Jacob A. Giesbrecht

Mennonite Genealogy with Michael Penner

Jacob A. Giesbrecht (1916-2002)

Obituary of Jacob A. Giesbrecht (1916–2002)

The Lord Jesus Christ called our father, Jacob A. Giesbrecht, into his presence this past Sunday morning. What a glorious coronation ceremony there will have been in Heaven!

Dad was born the 3rd of February, 1916 in Lichtenau, part of the Ukraine in South Russia. He was the third of 5 sons born to Abram and Maria Giesbrecht. The first years of his life were years of turmoil in the country – First World War I, then the period of anarchy that followed. It was a time of serious hardship for the family. Times were so difficult in Russia that the young Abram Giesbrechts decided to immigrate to Canada.

They arrived in Hawksville, Ontario on the 12th of June 1924, when Dad was eight years old, remaining there a mere eight months, before moving to Hochfeld, Manitoba, where the family resided for ten years. Although times were difficult financially, there were also times of pleasure. Not long after moving to Hochfeld, a new family moved into the neighborhood… the A.P. Bergmann family. Now THIS was a family of some interest! They had many children, including some pretty girls who studiously avoided the young Giesbrecht boys. However, because of the serious poverty, the Giesbrechts and the Bergmanns had to share a “Teichschuessel”, the big bowl in which bread was mixed. So all was not lost, because the Teichschuessel had to be borrowed and returned several times each week, which kept the communication lines at least somewhat open until the Bergmann family left the area approximately half a year later.

During this time, the educational system in the hamlets of southern Manitoba was undergoing change – the German school rights were terminated and English school began in September 1925. Dad was able to attend school up to and including grade nine. This was only because he had developed a severe leg ailment, which forced him to use crutches for a very long period of time, thus rendering him useless as a farmhand. School was always a source of great pleasure for Dad; it was during these school years that his love of nature was actively encouraged with bird watching and vegetation and flower-exploring trips, and even a much envied trip to a museum in Winnipeg. This was Dad’s first-ever trip to Winnipeg.

In 1935 when Dad was 19 years old, the Abram Giesbrechts bought a 720-acre farm in Fortier, Manitoba; that is to say, they rented the farm because they were unable to come up with the $14,000 asking price. They worshipped at the Newton Siding church, where Dad accepted Christ as his Savior on the 6th of November 1937. He was baptized on the confession of his faith the following spring. Thus began a lifelong journey with the Lord!

Four years later, the Bible verse about ‘it not being a good time for man to be alone’ became an important verse for Dad. After much prayer, we wrote a stilted but very sincere letter of proposal to Sarah Bergmann, whom he hadn’t seen in more than ten years, and who couldn’t even remember what he looked like. A family visit ensued, and a 57-year romance began!

Dad and Mom were married on the eighth of June 1941. The newlyweds established their first home, so to speak, on 160 acres of rented land in the Fortier area. The house consisted of two ancient, drafty, ramshackle, almost windowless granaries, which were very imperfectly attached to each other. Each rain resulted in nearly as much water in the house as there was outside. Farming was as precarious then as it is now. Their first crop was a dismal failure. The cow and the few pigs Dad and Mom had received as wedding gifts could not sustain their household, and they relocated to a farm in the Ste. Anne area, close to where Mom’s family was living. Two months later Dad was conscripted into two years of Conscientious Objector service, first at Clear Lake, MB, then in the reforestation program on Vancouver Island. Dad lived in the camp on Hill 50, while Mom lived in a single room in Duncan with her friend. These were happy times. Weekends were a time of joy and reunion although the living arrangements were somewhat awkward. At the end of Dad’s Conscientious Objector service, Dad and Mom returned to their Ste. Anne farm where their first child, Ruth was born followed a year and a half later by their second daughter, Edith.

The family of four moved again, this time to a larger home in the Clearspring area, where they stooked the grain, hoed the beets and nurtured the potatoes, and worked diligently from early morning until nightfall. Because of ongoing crop failures, Dad supplemented the family income by working on the Hwy #12 road building project between Steinbach and Ste. Anne.

Not long thereafter, Dad and Mom abandoned farming and moved the family to Steinbach, where Dad began a twelve year career as a mechanic at Loewen Garage, followed by an 18 year career as a bookkeeper for Bergmann Meat Products, interspersed by a short stint at CT Loewen and Sons.

A son, Jake was added to the family followed five years later by another bundle of joy, daughter, Hildie. Although Dad was busy working six days a week two provide for the family, he and Mom always made time to be involved in the work of the Lord, which included ministry in the Sunday School program and service as a deacon couple. This was an office that they held for several decades. They took this office very seriously, dedicating two evenings each week to deacon activities – mostly visitation of those in need in the church family.

As we children were getting older, we were also gaining an appreciation of the very special bond that existed between our parents. Dad and Mom were soul mates, with Dad being the quiet stabilizing force to balance Mom’s more impulsive and outgoing nature. Our Dad was a man of unwavering principles, who sought the will of God in all things, and always put God and service to others above all else in his life.

By the late eighties our mother’s health was deteriorating, and Dad could no longer provide car for her. In 1992 Mom was moved to the Resthaven Nursing Home. For the five years that she lived there, Dad visited her at least twice daily, spending hours at each visit. He was an incredible example to us and to the nursing home staff of the power of love.

Four years ago, not long after Mom’s death, Dad’s care requirements necessitated his own placement in the Resthaven Nursing Home where he was compassionately looked after. The first years at Resthaven were happy times for Dad – he continued to exhibit his kind, polite, caring nature with staff and residents alike. About eight months ago, Dad’s health went into a sharp decline, culminating in his death on the 23rd of June 2002.

Dad will be missed, mourned, and lovingly remembered by his children, Ruth and Wes Penner of Landmark, Edie Giesbrecht of Winnipeg, Jake and Janice Giesbrecht of Blumenort, Hildie and Stan Wiebe of Kelowna, BC, his ten grandchildren with their spouses, his twelve great-grandchildren, his in-laws and a host of extended family members and friends.

Dad was predeceased by our mother Sarah, and by his great-granddaughter, Holly Braun.

We will remember our father as a man of God, who had the joy of the Lord in his heart, and who devoted himself to manifesting that joy in all aspects of his life.

The Family

(transcript read at the funeral)

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