Penner, John David (1885-1971)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1971 May 14 p. 31

Birth date: 1885 Dec 18

text of obituary:

REV. JOHN DAVID PENNER

A senior minister of the Virgil Mennonite Brethren Church and resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Rev. John D. Penner passed away suddenly at his home on Good Friday evening, April 9.

He was born on December 18, 1885, in the village of Rosengart, southern Russia, though much of his youth was spent at Osterwick, where his parents moved when he was a small child. At the age of 16 he experienced the new birth and in the following year was baptized upon his confession of faith and received into the Mennonite Brethren Church at Einlage. In 1908 he was married to Helena Neufeld of Kronstal, a union which was blessed with six children, two of whom died in infancy however. In 1914 they took up a homestead in Tombove. Life was very difficult for the family. During the war Mr. Penner served two years in the Russian medical corps. Then came the revolution and the famine of 1921 and in 1922 the Lord saw fit to take his wife from him. That same year he received a second wife and mother to his children in Agnes Janzen, daughter of Cornelius Janzen. God blessed this second union with four children. In 1926 they left Russia to come to Canada. They settled at Drake, Saskatchewan, where they lived for 14 years. In 1929 brother Penner was ordained to the ministry by the Mennonite Brethren Church at Watrous. In 1940 they left Saskatchewan for Ontario, taking up residence on a farm near Virgil, and serving in the Virgil Church. For a number of years brother Penner led the Virgil Church. His wife suffered a severe heart attack in 1938, and though she lived until 1948, she never fully regained her strength and was unable to work. They were able to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary in 1947. In 1949 he was united in marriage with Maria Reimer, formerly from Tilintsche, the Crimea, who was in the words of brother Penner, a comfort to him, "Thy way, 0 God is in the sanctuary:' The last years of his life were spent in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where they had lived from 1953. Though he had suffered a light attack in 1957 and was quite ill in 1969, he was able to spend most of his later years in his own home.

On Good Friday, April 9, he and his wife attended both services, enjoying the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus by the Winkler Bible School singers in the morning service and the Communion Service in the evening.

He leaves to mourn, his wife, Maria; two sons, John R. Penner and David J. Penner of St. Catharines; six daughters, Mrs. David (Helen) Lick, Mrs. William (Agnes) Friesen, both of St. Catharines, Mrs. Ervin (Sofia) Bonikowsky, Guelph, Mrs. George (Mary) Neufeld, Niagara on-the-Lake, Mrs. Frank (Johanna) Kowalik, Kenora, and Kay Penner of Toronto; five sons-in-law, two daughters in-law, 34 grandchildren and 41 great grandchildren.

The funeral was held Tuesday, April 13, at the Virgil Church with Rev. Harvey Gossen and Rev. John G, Baerg ministering.