John A. Krahn
December 12, 1936 – June 24, 2020
It is with profound sadness that we announce John’s passing on June 24, 2020 after a brief battle with cancer.
John was born December 12, 1936 to Peter and Annie Krahn (nee Sawatzky) at the family farm near Aberdeen, Sask. John was the youngest of five children; his life on the farm with his siblings provided rich material for John’s entertaining stories. His education began in the Aberdeen area at the New Steinbach Country School and continued at the local high school. He completed his education at the University of Saskatchewan graduating with a degree in education.
John began his career in Waldheim and Dalmeny; but spent most of his professional life teaching for the Saskatoon Public School Board. John loved his chosen career and retired after 35 years. John enjoyed working with his colleagues and students. He loved to socialize and used every opportunity to connect with people.
John accepted Jesus as his Saviour at the age of 5 and was later baptized at the 33rd St. MB Church. John enjoyed being involved in church activities which included singing in choirs and quartets and youth work.
Left to mourn are his loving wife of 45 years, Evelyn (Boldt) Krahn: sister, Breata (Hank) Klassen of Calgary, Alberta; sister-in-law, Hildegarde Krahn of Delta, BC; brothers-in-law, Harold (Elly)Boldt of Calgary, Alberta and Ron (Diane)Boldt and Warren (Cheryl) Boldt both of Hepburn, Sask.; He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews and extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Peter and Annie Krahn; parents-in-law, Cornelius and Helen Boldt – Lepp; brothers, George Krahn, Henry (Luella) Krahn and Herbert (Anne)Krahn; nephews, Glen Krahn and Miles Krahn.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Redberry Bible Camp at www.redberrybiblecamp.com/donate.
A private family Graveside Service for John Krahn will take place on Monday, June 29, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery. The Graveside Service will be live streamed and available at the link below.
Graveside Service for John A. Krahn
(A copy of the service is available at the link above. You will be able to view and download for 30 days following the date of the service).
Arrangements entrusted to DALMENY FUNERAL HOME 306-254-2022.
49 Comments
Our condolences Ev, John will be missed but always remembered for his interest in others and his willingness to serve. We are blessed to have known him!
We were shocked and saddened to hear of John’s sudden passing away. We always enjoyed his jovial camaraderie and loyal friendship. Although we will miss him, we know he is experiencing what “No eyes have seen, no ears have heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
I will miss you my dear brother. So many great memories from our visits with you and the times we sang together. Enjoy your new eternal home!!
Oh Ev! Rhonda and I were so very saddened to hear this news. You and John were a couple of the people we dearly missed seeing each Sunday. I loved seeing my mom light up and run to you each time she’d spot you and John in the foyer. Please accept our deepest and most heartfelt condolences on John’s passing. We love you!
Evelyn,
Our hearts break with you. John was a great man who always made us and our children feel special and encouraged. And we love that he often had a good story to share about his days of teaching!
Psalm 91:4 says, “He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings.” We are praying Evelyn, that the Holy Spirit would feel close – that He would be your shelter through this difficult time. We are sending much love your way.
I am deeply saddened after learning of John’s passing away. My deepest sympathies during this hard time of loss. He will be truly missed. Rest in peace dear John!
We are so sorry to hear this sad news. Our condolences to all family members who will miss him greatly. Like many others, I have fond memories of my wonderful older cousin! I can remember thinking that it would have been awesome to be in his classroom.
Interceding for you Evelyn throughout this difficult time. May you choose each day to live in the present, while missing the past, yet anticipating the future, Grateful to leave it all in God’s hands.
My deepest sympathy Evelyn.
Dear Ev, We are deeply saddened by John’s death. Your jovial smiles and keen interest in others made us feel valued and special. We will miss him. Our love goes out to you and extended family. May you be know His everlasting arms upholding you.
We are deeply saddened, Ev, to fear of John’s passing. We so admired him. Our love and prayers in this time.
Evelyn,
I am so glad we brought dad to see you and John last summer. He will be deeply saddened by John’s passing as are Hubert and myself. We didn’t know him well but he seemed so happy, content and always had a joke ready. We are so sorry for your loss. Our faith reassures us where he is…conversing with Jesus. I love you.
John was a wonderful, giving supporter to Redberry and will be missed. Our condolences to Evelyn and family.
Dave, Tracie, and Anthony Seeley
My deepest sympathy to you Ev. Blessings…
Evelyn, we are deeply sadend at your sudden loss of your husband John. We pray that you may find comfort and solace in our Lord Jesus,and the community around you.
