Jakob Peter Janzen passed away Oct. 16. 1996.

He was born Dec. 5, 1917 in Franztal, Molotschna, Ukraine. At age 15 or 16, food packages from relatives in the US saved him from starvation. He married Aganetha Unruh in December, 1940.

In August, 1941, he became a prisoner of the Germans and was used as a translator. In fall, 1944, he was wounded and taken to an Allied hospital. After the war, he was released and began working for a German farmer. Meanwhile his family and wife had left Ukraine with the retreating German armies. Aganetha made it to the West, but Jakob's family was sent to Siberia. Aganetha worked on a farm near the Danish border. In February, 1948 she received news of Jakob's location, and they were reunited.

They immigrated to Canada in 1949. Jakob worked on a farm for 3 years, as a house mover for 2 years and as a janitor at Yarrow (B.C.) Elementary School for 23 years.

In August, 1949 he accepted the Lord and was baptized in Greendale, B.C. They transferred to Yarrow MB Church in 1950.

In 1972, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. He worked until age 60, then retired to Clearbrook, B.C., attending services at Clearbrook MB Church. He was confined to a wheelchair in 1987, was reunited with a brother from Germany in 1989 and entered Cottage Extended Care Unit in Abbotsford in September, 1989.

He longed to go home. Predeceased by 2 brothers and 2 sisters, he is mourned by Aganetha; children Katie Arnold, Irma Peters, Rudy, Marlene Beugeling, Irvin and Lenora; 6 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; 2 sisters and 1 brother.

The funeral was Oct. 21 at Clearbrook MB Church, with Jay Neufeld and George Baier ministering