Paul Benjamin Klassen

On a cold morning December 6, 1924, Paul was born to John K and Maria Klassen on the family farm at Rush Lake, Saskatchewan. He was the eighth child and fourth son in a family of ten children. When Paul was eight years old, his father died. Five years later his mother was married to John Gunther increasing the family size from ten to nineteen children some of whom were adults no longer living at home.

After taking his elementary education at Swan Lake School, Paul began to help on the family farm. He continued to work on the family farm and neighbors’ farms until he was 17 at which time he attended Herbert Bible School for one year. He mentioned that he had earned $150 which, if not used for Bible School, would have been absorbed to meet the family’s expenses. He recalls enjoying the company of the friends he met and remembers meals of bread, peanut butter, and syrup. Following his year at Bible School, Paul returned to the farm. At age 18 he tore down the old barn and built a new one. He also ran the threshing machine and was one of the youngest farm hands. He was responsible for many of the family’s repairs related to the house and the machinery.

On Sunday, September 19, at age 21, Paul married Mary Gunther. As a 12-year old Mary had caught Paul’s attention when the two families amalgamated. Mary had indicated that she would never marry a non-Christian, so one month after Paul accepted the Lord, they were married. Paul was baptized the summer following their wedding at Greenfarm. Early Monday morning, following the wedding, Paul was at the threshing machine. Paul often said that the trips they took to New Zealand many years later to see their son Vernon and his family was their honeymoon. After their marriage, Paul and Mary lived in Saskatoon and Hepburn. Besides the dairy farm they had for a few years, Paul worked at Bouvier and Son Millworks, Sterling Millworks, Domtar, and Hy-Grade Millworks. For approximately 10 years he spent many of his Saturdays and after work hours as a telephone linesman for the Hepburn Rural Telephone Company. He oversaw the transition to dial phones and this involved reinstalling everyone’s phone in the exchange. He will probably be best remembered for his hard work that kept the family of 5 intact. He retired at age 65, and subsequently moved to Abbotsford in 1997.

For many years dad enjoyed woodworking as his hobby. He spent many hours making circular crokinole boards, swing cradles, rocking horses, building blocks, drop-leaf coffee tables, foot stools and many other items. He was a master at recycling converting wooden pallets into picture frames, making over 600 which he donated to MCC. Many will remember Paul’s generosity as he happily gave away most of the items he created in his shop. Dad will also be remembered for his strong work ethic and his ability to fix almost anything. He also had an amazing ability to recall childhood songs and poems line by line. He could easily list all the members of many a family and was a champion at the “Mennonite Game”. He loved telling and retelling stories from the past in great detail. Beneath the sometimes brusque surface was a teasing, humorous, warm, and caring man. Mary often remarked how good Paul was to her. He was her “watchdog” and his visits to see Mary in the hospital were characterized by handholding and the double kiss upon arrival and departure. Dad specifically asked that the song “He will take care of you” be sung today. He recalled this song being sung in German at his father’s funeral. With tears in his eyes and a blowing of his nose, he emphasized how this song is not for the deceased but for those of us still here. He also told of a commitment he made to God, which was that if God would give him some money, he would gladly give back to Him. In his later years, after selling their condominium, they did have a modest investment, from which he was determined to donate all interest received to a project in Kenya. Paul contributed to the life of his church by ushering for many years, serving as a deacon, and as a caretaker. Paul is thankful that he no longer has to deal with the many limitations that age brought to his senses.

He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Mary, his parents, stepfather, siblings Tina Peters, Eva Friesen, Annie Busch, Herman Klassen, John Klassen, a number of in-laws, and daughter-in-law Sharon Klassen. He will always be remembered by his children Carol (Burt) Thiessen, Vernon (Andrea) Klassen, Harvey (Lisa) Klassen, Marlene (Dana) Braun, and Earl Klassen, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the staff at Tabor Court, Tabor Home, and Dr. Ken Dueck for their care, understanding, and patience in assisting our dad. Your efforts will not be forgotten.

Arrangements under the direction of Woodlawn Funeral Home, Abbotsford, BC.