Giesbrecht, Jacob David "Jake" (1924-2008) and Dorothy (Andres) Giesbrecht (1925-2005)
Dorothy Katharina (Andres) Giesbrecht: missionary; born 28 December 1925 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the eldest of five children of Henry Andres (1903-1978) and Hilda (Riesen) Andres (1903-2000). Dorothy married Jacob David Giesbrecht (born 16 September 1924) on 4 December 1952 in India. Jacob was the son of David Giesbrecht (1887-1976) and Anna (Janzen) Giesbrecht (1895-1984). They had four children: Gary, Hazel, Hilda and Larry. Dorothy died 4 February 2005 in Abbotsford, British Columbia and was buried in Abbotsford. Jake died 16 May 2008, and was also buried in Abbotsford.
Jake, one of eleven children, grew up near Waldheim, Saskatchewan. He was a graduate of Swift Current Bible Institute. Dorothy became a registered nurse at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and attended Grace Bible Institute (now Grace University) in Omaha, Nebraska for two years. She went to India with the Commission on Overseas Mission (COM) as a nurse in 1951 and married Jake a year later. Together they served in India for 25 years, leaving in 1977. Jake’s practical farm orientation prepared him to manage hospital equipment in India and later to oversee food-for-work projects.
On returning to Canada, Jake and Dorothy accepted a two-year call to pastor the Grace Mennonite Church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. In the early 1980s they retired to the Fraser Valley where they became involved in numerous volunteer activities. Jake served on the board of Mission Community Services. In 1981 he became involved in establishing the Center for World Mission, an organization of retired missionaries. With his mastery of Punjabi, he taught English language skills to Sikh seniors in the local temple and also served as court interpreter. After Dorothy was diagnosed with Parkinsonism in 1987, Jake not only became her caregiver, but also took an active interest in the Abbotsford Parkinson’s Support Group, chairing the group from 1995 to 2002. He was exemplary in his care for Dorothy as she struggled with her disease the last seven years of her life.
Jake and Dorothy were members of the Olivet Mennonite Church in Clearbrook. They loved traveling, spending considerable time each summer in their trailer, visiting family and friends scattered throughout Canada.
Bibliography
Froese, Deborah. “The Lord is My Close Companion: Jacob David Giesbrecht, 1924-2008.”
Giesbrecht, Dorothy. “Parkinson’s and I.” An unpublished, personal memoir.
| Author(s) | Richard D. Thiessen |
|---|---|
| David Giesbrecht | |
| Date Published | January 2009 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. and David Giesbrecht. "Giesbrecht, Jacob David "Jake" (1924-2008) and Dorothy (Andres) Giesbrecht (1925-2005)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2009. Web. 20 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Giesbrecht,_Jacob_David_%22Jake%22_(1924-2008)_and_Dorothy_(Andres)_Giesbrecht_(1925-2005)&oldid=81168.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. and David Giesbrecht. (January 2009). Giesbrecht, Jacob David "Jake" (1924-2008) and Dorothy (Andres) Giesbrecht (1925-2005). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 20 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Giesbrecht,_Jacob_David_%22Jake%22_(1924-2008)_and_Dorothy_(Andres)_Giesbrecht_(1925-2005)&oldid=81168.
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