BILL FRIESEN

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BILL FRIESEN Bill Friesen was born at Riverside, MB on February 25, 1928 to Cornelius and Mary Friesen, the third child in a family of 12. His growing up years revolved around work on the family farm together with his parents and siblings. Times were often hard, especially in the 1930s, but the family was close and experienced many happy times and did not feel they lacked the important things in life. During the winter months, Bill and his brothers and neighbourhood friends spent many hours on the local hockey rink. Bill achieved his dream of playing for the Rosenhoff team at the age of 15. In time, Bill began working at jobs away from home. In 1945, as a 17 year old, he went to work for a farmer in the Boissevain area. Later jobs consisted of working at the sugar factory in Winnipeg. There he lived in a boarding house and took a street car to work. These wages paid for his first three piece suit. At the age 21, he began working in lumber camps in northwestern Ontario, a winter time occupation that lasted for another 10 years. He went from skidding logs with horses to hauling pulpwood with tandem trucks. These efforts helped him get established in his life-long occupation of farming. In May 1951, Bill began to take special notice of the sister of one of his friends. Helen Brandt lived two miles down the road and Bill borrowed his parents' gray 1948 Dodge to travel to the Brandt farm and get acquainted. This soon led to them getting married on September 28, 1952. Last September, Mom and Dad celebrated their 60th anniversary. Dad's journey of faith began at the age of 20, when he made a personal commitment to follow Jesus - a journey that shaped his life for the next 65 years. Throughout these years, his faith never wavered and it became the very essence of who he was. Whether it was in adversity on the farm or in business decisions where his commitment to integrity might have incurred a financial cost, Dad's faith in God determined his path. Through the years, his commitment to putting his faith into action led to serving in many capacities in the Pleasant Valley Church. He served on the EMC Mission Board where he helped oversee the activities of a large number of missionaries and traveled to several different mission stations in other countries. For many years he and Mom were actively involved in visitation to prisoners at Stony Mountain Penitentiary. Over a number of summers, they opened up their home to inner-city children. In their retirement years, they volunteered with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Dallas, Texas. They spent a portion of five winters there and made many new friends while they used their skills to benefit others. Dad passed away on Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at Boundary Trails Health Centre. He left a great legacy to his four sons and their families. He will be greatly missed by: wife, Helen; sons, Glenn and wife Sue, Brian and wife Luella, Terry and wife Sheila, Randall and wife Karen; grandchildren, Chris (Alyssa), Andrea (Scott), Cory (Allison), Arlin (Beth), Lance (Danielle), Melissa (Jason), Tara, and Michael, and great-grandchildren, Carter, Matea, Macy, Anabelle, Zade, Alaina and Rory. While we greatly miss Dad's presence in our family circle, we look forward to being reunited with him again. Funeral service will be held at Rosenort EMC on Saturday, August 31, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Donations in Bill's memory can be made to EMC Board of Missions or the Cancer Clinic at Boundary Trails Health Centre. Arrangements entrusted to Morris Funeral Home 204-746-2451

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 30, 2013