Siemens, Jacob J. (1900-1968)

Jacob J. Siemens: minister and church leader; born on 3 April 1900 to Johann and Helena Siemens in Ladekopp, Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, South Russia. He was the second of at least six children in the family. On 4 May 1924 he married Sara Enns (25 February 1902, Schoenau, Molotschna, South Russia - 29 December 1983, Coaldale, Alberta, Canada), daughter of Gerhard and Maria (Boschmann) Enns in Schönau, Molotschna. The couple had a boy and a girl, both of whom died en route from Russia to Canada. In 1949, Jacob and Sara adopted two girls, both of whom survived childhood. He died of a heart attack on 25 July 1968 in Coaldale and was buried on 28 July.

Jacob was born in Ladekopp, Molotschna but he grew up in Danilowka, Crimea, where he completed his basic education. He was converted in 1921 but not baptized until 1931. On 4 May 1924, he married Sara Enns in Schönau, Molotschna Mennonite Settlement. The couple had two children, a girl named Erna, who was born in 1925, and a boy named Jacob, who was born in 1927. In 1929, the family left Russia to immigrate to Canada, going via Riga, Latvia. Jacob and Sara had to leave their son in Riga because of illness, where he died soon afterward, followed by their daughter, who died at the refugee camp in Hammerstein, Germany (now part of Poland).

For the next few years, Jacob and Sara lived in Germany, where they both studied at the Wiedenest Bible School. On 31 May 1931, Jacob was baptized at the Plymouth Brethren church in Wiedenest. Sara was also baptized in the church. In 1934, the couple left Germany and continued on to Canada, moving west to settle in Coaldale, Alberta, where they remained for the rest of their lives. 

In 1936, Siemens was ordained to the ministry and began to serve in the Coaldale Mennonite Brethren Church. He continued to preach and lead services there for the rest of his life, also serving as church leader for some time. In addition to preaching, he was active in Sunday School, Bible studies, and prayer meetings. In 1949, Jacob and Sara adopted two orphaned girls, Sophie and Elvira, both of whom married and settled in Canada, one in Lethbridge, Alberta, and the other in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

For many years, Jacob suffered from heart trouble and diabetes, and he died of a heart attack in Coaldale on 25 July 1968 at the age of 68.

Jacob J. Siemens was a dedicated minister and church leader whose work in his congregation had a positive effect on the church and the people around him. He managed to overcome many difficulties and to maintain his faith through all of the challenges he experienced, becoming an example for the people he encountered and for future generations to follow.

Bibliography

Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. “Jacob J. Siemens (1900-1968).” Web. 11 August 2010. http://www.mbconf.ca/home/products_and_services/resources/published_genealogies/personal_papers/siemens_jacob_j/.

GRANDMA (The Genealogical Registry and Database of Mennonite Ancestry) Database, 6.02 ed. Fresno, CA: California Mennonite Historical Society, 2010: #766722.

Mennonite Brethren Herald (6 September 1968): 24.

Mennonitische Rundschau (14 August 1968): 1, 13; (8 Feb. 1984): 24.

Author(s)	Susan Huebert
Date Published	August 2010

Cite This Article

MLA style

Huebert, Susan. "Siemens, Jacob J. (1900-1968)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2010. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Siemens,_Jacob_J._(1900-1968)&oldid=142837.

APA style

Huebert, Susan. (August 2010). Siemens, Jacob J. (1900-1968). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Siemens,_Jacob_J._(1900-1968)&oldid=142837.

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