John and Mary's Timeline

1917 – John born February 14 in Altenau village, Sagradovka Mennonite Colony, Ukraine
1918 – Mary born July 25 in Ebenthal village, Memrick Mennonite Colony, Ukraine
1926 – John to Rosthern, Saskatchewan
1928 – John to Yarrow, BC
1929 – Mary’s family go to Moscow, Russia to get visas to leave
1930 – Mary arrives in Coaldale, Alberta
1933 - Mary arrives in Yarrow, BC
1940 – John and Mary are married on August 10 in Yarrow, BC
1940 – J&M live at 23rd and Fraser in Vancouver, then to a farm on King George Hwy, Surrey
1941 – John Jr. born August 2
1942 – Eleanor born November 6
1944 – purchase farm 743 Ladner Trunk Rd.
1945 – Dorothy born February 25
1948 – Bill born August 9
1953 – Elizabeth born April 25
1956 – Daniel born May 28
1959 – sell farm and move to Grant Street in Clearbrook BC
1959 - co-own MSA Motors in Abbotsford with Henry Friesen
1962 – Judy born December 14
1964 – Eleanor and Gary Zweigle married August 8
1964 – sell MSA Motors
1964 – build house on Ladner farm property and move there
1965 – John & Mary celebrate 25th wedding anniversary
1966 – BC Hydro expropriates house, John joins Block Brother Real Estate
1966 – move to Shawnee Place in South Vancouver
1968 – John and Steph married May 4
1972 – trip to Rome, Cairo, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel
1972- move to Tsawwassen
1973 – Dorothy and Mark Ghaly married September 22
1975 – trip to Israel with Judy, Dorothy and Bill
1976 – buy Instant Lawn property
1980 – trip to Nairobi, Kenya and Johannesburg, South Africa
1985 – Bill and Nancy married September 21
1986 – Judy and Randy Peck married June 29
198? – trip to Australia
1992 – move to Wellsgreen house in Tsawwassen
2000 – John passes May 23 (age 83)
2001 – Mary moves to The Waterford Care facility in Tsawwassen
2014 – Mary passes October 16 (age 94)



Eulogies

Mary Friesen

1918 - 2014

Mary Friesen was born July 25, 1918, the third of 11 children born to Peter and Anna Friesen. The circumstances of Mary's birth were traumatic and miraculous. Mary's parents were travelling from Omsk, Siberia to Memrick, Ukraine, a distance of 2000 miles, crossing a territory of civil war and roving bandits. The trip took 3 months, and on the way Peter and Anna buried their 2-year-old little boy, and Anna gave birth to Mary in a village hospital along the railroad tracks. Mary was barely alive when they arrived at their destination, which was the home of Anna's mother. But being the resilient person, she became, she was soon a thriving little girl. There was much suffering to follow in Mary's early years, death and starvation were all around them, but soon the land became more peaceful, and the family enjoyed what Mary described as a very happy childhood in the village of Ebenthal living on their grandmother's farm.

But by 1929 the Friesen family was again facing life threatening circumstances, so the decision was made to join the thousands of people in Moscow who were seeking to leave Russia. Only a few were able to escape and immigrate to Canada, and the family, and we descendants, are forever thankful for this.

Peter and Anna had relatives in Alberta who sponsored them, so they lived there for 2 years after which they moved to Yarrow. All the family worked whatever jobs they could find to pay off their trip expenses. Mary was sent off to Vancouver at a young age to do domestic work, where she learned to cook and bake for wealthy families, and we all benefited from what she learned about being a proper hostess.

Mary's faith has always been very important to her, and as a teenager she made a firm commitment to follow Jesus and was baptized at the Yarrow Mennonite Brethren Church.

On August 10, 1940, John and Mary were married at the Yarrow Mennonite Brethren Church. They began their married life on a small farm on King George Highway and soon had the joy of welcoming their first child, John, into their family in August 1941, followed the next year by daughter Eleanor. In October of 1944 the family moved into the big farm house at 743 Trunk Road. Mary was 26 years old at that time

For the next 15 years Mary was a full-time farmer's wife, which often included feeding a hungry work crew. Four more children were added to the family, Dorothy, Bill, Elizabeth and Dan.

In 1959 the family moved to Clearbrook, where Judy joined us to complete the family of 7 children. Several more moves followed: Ladner from 1964-1967, South Vancouver 1967-1972, and to Tsawwassen in 1972, where Mary resided her death.

All throughout her married life Mary was an amazing homemaker and could easily fit the Proverbs 31 model. Her gardens were filled with beautiful flowers and abundant vegetables, and her home was always open to family, church, and community gatherings. Mary loved picnics, and the food she prepared for a picnic was always a 4-course meal. We took many family car trips, and Mary fed us all from her box of food that never seemed to run out.

Two characteristics that stand out in our memory of Mary are the fact that she always gave people the benefit of the doubt, she never gossiped, and she treated everyone she met with respect and care. She was very interested in knowing what each of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were doing. She prayed daily for the long list of family members, including her siblings and their families.

