John Janzen

 Mr. John Janzen of Calgary, formerly of Coaldale, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Sunday, May 1, 2022 at the age of 93 years.

 John was born in a German settlement of Josefstal Ukraine, to John and Rosa Janzen. He had two brothers, Paul and Alfred and one sister, Emmi. John was confirmed in the Lutheran Church in Kempen Poland, on May 21, 1944. He immigrated to Canada on June 9, 1952 and married Antonie Mainzer on August 24th, 1952 at Immanuel Lutheran church in Lethbridge. They would be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this upcoming September.

John and Toni attended every Sunday service at Christ Trinity Lutheran church where they were active members for many years. They enjoyed visiting Waterton, Vancouver, the Hot springs among many other places together. They loved fishing, gardening, playing tile rummy and John never turned down an opportunity to dance with his wife. Every night before bed they would kneel by their bedside and pray. Coaldale was always a special place in John’s heart as he spent 60 years of his life in his hometown where Antonie and him raised three children, Hildegard, Guenther, and Anita.

His children remember sitting on a Saturday night watching hockey, afternoons spent at Henderson Lake, followed by ice cream at the Dairy Queen on Sundays.  John proudly worked at Bird Construction, Horton Steel, and Western Metal Fabrications. He was a valued employee and co-worker. John really enjoyed his craft and spoke enthusiastically about his time at each of his places of employment. When you look through the communities of Lethbridge and Coaldale, you don’t have to look far for something that John helped create. The water tower, sportsplex, and lodge were amongst the projects that he was proud to have taken part in.

John has been a major presence in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He was a loving grandfather and great grandfather to many. He was proud of us all and valued every minute he spent with his family.  From fishing, to teaching the grandkids how to garden and hunt for gophers or passing on his famous lawn care practices, even how to properly shovel your walk, he never passed up an opportunity to teach us life skills and I love him for that. Playing tile rummy for hours upon hours with family are memories we all share and will cherish for a lifetime. He loved his little sayings that made things more fun, (the blue tile was the “lu-blue” yellow was “yellow-liver”). Not a single soul ever left Opa and Oma’s home without a full stomach (usually Ming’s Chinese food). John never took anything or any moment for granted, he enjoyed singing and dancing with his great grandchildren, playing 1001 with the boys and passing on his knowledge of construction.

John’s living legacy is in each of his children’s and grandchildren’s homes, in his works of art in handcrafted shoehorns, better working shovels, and just his many inventive ways to make everyday items better and stronger.

John was an inventor, a builder, a craftsman, and a sports enthusiast. He was resilient, caring, grateful, passionate and had a great sense of humor. A man who would give his shirt off his back and was a good friend to all. A man who cared about his family, church, and community. He was a faithful husband, a supportive father, and a loving grandparent who has left a permanent mark etched on our hearts and will be missed by all of us.

He will forever be remembered for his infectious smile, his contagious laughs and his unconditional love for his family. As we celebrate his life, find comfort that he is in the heavens above watching over us. After we part today, remember only the good things you shared with John. His presence in our life’s will be greatly missed. I invite each of you to keep him alive in your hearts. We were each touched by his presence and are better for it. Thank you for being here and making my grandfather’s life so meaningful.

He leaves behind his loving wife Antonie; three children Hildegard Kapke, Guenther (Brenda) Janzen, Anita (Robert) Yanke as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Relatives and friends are invited to pay their respects between 10:00 am and 11:00 am on Friday, May 6, 2022 at MARTIN BROTHERS RIVERVIEW CHAPEL, 610- 4 St. South, Lethbridge, Alberta.

A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, May 6, 2022, at Martin Brothers Riverview Chapel, 610 – 4 St. South, Lethbridge, Alberta.

To watch the service via livestream please go to https://www.mbfunerals.com/obituary/John-Janzen and scroll to the bottom of the obituary.

A private family Interment will be held in the Coaldale Cemetery.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Janzen, please visit our floral store.