JACOB J. BARGEN

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JACOB J. BARGEN 1926 - 2012 Jacob J Bargen passed away peacefully on Friday morning, January 20, 2012, at Riverview Health Centre in Winnipeg at the age of 85 years. Jacob was predeceased by his parents and sisters Tina Enns and Louise Duerrstein. He is survived by his beloved wife, Lilly; sisters, Maria Mantler and Helen Peters; children, Norbert (Elly), Victor (Brenda), Berni (Judi) and Doris (Thomas); and brothers-in-law, Helmut (Helga) and Eric (Velma). He is also survived by his loving grandchildren, Cory (Corinne), Tyler (Meghan), Tiffany (Matt), Julian (Heather), Alison, Natasha (and their mother Carole Jantz), Jodi (Chris), Brittany (Adrian), Graham (Sasha), Paul, and Vanessa, as well as Maurice (Betsy), Chriselda (Bart), Jenn (Etienne), Jamie, Jordie, and Taj. Jacob was also blessed with six great-grandchildren. Jacob was born in Altonau, Ukraine, to Jacob and Maria (Boschmann) Bargen. He spent his childhood on the family farm until political unrest forced him to flee with his mother and sisters to Germany. After being separated from his family during the Second World War, he reconnected with then and came to Canada in July 1951. On May 3, 1952, he married Lilly Mierau and they were blessed with four children. Jacob treasured his family and supported each family member in a special way. He took interest in all of his children's activities, and especially enjoyed attending as many sporting events as he could. As his family grew, he loved to host gatherings at their home on Arby Bay. The cottage at Winnipeg Beach was a favorite place to have the family together for Thanksgiving and birthday celebrations. Jacob's church life was also very important to him. He lived a life of commitment to God and was baptized and joined the Mennonite Brethren Church in 1955. He was an active member of North Kildonan MB Church, volunteering as a leader in the Christian Service Brigade boy's program and serving as a deacon for a number of years. He loved to meet for breakfast with his men's prayer group on Tuesday mornings. Shortly after he arrived in Winnipeg, Jacob found a job at Monarch Industries, where he stayed until his retirement. He took his work very seriously, eventually progressing to the role of plant supervisor. He took great pride in his work, showing up early every morning to prepare the work for the employees in his area. During his retirement he continued meeting on a monthly basis for breakfast with his friends from Monarch. Besides jigsaw puzzles, Jacob's favorite pastime was his garden. He enjoyed every aspect of gardening, from preparing the soil to planting the seeds, nurturing the seedlings, and harvesting the abundance that came as a result of his loving, hard work. Many people enjoyed his tomatoes and his geraniums. In some ways, his garden was for him the farm he had dreamed of someday owning. A celebration of Jacob's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at North Kildonan MB Church, 1315 Gateway Road in Winnipeg with viewing prior. Interment in Green Acres Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations to MB Mission, designated for the New Hope Training Centre for orphans in the Ukraine, available at the service.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 23, 2012