Reuben Jacob Derksen
August 5, 1928 – March 18, 2026
Reuben Derksen passed away on March 18, 2026.
He is lovingly remembered by his wife of almost 70 years, Elizabeth (nee Hamm) Derksen, daughters Lovella (Stephen) Soles, Connie (Doug) Inglis, Tammy (Bob) Carlson, Holly (Mike) Hobbins, Kimberly (Wayne) Arendt, Scott (Mabel) Derksen, his grandchildren Mykal Inglis, Joshua Soles, Kendra (Mitch) McDougall, Derek (Amy) Carlson, Jordan Soles, Thomas Arendt (Kaleigha Bear), Weston Carlson (Abi Oliver) Tanner Soles, Kelsey Carlson (Breanne Grey), Bethany (Alex) Colyn, Mackenzie Hobbins, Emily Hobbins, Mitchell (Alyssa) Arendt, Tyrone (Jacinda) Arendt, Alisha Derksen, Jacob Derksen, and 10 great-granddaughters: Sydrah Inglis, Poppy, Aubrey and Calla McDougall, Arya and Spensa Carlson, Marissa and Peighton Bear, and Crimson and Merrillee Arendt. He is also survived by in-laws, Nettie Hamm, Phil (Helen) Hamm, and Henry (Peggy) Hamm, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by two children in infancy, Craig Anthony, and Roxanne Elizabeth, as well as one grandson, James Inglis, parents Gerhard and Maria (Unger) Derksen, stepmother Justina (Siemens) Derksen, brothers (Ernest, Henry, and Otto Derksen), sister (Selma Schmidt), and a number of in-laws, nieces, and nephews.
Reuben was the youngest of five children, born to Gerhard P. and Maria (Unger) Derksen on August 5, 1928, in Borden, Saskatchewan. He attended grades 1 – 9 at Hoffungsfeld School, and moved to Yarrow, B.C. in 1944, unable to complete his high school education at that time.
Accepting Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour in his youth, Reuben’s faith grounded him for the rest of his life. He was baptized upon the confession of his faith and became a member of the Yarrow M.B. Church.
While living in B.C., Reuben held various jobs including working at a box factory, at Chilliwack Water Works, Ratzlaff Contracting and for a logging company near Terrace. He eventually returned to Saskatchewan where he found work with a threshing crew and at the Maple Leaf meat processing plant.
In 1950, Reuben started attending Bethany Bible Institute and graduated in the spring of 1953. While there he studied both the Bible and high school courses, obtaining a grade 12 diploma. He attended one more year of Bible college in Winnipeg and then headed back to Saskatchewan where he took on the role of teacher to a group of 48 students (grades 1 – 8) in a one-room schoolhouse near the Hague Ferry. On Sunday mornings he also taught the boys from this group about Jesus during Sunday School.
During this time, Reuben met his future wife, Elizabeth Hamm. They became acquainted and were engaged in 1955. They got married in Hague, SK on June 30, 1956.
The young couple’s first home was in Osler, SK, where the Monarch Lumber Company employed Reuben. In 1958 they welcomed their first daughter, Lovella. Reuben’s dream was to have 13 daughters, so Lovella’s arrival was a good start in fulfilling that. In 1960 the family moved to Borden, where Reuben became a grain buyer for National Grain, which later became known as Cargill. This was his vocation for the next 34 years. He was a dedicated and hard-working employee, ensuring efficiency and integrity for the company and local farmers. Reuben became an active member of the Borden M.B. Church, located near the home where he was born.
The same year of their move to Borden, their daughter Connie was born. In 1963, daughter Tammy joined their growing family, followed by the loss of a son, Craig, born prematurely in 1964. In 1967, deemed their “Centennial Project”, another daughter named Holly was added to the family.
In 1969 Roxanne was born full-term, but due to complications at the time of delivery, she did not survive past five hours. This was a sorrowful time for Reuben as he recalled placing her fragile body into a beautiful coffin and laid her to rest at the Borden M.B. Church cemetery, where her tombstone reads, “Safe in the arms of Jesus.” In Reuben’s final days he was contemplating the reunion he would experience with his loved ones who had gone before him.
In 1970, a blessing to ease the pain of losing their own child, Reuben and Elizabeth were given the opportunity to care for their infant nephew, Rodney, whose mother had passed away during his birth. They offered a haven for Rodney in their home until his father remarried two years later.