John Valentine Friesen

1917 - 2000

John Valentine Friesen was born in the German community of Tiege, Ukraine, on February 14, 1917, the sixth of seven children born to David and Helene Friesen. There were three sisters and four brothers in this close-knit family. Our father's birth year was also the year of the Russian revolution, and his whole life was powerfully influenced by his first 9 years in a country filled with turmoil and bloodshed. In 1926 the family made the long and challenging trip from their Ukrainian home land to Canada, settling first in Saskatchewan and then moving to Yarrow BC in 1928. Since Dad was the youngest of the four brothers and therefore the smallest, he was assigned to be his mother's helper, and he had many fond and loving memories of a very close relationship with his mother. He completed his 8th grade in the Yarrow country school, but later in life attended UBC to receive his Real Estate license.

In one of the notes in his personal papers I found the following words, "I made my decision to follow Jesus at watch-night service on December 31, 1935 with Rev. A.H. Unruh bringing the clear message of salvation." Dad told me how this decision at age 18 was very decisive for him in many ways at that time, and he continued to hold his faith in Jesus Christ strongly throughout his entire life. He was baptized and became a member of the Yarrow Mennonite Brethren church on June 9, 1936.

Dad was a farmer at heart, and his love of the land was evident throughout his life. As a teenager he began working on dairy farms and began to dream about owning his own farm some day, which would be the best run farm in the community.

On August 10, 1940, Dad married our mother Mary Friesen at the Yarrow Mennonite Brethren Church. They began their married life on a small farm on King George Highway and soon had the joy of welcoming their first child, John, into their family in August 1941, followed the next year by daughter Eleanor. By now Dad's dream of owning his own dairy farm was intensifying and in October of 1944 he moved his little family into the big farm house at 743 Trunk Road, where the BC hydro plant now stands.

For the next 15 years Dad lived out his dream of having a first-class dairy farm. During that time 4 more children were added to the family, Dorothy, Bill, Elizabeth and Dan. We worked together and played together, taking many family trips from the BC interior to Ontario, and south to California. Later Dad and Mom traveled extensively around the world, taking family members with at different times.

It was very difficult for Dad to have to turn his dream farm over to BC hydro in 1959, but Dad had a motto, which most of you know and observed, "never give up." He and his brother Henry bought MSA motors in Abbotsford and Dad moved the family to Clearbrook. While in Clearbrook our youngest sister Judy was born and our family of 7 was now complete with 3 boys and 4 girls. Dad had very high expectations for each one of us and took great joy in our accomplishments.

In 1964, the love of Ladner was again in Dad's heart, and he and Mom built a house on a piece of the farm property. They lived there until the hydro again asked for their home, and since Dad was now working for Block Brothers Real Estate in Vancouver, they moved to a house in the Fraserview area in 1967. While at Block Brothers Dad achieved great success in selling farms and proved himself over and over to his fellow realtors to be one of the best.

In 1972 Dad found another dream property in Tsawwassen and they moved to their beautiful home overlooking the water and ferry landing on Pacific Drive. They loved to share this home with guests from around the world, and many of you have been the recipients of their hospitality for community and church gatherings.

In 1976 Dad and my brother Bill bought Instant Lawns in Ladner and again Dad was enjoying life on the land. In 1992, due to failing health, Dad and Mom moved to their present location in a condo community called Wellsgreen Place in Tsawwassen.

Dad had the gifts of leadership, of administration and organization, of generosity and giving, and he gave of himself tirelessly to begin, enlarge, and improve many church and community projects. He was a member of the Mennonite Brethren church most of his life and contributed to the growth of this denomination both locally and around the world by being actively involved on his home church boards, Provincial Church Extension Board, Canadian Board of Management, General Conference Board of Trustees, and Columbia Bible School Board. He also served on the Regent College Board, Terry Winters Board of Evangelism and Luis Palau Board of Evangelism for Canada.

He was well known throughout the region for his active endeavors to serve his community, beginning during his early farming days as the first president of the Mainland Dairyman’s Association. In 1947 Dad joined the Delta Chamber of Commerce and served as president for many years beginning in 1975. He initiated the first Chamber Leadership Prayer Breakfast in 1975, bringing in world class speakers to his local community. He was actively involved in local politics, supporting candidates at all levels and organizing many political events. He also served as president of the Ladner Business Association.

Dad was truly a people person. He loved meeting people and made it a point to become acquainted with as many people as he possibly could. He took a genuine interest in everyone he met, and also did not hesitate to give advice when he thought he could help in some way. He never hesitated to speak to a stranger, in fact, he knew no strangers. His friends ranged from people like Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, to the children at each church they attended.

Dad had a heart attack in 1985 and triple bypass surgery in 1986, and at that time we were told his life expectancy was short. Instead of ‘quitting’ Dad went to work to publish his autobiography, which I am sure many of you have read. He called his book, not surprisingly, “Never Never Give Up.”

John Valentine Friesen is survived by his loving wife Mary. They would have been married 60 years this August. His last words that he spoke before he went into a comma were “I love you” to his dear wife.