Ratzlaff, Aganetha Janzen (1892-1976)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1976 Oct 29 p. 30

Birth date: 1892 May 15

text of obituary:

MRS. AGANETHA RATZLAFF

Aganetha Ratzlaff of Coaldale, Alta., passed away on October 3. She was born to Franz and Marie (nee Paetkau) Janzen in Osterwick, Ekaterninoslav, southern Russia on May 15, 1892. When she was five years old her mother died.

At the age of 15 she accepted Christ as he Lord and Saviour and was baptized and became a member of the Mennonite Brethren church in Millerowo in the Don district. On September 22, 1912, she was joined in marriage to Erich Ratzlaff. In 1918, at the time of the First World War, they with many others moved to Deutsch Wymyschle, Poland where they lived until the end of World War 2. In 1945 they fled to Germany. They came to Canada, to Linden, Alberta, in October, 1948, and in 1954 they moved to Coaldale, where they lived until the present. Aganetha remained a member in good standing of the Coaldale Mennonite Brethren Church until the day of her death.

She was predeceased by her parents, three brothers and sisters, two daughters (as children) and two sons (one in infancy and one during the war); and is survived by her dear husband, Erich, two sons, Peter and family in Coaldale, Bernhard and family in Linden, three daughters, Mina (Mrs. Leonard) Schmidt and family in Clearbrook, B.C., Martha (Mrs. David) Pauls and family in Coaldale, and Hilda (Mrs. Henry) Bergman and family in Coaldale, 18 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, and one sister and brother-in-law, Marie and Gustav Ratzlaff of Clearbrook, B.C