Margaret Giesbrecht Classen

Margaret Giesbrecht Classen was born August 23, 1934, to George and Mary Voth Giesbrecht at Montezuma, Kansas. She quietly slipped away in the early morning hours of September 15, 2022, at Oakwood Manor, Brooksville, Mississippi, where she and her husband, Leo, had resided since 2017.

She grew up the eighth child in a large family of seventeen children. She learned to work and sing at an early age, becoming an excellent cook as she helped care for her siblings. She attended Montezuma grade school. Rheumatic fever caused her to miss some of her schooling, but she still became an excellent speller.

Mom gave her heart to the Lord and was baptized into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, on May 8, 1947, by Min. David J. Koehn, at Montezuma. She quietly and faithfully lived her faith throughout her life.

Our mother and father joined their lives in marriage on March 9, 1958, at Montezuma. They spent the first nine years of their married life in DeRidder, Louisiana, and then with their three young sons, they moved to Macon, Mississippi, in 1967. Two more sons joined their family there. Just days before Mom left us, she said, “I loved my children.” Her life was filled with caring for them, and unconditionally welcoming all their friends to her table spread with simple yet delicious meals. Her hospitality extended to many friends and family through the years, and she spent hours doing what she enjoyed, cooking. She sang many songs and dropped pearls of wisdom as she went about her day. Many of these we remember today, especially the fun ones. She also enjoyed the birds’ songs, listening to and easily identifying them by their songs. Her faithfulness was evidenced by the plain, simple way she lived her life without fanfare. At the age of sixty, Mom found a deeper and wonderful deliverance from the fears that had plagued her for a long time.

In 1973, Dad was ordained to the ministry and Mom faithfully supported him in his calling. She enjoyed being at the side of her husband, Leo, and making new friends, not often forgetting names, as he pastored various congregations around the area.

She is survived by her husband, Leo, and her five sons and their families: Gerald and Elaine, Randall and Ruby, Lynden and Treva, all of Macon, Mississippi, Wesley and Jeanette, Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Russell and Michelle, of Macon; twenty-two grandchildren, and eighteen great-grandchildren. She is also survived by seven siblings: Arnold and Ormah Giesbrecht, Bonnie Decker, Mary Alice and Kenneth Dirks, Ronald and Saundra Giesbrecht, Stanley and Jane Giesbrecht, Phoebe Giesbrecht, and Douglas and Yvonne Giesbrecht; brother-in-law, Vince Berend; sisters-in-law: Pauline Giesbrecht, Betty Giesbrecht, Jane Giesbrecht, Carol Giesbrecht; as well as her Classen in-laws.

She was predeceased by seven brothers and two sisters