Ev so sorry of your great loss always enjoyed talking to him he will be missed . May you feel Gods presence & his arms around as you walk this journey . Sincerely Betty Gingerich. God Blessing to you.
He will be greatly missed. Sorry to hear of your loss
We would like to offer our deepest condolences to you Ev and also to the other family members. John’s passing was a shock to all as John always seemed to be in great health. We will remember John for many things, but especially for his happy go lucky spirit, the ability to entertain everyone, and the gift to tell a great story and provide everyone with a lot of laughs. We will miss John.
You and John were an exceptional couple and we can’t even begin to imagine your loss. But we also know you created many fun memories with John that you can draw upon to get you through some of your difficult days. We will always remember his friendly nature and how he was never too busy to stop to talk. He always had a good story to tell. He was a good man!
Our memories of John go way back to the days of Central MB. And they are too numerous to mention here. Please know, Ev, that we will be praying for you. May the God of all comfort provide strength and peace in the days, and months ahead.
RV I’m so sorry to hear oh Jon’s passing. Prayers are with you
Ev, so sorry to hear of your loss. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
So sorry -Evelyn—We pray you will feel the presence of the Lord with you – each day -His peace – His strength-
Dear Evelyn,
Our memories of John also go back to Central MB. John was the delightful sort of person who would walk into the room and the lights would turn on. Now he is in his eternal home and the light of the Savior’s face has turned on for him. From a distance, his earthly demise seems to have happened so quickly. As you gather with your family tomorrow, we take comfort knowing that the Lord will walk with you through this valley. With love and prayers.
Daniel and Ellen Block
Carol Stream, Illinois
Our deepest sympathy to you Evelyn and to the rest of the family members. We always enjoyed listening to John’s interesting stories and hearing him sing in the men’s choir. He blessed many people with his musical talent. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Our deepest sympathies Evelyn and to your family. John was such a wonderful man, we enjoyed our times together and listening to his great stories. He will be missed, but trust you are comforted to know he is in heaven with our Lord and Saviour. Our prayers and thoughts are with you during this incredibly difficult time.
Cousin Evelyn, Don and I were sorry to hear of John’s passing, our hearts go out to you. Every time I met John, he impressed me, as you always do, by how kind and caring and real he was. I’m sure he will be terribly missed by everyone who knew him. I wish I could be with you in person to give you a hug, and to give my condolences to all the family that I know he loved very much.
Evelyn, We fondly remember our times of fellowship and laughter with both you and John and are saddened by his passing. We are praying for God to wrap His loving arms around you to give you strength, peace and comfort in your time of grieving; to restore your spirits, and to refresh the loving memories of John that you hold in your heart.
Ev, our hearts ache for you. How we wish we could hug you and share a cup of John’s favourite blueberry tea 🙂 There are so many things to say about John. We always admired his passion for teaching and his ability to recognize students and remember their names many years later. Both of you had/have such compassion and love for your families, friends, church family and others God brought into your lives. You were always ready with encouraging words and a readiness to serve wherever needed. And then your wonderful hospitality. Your door was always open and your home filled with friends. John was at his best, perfect host regaling your guests with delightful stories! We miss you both and wish there were more trips/visits – us to S’toon and you to BC. Ps 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes unto the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Shalom
Our condolences Edna and Vernon Adrian.
My sympathy to you Evelyn, on the passing of your husband John. I pray you will find comfort in the promises of God, and that your memories of John will keep him close in your heart.
I recall John singing with the “radio choir” when they visited the Arelee M.B. Church. After the service we knew who had the choir roaring with delight as they were having a lunch. Now his tenor singing and sheer joy is even “more perfect”.
Dear Evelyn, we are so sorry for your deep loss and grieve with you. I will miss chatting with John about our various missionaries and appreciated his support and encouragement as he stopped by my office, or in the foyer to chat. John was always full of life, love and care for others, and had a servant heart, no matter the task. Your love for one another and deep friendship was so evident and admired. We are praying for you Evelyn and family that the Lord would be so close to you in these days.
Evelyn, what a shock to hear of John’s passing away. It is wonderful to have the assurance that he has entered his Heavenly home. My (Don) first teaching practicum was in John’s classroom. I appreciated his positive, helpful and professional attitude – then and now! Thanks, John, for giving me a “favourable grade”. And yes, years later we did buy a Torino from him – in perfect condition, of course.It has been great to interact with you and John over the years. We will miss those interesting and informative conversations.May God grant you comfort and strength now and in the days ahead.Our heartfelt prayers and thoughts are with you.
