Historical note

Jacob J. Martens was born on June 28, 1899, in Botschok, South Russia, to Johann and Helen Martens. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Alexanderkrone, Sagradowka. In 1917, the family moved again to Tiege in Sagradowka, where Jacob was baptized into the church. In Tiege, he worked as a private tutor and in the office of a butter factory. He married Anna Dyck on July 16, 1922, and they had three sons and three daughters. In 1929, Jacob, Anna and their children emigrated from Russia to Canada; they were part of the last group to leave in November of that year and were among the few that were admitted to Canada. They settled in Sanford, Manitoba, where Jacob became a successful farmer. He was an active member of the Springstein Mennonite Church, serving as song leader. He was also on the board of the Mennonite Collegiate Institute in Gretna, and was a co-founder and the secretary-treasurer of the society that founded the Assiniboine Mission Camp. Today the camp is known as Camp Assiniboia and is administered by the Mennonite Church Manitoba. Jacob retired to Bethel Place in Winnipeg. In 1985, he suffered from a stroke, and he died on November 19, 1987, at Deer Lodge Centre.