A visit to Yarrow Cemetery

The Yarrow Cemetery is situated at the end of Hare Road (formerly Alder Road) – a quiet place far from the hustle and bustle of the village.  Here lie buried saints and sinners, young and old, in 17 straight rows.
 The first death to occur among the Yarrow Mennonite settlers was that of infant George Giesbrecht, August 2, 1928, who is buried in the Carmen United Church Cemetery.
The Yarrow Mennonites were officially authorized to establish a cemetery in May of 1931, the current site of Yarrow’s burial ground,  A prominent person instrumental in establishing this cemetery was Johann Braun, one of Yarrow’s pioneers, who for many years was gravedigger and keeper of the grounds.  The first two persons buried in the Yarrow cemetery were Heinrich Rempel (1910 – 1931) row 1, #42 and Agnes Schellenberg (1906 – 1931) row 1, #44.
 Nowhere in Yarrow is there a sign denoting the location of the cemetery but for decades the Mennonites knew it was located at the end of “Kirchhofstrasse” (Cemetery Road).  Today, visitors notice a sign at the corner of No. 3 Road and Hare Road that says, “NO EXIT.”
 

A few stops on the Yarrow Cemetery Tour

My father, George Reimer, was born in January of 1908 in Koltan, Neu Samara, Russia.  In 1926, Dad, his youngest brother, Peter, and their mother, came to Canada and settled in Yarrow.  Here Dad fell in love with Helena Wiens and they were married in June of 1930 – the second wedding among the Mennonite settlers of Yarrow.  The next year, both George and Lena Reimer were baptized and became members of the Yarrow Mennonite Brethren Church.
 Our parents complemented each other in character: Mom, more serious and pious, Dad, fun loving and joking, always living on the edge.  They adored each other.  Dad’s sense of humour made for good times and much fun and laughter especially around the dinner table.  Mother would be heard saying, ‘Aber Kinder!’ but when she realized that Dad was in the middle of it all – often the instigator – she had to give in and join in the fun.
Mother loved music as much as Dad but was not as much in the public eye.  She was the encourager when we all took music lessons.  She had to put up with many different sounds going on at the same time.  After school, we often came home to freshly baked bread.
Among the special times we children remember were our trips to Vancouver’s Stanley Park to hear the Sunday afternoon symphony concerts.  I can still see Dad leaning forward and itching to conduct the orchestra, especially when they played exciting Rossini overtures.   The other specialty at our house was listening to Foster Hewitt’s  “Hockey Night in Canada.”  We never missed a Saturday – soup, freshly baked buns and hockey.  We had a regular visitor from the other end of town who didn’t have a radio and showed up at the door just in time for the game.  Without saying a word, Jack Wittenberg came and went quietly.

Choir singing in worship was for Dad the ultimate expression.  Inviting people to join the choir was considered so special this warranted a visit to the home of the potential choir singer and a personal invitation.  Dad continually searched for new and challenging music for the choir; Dad’s great love for singing, for music and for the church is probably his greatest legacy.  Without Mom’s support he could not have accomplished this.  In addition, our parents passed on to us a legacy of hospitality – visitors were always welcome.  Exemplifying compassion and love, our parents took in their nieces and nephews when Dad’s sister and her husband died of tuberculosis in the 1930s.  George Reimer died in 1963 at 55 years of age.
 

Margaret Klippenstein Enns, 1888-1977, and Henry Abraham Enns, 1883-1972.
by Sarah E. Martens
 
My mother, Margaret Klippenstein Enns, was born April 19, 1888 in the village of Alexanderwohl, Molotschna Colony, but spent her childhood in, Logovsk, Neu Sawara Colony.  With her husband’s blessing, she took a medical course in 1923 in order to become a midwife.  She was an independent person and was dedicated to her chosen vocation.

After moving to Yarrow with her husband and children, mother continued practicing midwifery.  At that time, the nearest doctors resided in Chilliwack which meant that mother was often required to rely on her own skills.  Our family would sometimes be awakened in the middle of the night, and we children walked to the neighbours where we often slept on the floor.  Later, a guest room was set-aside in our home for new mothers who usually stayed for ten days even when husbands complained.  Being a midwife was difficult for mother and for her family, but she was convinced that she was called by God to practice.  In addition to assisting others in childbirth, Mother gave birth to eleven children (two died in infancy).   She died February 5, 1977.

Henry Abraham Enns, was born January 6, 1883 in Crimea, Russia.  In his eleventh year he moved with his parents to Neu Samara.  He was baptized into the MB church in 1901, the same year his mother died.  His father died a few years later.
Father dreamed of traveling to America but his plans changed when he met Margaret Klippenstein in Logovsk, Neu Samara.  They were married in 1908 and it wasn’t long before the young couple moved to Slavgorod Colony to start a new farm.  When, during World War I, Dad was conscripted into the forestry service, Mom took care of the farm and even ploughed the fields.

In 1926, our family emigrated to Zeneta, Saskatchewan and then in 1929 moved to Yarrow, BC.
Both my parents were dedicated deacons in the Yarrow MB church for many years.  Dad was a friend to young and old, Christian and non-Christian.  He died in 1972.
 

Susanna Wiebe Thiessen, 1915-1998
by Ike Thiessen

My mother, Susanna Wiebe Thiessen, the sixth of twelve children, was born to Isaak and Katharina Braun Wiebe February 24, 1915 in Neuendorf, Ukraine.  She was baptized in 1934.  Susanna and John Thiessen were married October 7, 1934 in Neuendorf where four of their five children: John, Isaac, Susan and Frank, were born.

In 1943 our family fled from Russia to Poland.  Here the fifth child, Agatha, was born December 22, 1944 just two hours after father was conscripted into the German army.  This was the last time we heard from or saw our father.  In 1945, our family fled from Poland to Germany and from there we immigrated to Canada.  We arrived in Yarrow December 9, 1948.  Mother joined the Yarrow United Mennonite Church, became a member of the “Mary-Martha” Ladies Aid, sang in the church choir and taught Sunday School.

Mother made a living by hoeing, picking and growing berries, picking hops, beans and whatever else was available at that time.  After her children left home, she worked for the Mennonite Central Committee clothing depot in Yarrow and Clearbrook until her retirement.  Church, food and clothing played an important role in her life.  Every Sunday she made sure her children were dressed neatly and clean for Sunday School.  In addition we knew her as a great cook and baker.

Susanna Wiebe Thiessen never gave up trying to find her husband, but prayed and hoped until her dying breath.  My father, Johann Thiessen, the youngest of twelve children, was born August 23, 1912 to Franz and Agatha Bergen Thiessen.  In 1942 he was baptized.  He worked on a collective farm as a mechanic and caterpillar and tractor operator and, when time allowed, he enjoyed hunting and fishing.  We heard a rumor that father died December 23, 1945 but none of us can be certain of this date.  Susanna Wiebe Thiessen died January 6, 1998 in Abbotsford, BC and is buried in the Yarrow Cemetery.