Klassen, Jacob David “J. D.” (1914-1999)
Jacob David "J. D." or "Jack" Klassen: businessman and community leader; born 14 April 1914 to David D. Klassen (13 January 1871, Fuerstenau, Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, South Russia – 11 August 1946, Beamsville, Ontario, Canada) and Maria (Janzen) Klassen (23 March 1876, Samara, Russia - 11 May 1942, Beamsville, Ontario) in Kalantarovka, Caucasus, Russia. He was the youngest of nine children. On 26 September 1942 Jack married Erna Claassen (13 January 1914, Millerovo, Don River, Russia - 14 September 2008, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), daughter of Jacob J. Claassen (1881-1948) and Katharina Defehr (1883-1975), in Vineland, Ontario. Jack and Erna had four children: Richard, Dorothy, Sue, and Betti. Jack died on 19 May 1999 in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
In his youth, Jacob grew up on a farm and helped his family on both the farm as well as the flour mill that they owned. At 11, he accepted Christ. In 1926 the family moved to Canada, purchasing a farm in Arnaud, Manitoba. As a young teen-ager, Jack’s entrepreneurial spirit became evident as he travelled on horseback from farm-to-farm selling greeting cards and garden seeds. The family moved to North Kildonan, where he sold milk and chickens door-to-door. After finishing school, Jack drove a streetcar and later a trolley bus for Winnipeg Electric. Jack loved music and played string bass in the Mennonite Community Orchestra.
Jack and Erna met in 1942 and married in Vineland, Ontario that year. After a few years in North Kildonan, the young couple decided to move to the Fraser Valley, where they rented a small farm in East Chilliwack. Always the entrepreneur, Jack and Erna started the East Chilliwack General Store and were able to build a new home for their growing family.
After several years, Klassen sold the general store and began working for the recently established East Chilliwack Fruit Growers’ Co-operative Association, where he established a hardware and dry-goods department. In 1954 he became the first president and bookkeeper of the East Chilliwack Credit Union, and eventually became the manager of the credit union. J.D. held this position until his retirement in 1973. Jack also served as manager of a second credit union in Chilliwack in his early years at the East Chilliwack Credit Union, and in 1970, Jack and Erna built and began operating the Chilliwack Motor Inn.
Jack and Erna attended East Chilliwack Mennonite Brethren Church, Broadway Mennonite Brethren Church, and later, after a move to Abbotsford, Bakerview MB Church.
Klassen’s community work was extensive, including served as president of Genesis Society, a prison ministry outreach, and served on the boards of the Cheam Housing Society in Chilliwack and the Clearbrook Golden Age Society in Abbotsford. He volunteered with M2-W2, a ministry to prisoners, as well as Mennonite Central Committee. He also had a career in politics, serving three terms as an alderman in the Township of Chilliwack from 1970 to 1975.
Jack enjoyed music all his life and loved gardening. He is remembered for his jokes, spirit of adventure, love for his family and steadfast faith in God.
Bibliography
"No More 'Jacks' on Township Council." Chilliwack Progress (7 Jan 1976): 1B, 10B.
| Author(s) | Richard D Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | December 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. "Klassen, Jacob David “J. D.” (1914-1999)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2021. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Klassen,_Jacob_David_%E2%80%9CJ._D.%E2%80%9D_(1914-1999)&oldid=172788.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. (December 2021). Klassen, Jacob David “J. D.” (1914-1999). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Klassen,_Jacob_David_%E2%80%9CJ._D.%E2%80%9D_(1914-1999)&oldid=172788.
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