Don and Marg Stiller
I(Myrtle) had the privilege of growing up with Cousin John. Childhood days and school days had an extra dimension of fun because of him He looked at life from the sunny side. What a beautiful and perfect compliment you have been to his life, Ev. We love you and being the courageous person you are, you will get through this time. When we first heard this news, the song “ We have an Anchor that Keeps the Soul “ came to mind.( Heb.6:19 ) Be assured that Sam and I are among the many that are upholding you in prayer in the coming weeks. We can just visualize John right now having a good time meeting all the loved ones who have gone on ahead !
I was saddened to hear of the loss of your beloved husband, Evelyn. His ready smile and kind laugh greeted everyone. You were both such a team of inspiration and encouragement to others. I am grateful to have been the beneficiary of such goodness.
He will be missed.
Praying for God’s presence to bless and carry you, now and in the coming days.
I’m so sorry for your loss Evelyn. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. May you always treasure your years together.
My condolences to you Ev, May God’s peace be with you in the coming weeks and months. Art &Marilyn Lepp
Dear Evelyn,
We think of you today and pray you are surrounded by those who love you and John, and you cherish the sweet memories of a wonderful soulmate, brother, uncle and friend. Praying for your continued love and support and peace.
Cal and Pauline Dirks
Doreen Raabe (my late wife) and John not only were cousins, but such good friends. They would have so much fun together, and see the humour in even adverse situations. Their phone calls were mainly spent laughing.I was fortunate to be a part of those good times. May those memories of such good times lift your spirits. I enjoyed keeping in touch, even if it was just on his birthday.
Dear Evelyn, I am so sorry for your loss. It was always a pleasant experience to meet up with John and you. With heartfelt sympathy and prayers.
Evelyn: our deepest sympathies to you on the unexpected passing of John. He was such a nice man. I still remember our youngest son coming home from grade six at Lawson Heights School, many years ago, saying..Mom! I think my teacher is a Christian!!! Oh, how we appreciated him! May you sense and feel the prayers and love from many!
Evelyn. May you be blessed with many wonderful memories of John and his love for you that will bring you peace. May our good Lord continue to bless you richly.
Evelyn,
Evelyn, Eldin always really enjoyed his conversations with John. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Dear Evelyn, we join with you in grieving for John. It was just on May 31 when we enjoyed a driveway visit with the two of you. How life can turn upside-down so quickly!
It seems I (Rob) have known John most of my life, growing up next door to Henry & Louella. (I can recall spotless Torino’s, a heavy foot on the gas, always a sharp dresser.) Mardell and I so appreciate his sincerity and how he always had time to chat. He valued people. And he valued being part of a community, something both he and you invested in. e.g. cleaning up the springtime debris from Silverwood boulevards; actively supporting Redberry Bible Camp; singing/serving/caring for others within our church: etc. etc. What a “dynamic duo” you two have been together!
I appreciated John’s ability to see the humour in so many situations. 🙂 As others have mentioned, his ability to tell a great story was epic! But behind so many of his stories, one could see a passion for learning, for excellence, for justice, for fairness, for honesty… I could go on. His love for the Lord is what shaped him.
One last thing. John was an inspiring runner! I’ll try to keep going and follow his lead. Hopefully in more ways than one.
The peace of Christ to you Evelyn, in your grieving and reflecting. May God’s strength be enough for you each day.
Evelyn. We remember fondly our time as neighbours, when we lived near you and John on Verbeke Place. We will always remember John’s humour, stories, and gardening prowess. We are sorry to hear of his passing and our deepest condolences to you.
Dear Evelyn, deepest sympathies from us both. For years I knew John at a distance, and was always impressed at how easy he made excellence look, whether in the way her dressed, his singing, or in conversation. in the last four years I got to know him more personally through Men of Song, and found him to be so welcoming and easy to get to know. Leslie and I both also feel the loss deeply.
I enjoyed my many years teaching with John at Lawson Heights. He was an inspiration to all of his students, fun to work with, and a wonderful storyteller. John will be missed. Our thoughts are with you Evelyn.
How could anyone not remember Mr Krahn from Westmount school. As an vice principal and grade teacher he his well known for both his humour and discipline. No one wanted to hear the words I’m telling Mr Krahn. He honored respect for himself and the other teachers. To this day l relay the story of how we would respect all those great teachers from Westmount school in the 1960’s and 1970’s. God bless the family and many of us still remember Mr Krahn.
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