Ratzlaff, Vernon Herman (1937-2024)

Vern Ratzlaff (1937-2024)

Vernon "Vern" Herman Ratzlaff: teacher, pastor, social activist; born 16 June 1937 in Waldheim, Saskatchewan, Canada to Jacob H. Ratzlaff (16 April 1884, Marion County, Kansas, USA – 9 March 1956, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada) and Sarah (Voth) Ratzlaff (5 August 1901, Rosthern, Saskatchewan – 7 June 1984, Delta, British Columbia), the youngest of five children. Vern married Helena Koehn (8 September 1935, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – 17 August 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba), daughter of Johann D. Koehn (1903-1972) and Maria (Janzen) Koehn (1905-2005) on 21 June 1958 in Yarrow, British Columbia. Vern and Helen had four children and one adopted child: Shirley, Patricia, Norman, Diane, and Bruce. Vern died on 16 February 2024 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Vern Ratzlaff was born in Waldheim, Saskatchewan. He grew up on a farm, a way of life that he loved and wished never to leave. His parents sensed that his future might not be in agriculture, however, and when Vern was 15, the family moved to Delta, British Columbia, where most of his siblings already lived. When Vern was in Grade 13, his father died and, to help with his family’s expenses, Vern took a job as a meteorologist with the British Columbia Department of Transport. He worked for two years in remote locations, after which he was assigned to the Vancouver International Airport. While Vern worked here, he studied at the University of British Columbia, completing first a BSc in Physics and Mathematics, a degree that was focused on weather forecasting. He discovered, however, in encounters with literature and philosophy, that his deeper interests lay there. Vern earned a BA in English and History, a degree in social work, and a Master’s degree in Political Philosophy. Meanwhile, this versatile individual also took graduate theology at the United Church Seminary on the UBC campus.

Living in Vancouver, Vern and Helen had three children before moving to Yarrow where Vern taught at Sharon Mennonite Collegiate for four years, 1962 to 1966, and served as principal for three of those years. His teaching skills included a wry sense of humour. He also cared enough for his students that he spent a full Saturday taking his graduating class to UBC to help them visualize the possibility of higher education.

During his teaching stint, Ratzlaff became active in Mennonite Brethren Church conference boards, both nationally and internationally. The Ratzlaff family then moved to Winnipeg, where Helen and Vern had two more children. Vern taught philosophy and historical theology at Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC) and its affiliate, the University of Winnipeg (U of W), from 1966 to 1976, with the exception of the 1974-1975 school year when Vern taught at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. He then taught part-time at MBBC and U of W until 1982 while acting as executive director of Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba from 1977 to 1982. He somehow found time to help found the Canadian Food Grains Bank during those years.

Ratzlaff had a sensitive social conscience. Theology meant, for him, involvement with the world politically and socially. Vern and Helen moved to Cairo, Egypt in 1982, where he served as Mennonite Central Committee director for Egypt until 1987. There he developed ties and friendships with members of the Coptic Church. The programs in which he worked were thoroughly interfaith, involving both Muslim and Christian communities. Ratzlaff returned home with a more comprehensive faith hermeneutic. Decades later, MCC directors found that Orthodox Christians in Egypt still fondly remembered Ratzlaff, and it became clear that their work in Egypt could cross denominational boundaries.

After returning to Canada, Ratzlaff began a long career in the ministry, serving first as pastor at Nutana Park Mennonite Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for 18 years, 1987 to 2005. After he retired, he accepted a call to pastoral duties at Aberdeen Mennonite Church in Aberdeen, Saskatchewan. He worked here as part-time pastor from 2006 to 2018. Ratzlaff’s activities extended beyond Mennonite congregations.

Ratzlaff was deeply interested in ecumenism and served on the board of the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism. Starting in 2007, Vern worked in several positions at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon. In 2011, the Seminary acknowledged his Anabaptist and ecumenical teaching by awarding him an honorary Doctor of Divinity which was recognized by his students with a standing ovation. Besides all this, he was founding chair of the Spiritual Care Advisory Committee to the Saskatoon Regional Health Board, serving here for ten years while also working as a Bioethics instructor at the College of Medicine, University of Saskatoon. Significantly, he did not retreat from issues of sexuality, both within and outside of the church.

Due to health concerns, Vern Ratzlaff spent the final years of his life in Sunnyside Adventist Care Centre in Saskatoon. He died on 16 February 2024.

Vern left a legacy of diversity that might be unique in Mennonite circles. He was a devotee of philosophy, a compulsive reader, a teller of bad puns, an attentive listener, a lover of classical music, and an active participant in the political/social issues of his day. Vern’s kindness was exemplary. He remarked that Philippians 2 set the standard for his work and ministry: humility, looking to the interests of others.

Bibliography

"Obituary: Vernon Herman Ratzlaff." Dignity Memorial. 2024. Web. 12 June 2024. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/saskatoon-sk/vernon-ratzlaff-11677918.

Author(s)	Robert Martens
	Peter Andres
Date Published	September 2024

Cite This Article

MLA style

Martens, Robert and Peter Andres. "Ratzlaff, Vernon Herman (1937-2024)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2024. Web. 7 Sep 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ratzlaff,_Vernon_Herman_(1937-2024)&oldid=179627.

APA style

Martens, Robert and Peter Andres. (September 2024). Ratzlaff, Vernon Herman (1937-2024). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 7 September 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ratzlaff,_Vernon_Herman_(1937-2024)&oldid=179627.

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