Biographical Sketch

John C. Klassen (GRANDMA ID: 469564) was born (June 25, 1934) and raised in the North Kildonan area of Winnipeg, Manitoba. His parents were Cornelius and Mary (Janzen) Klassen. John C. confirmed his Christian faith through baptism and joined the Mennonite Brethren (MB) church in North Kildonan. While a student at Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute (MBCI), he met Bertha Pauls (GRANDMA ID: 242507). They were later married in the Elmwood MB Church (1958), which became their home congregation and where they were active in music ministry.

John and Bertha spent many years in the radio music ministry of Gospel Light Hour (later MB Communications, then Family Life Network, now Square One World Media). John trained as a school teacher and spent most of his 30-year teaching career in Winnipeg School Division schools, teaching instrumental music, mathematics, and computer programming.

A gifted musician, John played viola with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and double bass in various other orchestras. After retirement (1992), he and Bertha made several trips to teach music in Paraguay and Russia. John composed and arranged music in many genres, both choral and instrumental. He published several collections of music, including a German hymnal, songs for a Russian Bible camping program (Kingdom Ventures), a collection of instrumental arrangements of sacred music, as well as two volumes of Low German hymns.

While widely-recognized for his musical abilities, he was also remembered as a good listener, someone "who brought out the best in everyone he met." He passed away on June 16, 2016, just days before his 82nd birthday.