THIESSEN, William (Bill)
Of Abbotsford, passed away peacefully February 7, 2015 at the age of 96 into the waiting arms of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. William, a lay minister and radio teacher, vocational pastor, health care administrator and missionary was born July 23, 1918 in Greenfarm, Saskatchewan as the only child of Johann Thiessen and Margaretha (Enns) Dyck joining their blended families. Just several months after his birth his mother perished in the Spanish flu epidemic. His father then married a widowed Katarina Toews who raised him together with her children including a toddler Abe who became his ‘twin’. He was baptized at 17 into the Greenfarm MB Church and that is where he received his calling to Christian ministry. He met Tiena (Kay) Penner at Herbert Bible School and they were married October 19, 1940. They partnered in ministry for 66 years in Chilliwack, BC; Linden and Lethbridge Alberta; Herbert, Saskatchewan; Neuvo Ideal, Mexico and in their active retirement in Abbotsford, BC. Together ‘Bill & Kay’ had 4 children: Marilyn (Peter) Baerg, Robert (Jean), Herb (Nancy) and Rick (Aldene) who mourn his passing together with 9 grandchildren (with spouses) and 16 great - grandchildren; brother-in-law Jake (Ann) Penner, sisters-in-law Elsie Kucher, Elizabeth Penner and Hilma Taves, many nieces and nephews in the extended Thiessen, Toews, Penner and Enns/Dyck families. Funeral Services will be held at Clearbrook MB Church, Abbotsford on February 13, 2015 at 11:00 AM with a viewing at the church February 12th from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Donations in his memory may be made to Gideons International. He will be dearly missed.