in his foot and due to this had to have his leg amputated. In September of this year he underwent a long and serious adominal [sic] operation. From this time on he failed rapidly. He died at 7:15 a.m.on Nov. 2, 1959. His age was 80 years, 10 months, and 20 days.

The Mennonite obituary: 1960 Feb 9 p. 95