Heinrich H. Klassen

My grandpa. He married Susanna J. Friesen (1888-1937). They had five children that survived into adulthood: Margaret, Dietrich, Erica, Agnes and Henry (my dad). His daughter, Agnes and Erica, wrote an account of his last year and funeral.

As a boy, I knew him as a short and gentle elderly man. He came to visit us a few times at our home in Sarnia and we visited him a few times at his home in Vineland, Ontario. So, not much contact. I liked listening to him talking about the horses he had in South Russia. 

A recollection of her father by his daughter, Agnes Klassen:

"Our father was stocky and short of stature. He had a round face and a rather large nose, and most of the time he wore a brush-style moustache. His hair was thick and dark brown when I first knew him. Later on it thinned out very rapidly so that he had a bald spot and, in old age,  the fringe around his bald spot turned gray. His eyes were hazel green, flecked with brown.

He clicked his heels and made a slight bow when he greeted people and when I was little, I was very much impressed and proud of my father who was obviously so "gentlemanly".

He had a pleasant smile and gentle manner. All our dogs followed him around on the farm. We had a succession of sheperd-like mongrel dogs called Nancy."