View source for Doerksen, Jacob J. (1907-1952)

[[File:Doerksen,_Jacob_J.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Jacob J. Doerksen (1907-1952)'']]
Jacob J. Doerksen: minister; born 2 November 1907 in Blumenfeld, [[Nepluyevka Mennonite Settlement (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine)|Nepluyevka]], South Russia, the eldest of eleven children of Jacob F. Doerksen (13 April 1874–28 August 1962) and Agatha (Krause) Doerksen (17 August 1884–11 July 1982). Jacob's father had several children but only one that grew to adulthood from his first marriage to Katharina Loewen (1874-1903). On 26 October 1933 Jacob married Anna Kehler (6 September 1909, South Russia – 18 July 1989, Abbotsford, British Columbia) in Herbert, Saskatchewan. Anna was the daughter of Johann P. Kehler (24 January 1867–1919) and Agatha (Siemens) Kehler (b. 14 May 1870). Jacob and Anna had five children: Leonard, Betty, Esther, Ruth and Daniel. Jacob died 22 February 1952 in Abbotsford, BC. His widow Anna later married Johann Enns (1898-1979).

Jacob and his family moved to [[Canada|Canada]] in 1927, settling in Herbert, Saskatchewan.  Jacob was converted through the preaching ministry of [[Hiebert, Cornelius Nikolai "C. N." (1881-1975)|C. N. Hiebert]] and attended the [[Herbert Bible School (Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada)|Herbert Bible School]]. After his marriage, Jacob and Anna moved to Swift Current where he was ordained to the ministry in the Mennonite Church and where he taught for four years in the [[Swift Current Bible Institute (Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada)|Swift Current Bible School]].

In 1943 the Doerksens relocated to [[Abbotsford (British Columbia, Canada)|Abbotsford, BC]] where they developed a fruit, berry and chicken farm. Jacob and Anna were both re-baptized by immersion and joined the North Abbotsford Mennonite Brethren Church (now [[Clearbrook Mennonite Brethren Church (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada)|Clearbrook Mennonite Brethren Church]]) on 4 June 1943. Jacob was ordained to the ministry in the Mennonite Brethren Church on 11 June 1944 and in December of that year he was elected as leader of the congregation to replace [[Peters, Cornelius C. (1889-1973)|Cornelius C. Peters]].

Jacob began having heart problems near the end of 1950 and after several lengthy hospitalizations passed away in 1952 at the very young age of 44.
= Bibliography =
Ratzlaff, Erich L., ed. <em class="gameo_bibliography">The Clearbrook Mennonite Brethren Church: A History of the Clearbrook M.B. Church 1936-1986.</em> Clearbrook, BC : Clearbrook Mennonite Brethren Church, 1986.
{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=January 2006|a1_last=Ratzlaff|a1_first=Erich L.|a2_last=Thiessen|a2_first=Richard D.}}
[[Category:Persons]]