Peter J. Derksen

1868 – 1951

Peter Jacob Derksen passed away at his residence 1059 Central Road, Yarrow. He was a resident of the Chilliwack municipality for 21 years.

He was born in 1867 (1868 Gregorian Calendar) in Russia and was in his 84th year when he passed away on November 8, 1951.

Peter is survived by his wife Annie; four daughters, Mrs. John Neufeld; Mrs. Daniel Goertz; Mrs. Peter Giesbrecht and Mrs. Frank Peters, all of Yarrow; four sons: Henry of Yarrow; Jacob of Manitoba; Martin of Ontario and Peter of Paraguay and 45 grandchildren.

Funeral services were at the Yarrow Mennonite Brethren Church conducted by Rev. H. Lenzmann.

Interment was in Yarrow Cemetery.

From the Rundshau

Peter Derksen obituary from Mennonitische: Rundschau Dec. 5, 1951

My husband and our father, Peter Derksen, was born in 1868 in the village of Schoensee, South Russia. As a child he moved with his parents to the village of Saribasch inthe Crimea. Here he lived out his childhood and youth until he needed to fulfil his compulsory government service in the Anadoler forestry.

ln 1895 was married to Katharina Reimer from Nikolaifeld, Sagradowka. The Lord gave them L3 children, of whom five predeceased them. In 1899 they relocated to the village of Komyschewo in Orenburg. In 1905 the Lord saved them and in that same year they were baptized and received into the M.B. Church.

Soon thereafter he was ordained as a deacon. To prepare for emigration they moved to the Caucasus in1909 and lived at the Suworowskaja Station. Here his wife died on June 8, L924.

That fall he, together with his children, emigrated to Canada. They lived, initially, in Winkler, MB and in L926 moved on to McMahon, SK. In 1930 they moved to Yarrow, BC.

On April 17, 1938 he married me, the widow Anna Falk (nee Loewen).

On November 8, 1951 at 8:30 am, the Lord called his tired child, gently, to his home above. The Lord granted him a generous entry into life eternal. He attained an age of 83 years, 9 months, and 13 days.

The well attended funeral was held on November lt in the Yarrow M.B. Church. The ministering brethren Peter J. Neufeldt and Herman Lenzmann served with messages of great comfort. At the cemetery Brother Peter Riesen read a passage from the Word of God and prayed.

We grieve, though with a living and joyous anticipation of an eternal reunion up in the realm of light. We grant the tired pilgrim his eternal rest with the Lord. The grieving wife and children.