Leonard Neufeld

Leonard Neufeld was born on June 5, 1937, son of Cornelius A. Neufeld and Margaretha. Leonard was the ninth of ten children, and he grew up on a farm near the New Bergthal School east of Didsbury, attending the Bergthal Mennonite church all his growing up years. This was the formation of his walk with Christ, but in 1969 he had an encounter with God that changed his life completely and he never turned back. As a teenager Len worked for various local farmers and in1962 he attended Menno Bible Institute, located on the yard of Bergthal Mennonite Church. In 1964, Len trained as a Nursing Orderly at the University of Saskatoon. He returned to work in the Didsbury Nursing Home and Auxiliary Hospital which he had helped build just a few years earlier. In 1966, he met Ann Snyder, who Len described as the prettiest nurse in the hospital, but he could not win her heart until 1969. They were married on May 24th, and he would have completed, as of two days ago, 54 years of faithful marriage to his special, Deary Doll, his pet name for Ann. As newly marrieds they moved to Calgary and Len worked at the Foothills hospital, then they returned to the Didsbury area when they had a chance to purchase an acreage off of the Snyder family farm and start their own family. Greg was born in 1970 and Jeff followed in 1973. Len loved being a dad. The years to come would have Len working as a loading dock terminal operator for Canadian Superior/ Mobil Oil. He also drove truck for The Town of Didsbury, Reimer Trucking and Tanas Trucking. Len was never one to sit still. He spent his days taking down old buildings on the acreage, building new ones, running trap lines, starting a honeybee business. And later in life he would add to his endeavors, the making of Mennonite farmers sausage and the creation of diamond willow walking sticks and wood working. Len ended his hobbies with making toques. And we cannot forget the year he was determined to grow a pumpkin larger than 45 lbs. Len dedicated a lot of time to his boys, there was camping, Hockey, baseball, skiing, fishing, curling, and hunting. The boys remember that their dad could see a coyote in the field that was no more then a small speck. He cheered the boys on in their sports and achievements, and he cried at every goodbye and gave big hugs. Len was always involved in the community, helping many people. The Neufeld’s became key families in the start-up of the Koinonia Christian school system. Len was there with his hammer building the school structure and later on he worked as a janitor cleaning the school, but it was never about just cleaning, he loved to talk to the students and teachers and encourage everyone. Len was a people person and a lover of Jesus and the two went hand in hand. One of his greatest involvements was his dedication to serving at Zion church. He never preached from the pulpit or served on the board, but his presence and help was always there behind the scenes making things happen. You could always count on Len. This same desire to serve people played out in their vacations. Len and Ann rarely went any place just for the fun of it, they always went to bless. That passion took them to building a church in Hawaii, helping at a bible college in Texas, building a church in Mexico and working for the gleaners in Sumas B.C. The only trip they ever had that was just for the two of them was to celebrate their 25th anniversary when they went to Israel. That trip also had a special memory for Len as he was baptised in the Jordan river. In 1998, Len and Ann moved into town. And Len became a well known customer in J.D’s and Tim Hortons as he met with his coffee gang every day. He used to walk to see his friends, and when walking became too hard his red scooter became his mode of transportation. That scooter went many miles. Len could have told you exactly how many. He took an accurate logbook of every trip of every car he ever had. He knew the mileage per gallon. And on his scooter the km per battery charge. Len was also an avid phone caller. He stayed connected with all his old-time friends, his nieces and nephews, and his sons. He was often a good source for any family information needed. Len shared easily of how proud he was of his boys, their wives and his grandchild and more recently his three new great grand children. Len would often be heard speaking the Plattdeutsch or low German with his brothers and sisters. Story telling and talking came easily. Len could meet someone and after 15 minutes be able to tell you a lot of information about them. He got great joy in loving and sharing with many. And even in his last days in the hospital, many people, friends, nieces, nephews, and grand children came by to say goodbye. Those few days gave Len energy, he glowed with happiness and was overjoyed to say his final farewell to so many he loved. Len is survived by his loving wife Ann of 53 years and 360 days. His sons and their families, Greg and Shelli, and their children Talson, Annelise and her husband Devir (DAY-VEER) and Caleb and his wife Hanah. Jeff and Ardith with their kids Sam and his wife Shana who had Len and Ann’s great grandchildren (Prim, Pippa and Poppy) and Danny and his wife Emily. He is also survived by one sister Esther, two sisters-in-law Edna Neufeld and Lillian Neufeld, his brother and sister-in-law Wayne and Vicky Snyder and many, many, many special nephews, and nieces. Len was predeceased by his parents Cornelius and Margaretha Neufeld, and his brothers and sisters-in-law; Ben & Olga, Frank & Suzie, Henry & Edna, Erdman & Ellen, David & Martha, John & Selma and his brother Reuben. His sister Frieda and her husbands Andy Derksen and Abe Martens, his brother-in-laws Henry Bartsch and Alex Christensen, his mother and father-in-law Maynard and Mary Alice Snyder and sister-in-law Doreen Snyder. The family would like to thank you for coming here today to remember a life well lived, a man of faith, a man of commitment, a man who worked hard, a man who cared, a man who served and a man who cried easily over those around him who did not have the same hope he had. Len’s desire for today was not that he would be the star of the show but that everyone would know more about his Saviour and praise Jesus, not him. So, if you are here today and knew Leonard, but you do not know Jesus, he would have asked you to seriously think about your eternal destiny, and the God who loves you and seeks you. The same merciful God who Leonard is seeing face to face, at this very moment.