Ratzlaff, Bernhard Peter (1895-1969)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1969 Aug 08 p. 26

Birth date: 1895 Sep 10

text of obituary:

BERNHARD PETER RATZLAFF

On June 28, Bernhard Peter Ratzlaff suddenly passed away at his home in Clearbrook, B.C., having reached the age of 73.

He was born in Poland on September 10, 1895. Here he received his elementary and high school education, He accepted the Lord as his Saviour in 1907, was baptized and became a member of the Deutsch-Wymyschle Mennonite Brethren Church, where he later led a junior orchestra. The years 1914 to 1918 were spent in Russia, for the most part serving with the Red Cross. Upon his return to Poland, he was united in holy matrimony with Wilhelmina Kliewer on February 13, 1919. In their first ten years of marriage three of the four sons born to them passed away at an early age.

In 1929 he and his family emigrated to Canada and settled on a farm at Acme, Alberta. This was their home for 24 years and during this time two daughters were born. In 1954 the family moved to the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. During his residence in Alberta, he was a member of the Linden Mennonite Brethren Church and served as youth and orchestra leader and as a deacon, While in British Columbia, he was ordained as a deacon in the Central Heights (Abbotsford) Church. During the past three years he served as a deacon in the Clearbrook Church and also enjoyed teaching Sunday school.

He leaves to mourn his passing his wife Wilhelmina; one son, Ernst of Calgary; two daughters, Martha (Mrs. A. Esau) of North Vancouver, and Edith (Mrs. H. Hooge) of Abbotsford, B.C.; seven grandchildren; and two brothers, Erich of Coaldale, Alberta, and Gustav of Clearbrook, B.C