After a long and rich life filled with much love, our mother, Helene A. Franz, died peacefully November 26, at the age of 102. Born August 13, 1919, in the Ukraine, she and her family immigrated to Canada in 1926, where her parents, Aron and Helena Janzen, began a homestead in La Glace, Alberta. With no money, living in an un-insulated granary may all sound like a sad story, but she never thought of herself as poor.
Graduating from Bible School, she felt a call to missions. In 1942, after meeting the love of her life, Jacob H. Franz, they married, and after a few years in Coaldale, Alberta, they and their first daughter Esther made a 3 month journey by train, boat and finally ox cart, to the Chaco in Paraguay, where they began an outreach to the Nivacle people. In December 1951, after 5 years and 8 months, they left the Chaco for their first furlough. By this time, James and Eleanor had joined the family. During their second term in the Chaco Ernie, Ken and Karen were born. During this time, Mom and Irma Hein, the wife of Gerhard Hein, a fellow missionary, taught the Nivacle women to bake, sew and cook and led them in devotionals.
In 1961, the MB Mission Board transferred them to Asuncion. This was a difficult time for Mom, as she didn’t know Spanish and she had enjoyed the work in the Chaco. This change also meant a lot more responsibility for her in the home, as Dad’s new position meant much more travel. With Mom and Dad placing a high value on education, and as the children grew older and school opportunities not available for them, Esther, Jim and Eleanor all came to Canada at the age of 16. Mom was so thankful to her sister Anne and John Friesen, who gave all three children a loving home and opportunity to finish their high school.
In total, they spent 25 years as missionaries in the Chaco and Asuncion, Paraguay. In 1969, they moved to BC, where Dad and Mom served as pastor couple at the King Road MB Church till Dad’s death on November 25 in 1978. During these years, Mom taught the Ladies Sunday School Class and was involved in the sewing of quilts, baby layettes and led devotions for the group. She made lifelong friendships.
At the age of 59, after Dad’s death, and having worked together for 36 years, she said she felt like her life seemed to come to a standstill. Those were some hard years. This was also true when she lost her eldest son Jim. Isaiah 26:3 became very real to her in those years, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you.”
In the last forty years of her life, Mom enjoyed many travels, returning several times to Paraguay, once with her whole family. She enjoyed Choir and Ladies Open Door at Central Heights and was grateful for the care in her last years at Tabor Court. Her pride and joy was always her family. Through the years, she and Dad gifted us with a life filled with exposure to multiple cultures and languages. Their greatest gift, however, was their demonstration of the unconditional, never-ending love of God, which we will always treasure.
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