Jacob T. Friesen
1919 - 2020
Jacob T. Friesen died June 6, 2020, at
Kidron Bethel Village, North Newton, KS.
Born on December 30, 1919, to Jacob L.
and Helena Toews Friesen, Mountain Lake, MN, he was the fourth of
five children and lived on the family farm until he was 21. After
completing country school, Mountain Lake High School and
winter-months local Bible school, he enrolled at Freeman Jr. College,
eventually transferring to Bethel College where he graduated in 1944
with a major in History. Advanced degrees earned include a Th.B. from
New York Biblical Seminary and a Th.M. from Associated Mennonite
Biblical Seminary. He held student pastorates at Reedley, CA;
Halstead, KS; Fredonia, KS; and First Mennonite, Beatrice, NE.
He was deeply involved in his home
church, Bethel Mennonite Church, Mt. Lake, MN, as S.S. teacher,
singing in ensembles, and organizing and leading a youth choir. He
was baptized on his faith in Jesus Christ on Pentecost 1938.
Jacob married Lisbeth Koehn of Meno,
OK, September 2, 1945. They both enrolled in N.Y. Biblical Seminary.
After graduation they moved to Beatrice, NE to pastor the First
Mennonite Church. Priscilla Jean and Jacob Lowell were born here. In
1953-54 they served with MCC as director, living in Frankfurt, West
Germany. In 1956 he accepted the pastorate of First Mennonite Church
of Bluffton, OH serving from 1956-67. Von Tyler was born here. Jacob
was Director of Admissions at Bluffton College 1967-69. Lisbeth
completed her life of faithfulness and lost her battle with cancer
January 20, 1971.
Jacob served on the General Conference
Mennonite Church Board of Education and Publication for 15 years,
Vice President of General Conference for six years, and Central
District Conference Pastor for six years. He established the office
of Ministerial Leadership Services of General Conference and served
as director for 10 years. In retirement he served interim pastorates
at Grace Hill Mennonite Church, First Mennonite, Hillsboro, and
Hesston Mennonite. He gave leadership for 10 years to the Great
Plains Seminary Education Program, helping to establish it as a
viable graduate level educational opportunity. He developed and
directed a public forum, the Growing Edge, focused on difficult and
controversial public and church-related issues.
In 1972, he married Lola Regier Wiebe,
blending her family of four children with his three. After living in
Elkhart, IN, for several years, they moved to North Newton in 1976,
where they united with Faith Mennonite Church.
Jacob continued a strong interest in
Biblical studies, Anabaptist history and theology, archeology, and
administration. He was active in Faith Mennonite Church as deacon,
member of pastor search and education committees, and as a Sunday
School teacher. He represented Faith Church on the Kidron Bethel
Board of Directors for nine years.
In retirement he enjoyed the out of
doors, owned and trained registered Arabian horses, kept bees,
managed rental property, and enjoyed gardening and maintenance at
home. He enjoyed travel.
He was committed to being father to
Lola's children as his own. The end of December 2019 brought a
weekend of life-affirming memories for this blended family as they
gathered to celebrate Jacob's 100th birthday as well as honoring Lola
with her memorial service.
After 47 years of marriage, Lola
preceded Jacob in death on November 21, 2019. He was also preceded in
death by his parents; two sisters, Eveline and Rosella; and two
brothers, Arno and Elmer.
Family members surviving include:
Priscilla Friesen Felton and Rob Felton, Washington, DC; Jacob L
Friesen (Jake) and Armen Guzelimian, Camarillo, CA; Von Friesen and
Christy Neece Friesen, Athens, GA; Ruth Wiebe-Tanner and Roland
Tanner, Mesa, AZ; Mark and Kathy Lyndaker Wiebe, Oklahoma City, OK;
Mary Wiebe Patten and Mike Patten, Whitestown, IN; and Lois Wiebe
Koulouris and Tom Koulouris, Hollywood, FL. Three grandchildren,
Jaclyn, Riley, and McKenna Friesen; ten step grandchildren; Nathan
(Anne) Hofer, Katie Hofer, Jordan Berry, William (Abbie) Wiebe,
Dorian (Linnzi) Patten, Justin (Rachel) Patten, Sarah Patten
(Christian) Sagardia, Angela Quijano, Anne Felton (Chip) Paque,
Catherine Felton (Sam) Moy and twelve step great grandchildren: Isaac
and Maya Paque; Madison, Eli, and Teagan Moy; Graham and Reid Hofer;
Lyle and Troy Patten; Douglas and Jeshurun Patten; Audrey Sagardia.
The following Bible verse was given to
Jacob's father at age 21 by his grandfather before he died on
December 25, 1910; "For none of us lives to himself alone and
none dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if
we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to
the Lord." Romans 14:7-8.
A memorial service will be held on
Sunday, July 26, 2020, at the Faith Mennonite Church, Newton, Kansas.
The service will be streamed online simultaneously. Contact the
Broadway Colonial Funeral Home for updated information.
In lieu of flowers, please send gifts
to the Jacob T. and Lola Friesen Memorial Fund for the Vision
Impaired at Kidron Bethel. https://kidronbethel.org/giving/donate or
checks payable to Kidron Bethel Village with designation in the memo:
send to KBV % Fund Advancement,
3001 Ivy Drive, North Newton, KS 67117.