In 1972, Kimberly was born, partially completing Reuben’s quest for many daughters. Just over one year later, a son, Scott joined the Derksen clan, which solidified the number at 6 children left to experience the love and care of an amazing father who worked hard so that the children could have their needs met, but more importantly, instill in each one the importance of a faith grounded in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Reuben enjoyed living in Borden and in 1975, he and Elizabeth were able to purchase their own piece of property, moving an older farmhouse onto the yard, renovating, and building it from the ground up with their own two hands. Their property bordered the northern edge of town, providing a scenic view from their living room window. In 1976 the house was ready and the family moved in, where Reuben and Elizabeth remained living for the next 40 years.
When Reuben retired as a grain buyer in 1993, he was casually employed by Morsky Construction, Hamm Construction, Village of Borden, Cargill, and the R.M. of Great Bend. He also started his own little side business crafting puzzle boards (he made 333 in total), which he finally discontinued at the age of 95.
While a resident of Borden, Reuben engaged in various activities. Never idle, he was a man of great integrity offering his services to individuals or organizations in need of his gifts and talents. Leisure included curling, bowling, pool, and golfing. He contributed to the community by serving on the village council, school board, home and school association, hockey and curling rink committees, and improving the appearance of physical spaces in and around town.
Church involvement was especially important to Reuben, and he served faithfully in various roles, no matter which church community he belonged to. This included being a Sunday school teacher for various ages, youth leading with Elizabeth, church treasurer/secretary, auditor, choir director, church board elder, interim pastoral leader, midweek Bible study leader, singing in a male chorus group and conference convention delegate. In addition to helping his local church, Reuben also served in parachurch ministries including Redberry Bible Camp, The Lighthouse, and Gospel Echoes Prison Ministries. He and his wife also welcomed others into their home with gracious hospitality, an extension of Jesus’ love and care for others.
Reuben loved to travel and was able to experience several wonderful trips during his lifetime, including local attractions in and around Saskatchewan, camping and fishing with relatives, and family vacations to Alberta and B.C. He and Elizabeth were blessed to take a bus tour through 10 states in the U.S.A., as well as a trip to Thailand to visit their daughter Connie and her family.
During his retirement years, Reuben used his expertise in home renovations to tackle various projects, assisting his children and their spouses with whatever they had for him to do. He travelled from home to home with his toolbelt and wealth of knowledge in hand, saving his kids labour costs, expecting nothing more than a good coffee break and time with his grandchildren in return for his services.
In 2015 Reuben and Elizabeth sold their property in Borden and moved to an apartment in Saskatoon, followed by another move in 2016 to a condominium in the tower at Bethany Manor. It was around this time that they joined their current church home, Lawson Heights Alliance.
While living at Bethany Manor, Reuben continued to stay as active as he could, making new friends and enjoying game nights with neighbours or connecting with them at the pool table. He was always excited to have his kids or grandchildren visit because that typically meant tasty food, laughter, and at least one board game, which he loved. His grandkids were very important to him. He also enjoyed doing puzzles and watching all types of sports, his favorite teams being the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Known to be very physically active and strong, it was a difficult adjustment for Reuben and his family when he started to show signs of his true age. While his mind was intact until the end, his body could no longer keep up. His health and strength started to decline in 2024, and on March 8, 2026, he was admitted to Royal University Hospital, later moved to the Palliative Care Unit at St. Paul’s Hospital. With family by his side, he was released from his earthly life into Eternity with Jesus only 10 days later.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff, nurses, and doctors who provided compassionate and dignified care to Reuben in his final days on earth.
A man of few words but actions that spoke volumes, Reuben was an example of faith and trust in Jesus, humble to the very end. He was tremendously loved and he will be missed beyond measure.
In honour of Reuben’s life, a viewing will take place at Dalmeny Funeral Home (139 3rd St, Dalmeny, SK) on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 7 p.m. On Monday, March 30, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. a family interment will occur at the Borden Cemetery (Borden, SK), followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 2:00 p.m. at Lawson Heights Alliance Church (159 Pinehouse Drive, Saskatoon, SK). To watch the live stream please click on the link below.
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STREAM LINK OF THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE FOR THE LATE REUBEN DERKSEN
(Live stream link will be updated once available from the church. No password or login will be necessary. A copy of the live stream will also be available to view after the service at the link above. The copy will be available for approximately 6 months.)
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Wycliffe Bible Translators Canada (designated to Doug and Connie Inglis), www.wycliffe.ca/give/ 4316 10 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6K3.
Arrangements entrusted to Dalmeny Funeral Home 306-254-2022.
