Lola Friesen

Lola Mae Regier Wiebe Friesen, at the age of ninety-four, went to be with her Lord on November 21, 2019, with family present at her bedside at Kidron Bethel Health Care Center.

Lola is survived by husband Jacob Toews Friesen; children Ruth Tanner, Mark Wiebe, Mary Patten, and Lois Koulouris, and brother Robert Regier. She is also survived by stepchildren, Priscilla Friesen, Jacob Friesen, and Von Friesen, 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, William H. Regier and Emelia Kintzi Regier, and husband Willard Waldo Wiebe.

Lola was born on September 3, 1925 in Mountain Lake, MN. She graduated from Bethel College, N. Newton, KS, with a degree in teaching home economics and taught for one year before she married Willard Wiebe, Mennonite pastor, in 1947. While serving the Menno Mennonite Church in Ritzville, WA, the couple welcomed Ruth, Mark, and Mary into their home. In 1956, they moved to serve the First Mennonite church in Mt. Lake, MN, where their fourth child, Lois, joined the family. In 1964 the Wiebe family moved to Freeman, SD, to serve the Salem Mennonite church. While there, Willard died of an illness in 1967.

After Willard’s death, Lola and her four children moved to Hesston, KS. Lola worked at Prairie View Mental Health Center in Newton, KS, until her marriage to Jacob Friesen, Mennonite pastor, in 1972. After living in Elkhart, IN, for several years, the couple moved back to KS and lived in N. Newton, near Lola’s mother and brother and his family, and were closely involved with the Mennonite community and Bethel College into their retirement years. Lola and Jacob moved their residence to the Kidron Bethel Community in 2012.

With her skills of cooking and sewing, Lola took detailed care of raising her children in a well-run home. Throughout her life, she involved herself in church activities including teaching Sunday School and working in church libraries. Lola had a concern for worldwide missions and in 1960 was privileged to travel around the world for three months with husband, Willard, to visit Mennonite overseas mission sites. 

Lola also volunteered at the Et Cetera Shop in Newton as a weaver, and at the MCC Resource Center. In her mid-years, Lola became an avid quilter and contributed many quilts to the annual KS Mennonite Relief Sale. She also made quilts for special family events such as births and weddings. These quilts are cherished by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Besides being an avid reader, she enjoyed writing letters, and also researching and writing family history. She traveled often with her husband, Jacob, and kept detailed pictures and albums of their trips.

Memorial services will be held at 1:30 P.M., Sunday, December 29, 2019 at the Faith Mennonite Church in Newton, KS. Inurnment will be at the Mountain Lake Cemetery.

A memorial has been established with Faith Mennonite Church or Mennonite Central Committee. Contributions may be sent to Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, Ks. 67114.