Historical note

Wilhelm Friesen [William Friesen] was born March 12, 1865 to Isbrandt Friesen (1892-1890) and Maria Defehr (1835-1914) in the village of Blumengart, Chortitza Colony, South Russia. He immigrated to Canada in 1875 with his family and settled in the village of Rosenfeld in the Mennonite West Reserve approximately 8 km north of present day Altona, Manitoba. The family was a member of the Old Colony Mennonite Church in Manitoba. Because the village of Rosenfeld was a fair distance from the other Old Colony villages to the south west, the church leadership decided that residents should be served by the Bergthaler Mennonite Church. He was baptized into this church on 25 May 1886 and married Katherine Braun (1871-1941) on 8 July 1890. In 1893 the split resulting in the larger group becoming known as the Sommerfeld Mennonite Church and the smaller group continuing with the Bergthaler name. The Sommerfeld Mennonite Church called Wilhelm Friesen to the ministry on 20 June 1912. As an elected leader of the church, he was also involved in public affairs such as recording donations for the local school and recording property values for insurance purposes.

Two of Wilhelm's four brothers were also ministers, as was his son Jacob W. Friesen. Wilhlem and Katherine had six children. Wilhlem Friesen died 24 June 1936 and is buried in the Rosenheim cemetery.