David D. Klaassen
Born: May 29, 1909
Place: Hillsboro, Kansas
Died: June 21, 1985
Place: Hillsboro, Kansas
Buried: Mennonite Brethren Church, Hillsboro, Kansas
MOTHER:
Aganetha Duerksen
FATHER:
Dietrich A. Klaassen
SIBLINGS:
Aganetha D. Klaassen
Helena D. Klaassen
Isaac D. Klaassen
Anna D. Klaassen
Maria D. Klaassen
Louisa D. Klaassen
Tina D. Klaassen
Benjamin D. Klaassen
Eva D. Klaassen
Susanna D. Klaassen
Sara D. Klaassen
Herman D. Klaassen
Dietrich D. Klaassen
Arnold D. Klaassen
SPOUSE:
Frieda Prieb (11/27/1910 - 9/20/1992)
Married: April 8,1934
Place: Mennonite Brethren Church, Hillsboro, Kansas
CHILDREN:
Harriet Joan Klaassen (born: 9/21/1936)
Lucille Fay Klaassen (born: 12/26/1939)
Janice Elaine Klaassen (born: 1/5/1944)
Douglas A. Klaassen (born: 2/13/1951)
Jolene Rae Klaassen (born: 2/13/1951)
BIOGRAPHY
Our husband and father, David D. Klaassen was born May 29, 1909 on a farm southwest of Hillsboro, the son of Dietrich A. and Aganetha (Duerksen) Klaassen. He was the fourth youngest of 15 children who grew up together on the family farm in the Hope Valley Community where he attended Hope Valley School. It was from his father and brother that he learned to play the harmonica and accordian which gave him so much joy in recent years.
Sara, Susie, David and Eva
Dad received Christ as Savior while a young teenager and on May 14, 1922, was baptized by Rev. P.E. Nickel and joined the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church. His faith grew to be a source of strength and joy for him. In later years one of his greatest joys was to sing of this faith. His heart went out to the needy and his ministry in jails, missions, and retirement homes will long be remembered.
On April 8, 1934, Dad was married to Frieda Prieb, our mother. Together they shared the joys and challenges of married life for 51 years. During that time four daughters and a son were born to them. They especially enjoyed celebrating their Golden Wedding with their family in June of 1984.
To us, his family, Dad instilled a sense of responsibility, faith, and the enjoyment of life. Out of necessity he lived a life of simplicity but as a result developed a spirit of creativity which he passed on to us. His commitment to regular family devotions no matter how busy were, and his insistence on church attendance no matter how severe the weather taught us about the meaning of his faith by the example he set.
Dad was always grateful for physical health and strength and didn’t mind boasting of his physique to us. It was developed from a rigorous life of farm work as well as other jobs such as carpentry, working in the W.R. Mill and handyman jobs for which he was noted such as digging wells and graves by hand, and cement work.
Dave, Harriet, Dick
Dad lived most of his life in the Hillsboro area except for 13 years, from 1934 to 1947, when he farmed at Inola, Oklahoma. He found Mom to be a tremendous source of strength, particularly during some of his difficult later years. Although he wished to live out his life on the farm northwest of Hillsboro, he and Mom moved into town in the Fall of 1984. The cancer he had been diagnosed as having in 1980 finally intensified to where Dad was admitted to Salem Hospital where two days later on June 21, 1985, he passed away. He had reached the age of 76 years and 22 days.
Dad was preceded in death by his parents and four brothers and five sisters. He is survived by his wife, Frieda, of Hillsboro; his five children: Harriet Suderman and Art of Hillsboro; Lucille Janzen and Joel, of Tacoma, Washington; Janine Hodge and Norman, of Topeka, Kansas; Jolene Stoez and Fred, of Los Angeles, California; and Doug Klaassen, of Hillsboro; sixteen grandchildren and six great-granddaughters; one brother, Herman Klaassen and his wife Kathryn of Walton, Kansas; four sisters, Eva Brandt of Wichita, Kansas; Susie Winter and her husband Edwin, of Hillsboro; Sara Bell of Marion, Kansas; and Mary Thiessen of Inman, Kansas; one brother-in-law, Dr. George Ensz of Inman; one sister-in-law, Margaret Klaassen of Goessel, Kansas; as well as many other relatives and friends.
A memorial has been designated for World Impact, Inc.
Written by the David Klaassen Family
Dick, Frieda, Harriet, sister Sara,
sister-in-law Martha, brothers Arnold and Dick
