Jacob George Penner (known as Jake)
June 22,1931-April 29,2023.
Jake went home to Jesus peacefully at the age of 91 years at Health Science Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Jake was born on June 22, 1931, in the Manitou Hospital. His parents, Jacob John Penner and Elizabeth Henrietta Penner (nee Baumgart) were farmers and required lots of help in seeding, haying, and harvesting. It was arduous work but with a growing family of 12 children and 2 indigenous foster children it taught them hard work ethics.
Over the next few years, the family moved from Crystal City to the Manitou area and finally settled in the Kaleida district. He took his high school in Winkler as well as in MCI Gretna. It was at MCI in Gretna that he accepted Jesus as his Lord and personal Saviour with the assistance of Principal Paul Schafer. In later years, he was baptized by Reverend Schmidt in the South End Mennonite Brethren Church.
Around the age of 15 years, while watching a Christian movie about the horrible plight of destitute children throughout the world, and all their illnesses and hunger, affected him and this became deeply engrained in his mind. These thoughts inspired him to consider a future in foreign missions.
After high school, technical and university classes, he was keeping the “benches” at the schools warm for at least 11 years. In 1959, after 4 years in diagnostic studies, he wanted experience what missions was all about. He applied and spent time at the Grand Riviere du Nord Hospital in northern Haiti. It was a real eye opener. Wow! what a career he had as a Lab and X-ray tech.
On his return to Canada, he worked in the Campbellford Hospital in eastern Ontario, before applying to study biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
On the way to Saskatoon, he stopped to visit family members in Winnipeg, and came across a sparkling blue-eyed nurse named Anne Nikkel at a Valentine’s tobogganing event, it was love at first sight, and he married the love of his life August 24, 1963 in Winkler,MB church.
After his studies in Saskatoon, Jake and Anne applied for missions and landed up studying French in Belgium prior to going to the Republic du Congo. Belgium was cold, but oh how hot it was to be in their new land of Congo!
In 1964 they welcomed their firstborn son Mark who was born in Winnipeg. He accompanied them to Congo and later was joined by 2 delightful sisters, Rachel and Sharon in Pai-Kongila.
On return to Canada in 1974, Jake continued another 4 years of intensive studies as a Registered Nurse and a Nurse Practitioner. He worked for Corrections Canada at a Federal Government Institution until he retired in 1991. This was followed by a few short stents working in northern Canada in medical clinics.
In retirement he enjoyed doing voluntary medical clinics in Paraguay, Belize, and El Salvador.
Jake loved watching nature films on birds and animals. He loved reading and discussing history, politics, and religion. He also enjoyed playing a good game of crokinole and checkers. He enjoyed collecting key chains from places around the world. In his retirement he enjoyed spending time with family and close friends, you could always have a chuckle and a challenging chat when visiting with him.
Regularly Jake and Anne spent mornings and evenings in devotions with their Saviour Jesus Christ, praying fervently for their family and friends.
Further into retirement, at age 70, Jake and Anne took in 20 foreign students from 7 countries. Wow! Did that ever enrich their lives! A bonus was a 3-week trip to South Korea.
Jake’s favorite expression was, “Life has been so good!”
Verses that profoundly affected his life were:
John 14:6 “ I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”
1 John 5: 12 & 13 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life”
Jake leaves behind his precious wife, Anne an amazing partner for almost 60 years.
Children:
Mark (Debbie)-Vanessa (Ben), Melissa (Graeme), Chrisalyn (Reid), Brad (Tawnee).
Rachel (Glen) Neufeldt-Reuben (Shannon), Sarah, Miranda.
Sharon (Rick) Wall-Tiffany (Kyle), Brittany (Steven), Miranda (Michael), Sheldon.
6 Great grandchildren, and 8 Step-great grandchildren, and many loved in-laws, international students and friends.
He was pre-deceased by his parents Jacob John Penner and Elizabeth Henrietta Penner (nee Baumgart) and other siblings and family members.
The family would like to give a huge thank you to Health Science Center staff on the 5th floor for their wonderful care of Jake Penner and those who visited him.
Please join us at the viewing at Friends Funeral Service, 2146 Main St., Winnipeg, MB on Friday, May 5, 2023 from 7-9 p.m.
Interment will be prior to the service at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday May 6, 2023 at Oakville Cemetery, Manitoba.
The funeral will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Westwood Community Church, 401 Westwood Dr., Winnipeg.
The service will be livestreamed, and available at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85431411418?pwd=WWdtOEk0YVFDdDgxOUNnWkhDTjYzUT09
In memory of Jake, donation may be made to Back to the Bible - https://www.backtothebible.ca and Gideons - https://www.gideons.org/