Rev. Henry Victor Friesen

September 3, 1935 - September 11, 2020

With profound sadness our family announces the death of Henry Victor Friesen, on September 11th, 2020 in the High River Hospital. With family members present he was surrounded by love. Henry was born September 3, 1935 in a log cabin in Fitzmaurice, SK under the watchful eye of Mrs. Martens, the local midwife. He was the fourth of seven children born to Gerhard and Suzie (Stobbe) Friesen. He was a child of the prairies who loved the land, the smell of hay and the feel of the prairie wind. As a child he would run for hours over the prairie landscape, snapping the reins of a make-belief team of horses. It was from these humble beginnings that Henry grew into the person we all knew and valued. Henry’s children remember delightful stories from his childhood. He loved to tell the tale of his horse Major who would startle himself awake and take off galloping. Another is a rebellious, high stakes escape from the one-room school during a winter blizzard after being told by the teacher to hunker down and wait it out. Henry slipped out to the barn and hitched up the team. He’d instructed his two younger sisters to slip into their coats and await his signal. They made their getaway across the driving wind & snow-covered fields, all the way back home. Their trusty horses knew the way by memory. When his mother was asked to describe in one word, Henry as a child, she replied with a twinkle in her eye, “mischievous”. Henry was a lifelong learner. He attended RJC (Rosthern SK), CMBC (Winnipeg MB), Bethel College (Newton KS), Anabaptist Mennonite Seminary (Elkhart IN) and the Lutheran Seminary at the U of Saskatchewan where he got his Master of Divinity. Dad also studied Clinical Pastoral Care at Prairie View Mental Health Centre (Newton) and later Foothills Hospital (Calgary). It was at CMBC Henry met Louise (Peters) and they married in 1961. Together they raised four rambunctious and curious children who were born at various stops in Dad’s education and early ministry journey. Henry began his career as a pastor at the Altona Mennonite church in Manitoba where he was ordained as a minister on June 20th, 1965. In the late ‘80’s Henry's marriage ended, and his life took a new direction. He moved to Calgary for the second part of his Clinical Pastoral Care training and then accepted a position in Halifax at the Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Children’s Hospital. His experience there was profound, working with the children and their families. He said at the time, the children had taught him much about life. During this time, his thoughts repeatedly returned to a caring nurse he had met in Calgary. Sarah Milligan and Dad married in 1991 and she joined him in Halifax where they created a decade of incredible memories. Henry and Sarah moved from Halifax to High River in 2001 where he accepted a position as Hospital Chaplain and made this lovely town their home. He remained there for three years. There was one sojourn away from High River for a 3-year term at the United Church in Kimberley, BC. It was during this time that he completed the admission steps for entering clergy in affiliation with the United Church (2007). During those years, they hosted different family groupings on ski trips. Those are precious memories for the grandkids. The Clinical Pastoral Care training and their decade in the Maritimes led Henry to find a new calling in grief counselling. Caring for those in the deepest throes of despair and supporting patients, family and staff alike was what he loved to do. Because of this experience, he and Vi Sharpe saw a need to form the High River Solace Grief Group which has continued to this day. Henry made an effort to retire three separate times. After returning to High River a second time, Henry “semi-retired” took on a series of part-time commissions at nearby churches. He ministered to congregations in Strathmore, Arrowwood, Blackie, Cayley, Claresholm, Cochrane, Ft. Macleod, Gladys Ridge, Granum, Nanton, Stavey, Turner Valley & Vulcan. Henry was a man of God but also a man of the people. He served at many weddings, funerals, baptisms and as a grief counsellor. He gave sermons, spiritual guidance and truly helped humankind as a peacemaker, believing in nonviolence and conflict resolution. Henry kept a large library and read voraciously. He loved new ideas and saw them as refreshing and challenging, which often produced very interesting discussions. He had a quick, easy and sometimes wicked sense of humour and a gift to turn a phrase. Henry loved to tell and listen to a good story. He was always ready to listen and talk with a neighbor, family member, friend or congregational member in need, often doing this over a cup of coffee. The meaning of his life’s work was revealed through the connection and support we recently received from Chaplain Darrin and Reverend David Robertson. We are truly grateful for their guidance, care and willingness to laugh through the tears and just be there for us. Henry is survived by his wife Sarah, his children Tim (Jackie); Kirsten (Jean-Francois); Roy; Dirk (Dennis) and their mother Louise; Grandchildren Simon, Brodie, Gabrielle, Sydney (Carter), Taylor, Kassia and Ruby. In addition, Henry had just become a great-grandfather to London in May. He never met her but was delighted with photos and videos. He is also survived by step-sons Blair and Jim. In addition, Henry is survived by his brother Art (Hilda); sister Erna (Pete) and sister Louise. There are also dozens of nieces and nephews and other extended family who loved Uncle Henry and are grieving with us. Henry was predeceased by his parents Gerhard and Suzie (Stobbe), brothers Victor and Rudy and sister Erica and brothers-in-law John and Jim. Thanks to the wonderful team of health professionals at the High River Hospital and the Spiritual Care Team that helped all of us through this journey. In lieu of flowers, donations in honour of Henry’s life can be made to the Solace Grief Support Society of High River (www.solacegriefsupport.com) or The Food Grains Bank (www.foodgrainsbank.ca). Caring for the family is Lyle Reeves Funerals of High River (Craig Snodgrass) 403.652.4242