Martin C. Friesen, photo taken on 21 March 1968. Preservings photo.

Martin Friesen (6 October 1889-7 April 1968) was born on the east side of the Red River in the village of Osterwick (later renamed New Bothwell), southern Manitoba and died in the Menno Colony, Chaco, Paraguay. He was the son of Cornelius P. and Katharina Friesen who had emigrated from Bergthal Colony, Russia, to Manitoba in 1875. After his mother's death his father remarried. Martin eventually married his stepsister Elizabeth Wiebe. They had four daughters and three sons.

Martin attended elementary school and later took initiative for study on his own, particularly in theology. In 1909 he was baptized and received into the Chortitzer Mennonite Church, where he was elected minister in 1924 and elder in 1925.

In 1927 he led a large group of Mennonites from Manitoba to the Paraguayan Chaco, establishing what was to become Menno Colony. As leader of this group he was gradually able to institute significant reforms both within the congregation and the schools of the colony. This led to many changes, which occured gradually however, in order that schisms might be avoided. Two weeks before his death he asked his children to pray that he might remain alive until a communion service on 7 April, at which he wished to speak a word of farewell. This came about as he had wished. The afternoon after the service he died peacefully in bed. Thus a lifetime of kingdom work and experience came to an end.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 313. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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