Funeral For:  Adolf Ens 
Funeral Date: April 25, 2024 
Adolf Ens, 90, of Winnipeg passed away Sunday, April 21st at Pembina Place Mennonite Personal Care Home. He is survived by his wife Anna, 1 daughter, 2 sons, 2 sisters, 3 brothers, and their families. He was predeceased by 5 siblings. 
A memorial service for Adolf Ens will be held Thursday, April 25th at 11am at Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship, 150 Bayridge Avenue, with reception to follow. Burial will take place at Sage Creek Cemetery (formerly Mennonite Memorial Gardens), Springfield. 
Donations may be made to MCC or Canadian Mennonite University. 
Arrangements by Friends Funeral Service, Winnipeg.  

Adolf Ens Obituary - Online

ADOLF ENS was born the seventh of eleven children to immigrant parents Gerhard G.H. and Helena (Sawatzky) Ens in the village of Reinland, Manitoba on December 13, 1933. He died at Pembina Place Personal Care Home in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Sunday, April 21, 2024.
Surviving him are his wife, Anna (Epp) Ens, his son Martin (Janice) with children Sydney and Jacqueline; his son Jonathan; his daughter Anita (David Unger) with children: Zoe Cressman (Ian Campbell) with children Sophie and Rebecca, and Benjamin Cressman (Carly) with children Stella and Hannah. Also surviving are his brothers, Abe (Helen), Werner (Marlene), Armin (Caroline), his sisters Helen Ens and MaryAnne Zacharias, and his sister-in-law Sara Ens.
He was predeceased by his parents, Gerhard and Helena, his siblings and their spouses: Gerhard (Anni), Frank (Betty), Henry, Ernie (Jean), Margaret (Bill), and his brother-in-law Frank Zacharias.

Adolf enjoyed childhood village life, including swimming in the dugout, playing schoolyard games, milking the cows by hand, and gardening with his mother. He also liked studying and after graduating from Mennonite Collegiate Institute (MCI) in Gretna, MB, he completed a B. Sc. (honours chemistry) and M. Sc. at the University of Manitoba. One of his favourite involvements during his student years was singing in mixed choirs or male quartets, including barbershop.
Adolf’s doctoral program (chemistry) at McGill University in Montreal was interrupted by a diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. After discharge from the Ninette Sanitorium, he redirected his studies and acquired a teaching certificate. He taught high school, first at Loon Straits, Manitoba and then at MCI. Interested in more integration of studies and faith, he enrolled at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Eklhart, Indiana, where he graduated in 1966.
During this time, he married Anna Epp, a fellow seminarian, in Abbotsford, BC, on December 28, 1961. Their children were all born in Newton, Kansas, where Adolf was employed by Student Services of the General Conference Mennonite Church and where he also taught at Bethel College. Service with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) on Java, Indonesia, followed from 1966-1970.

On his return to Canada, Adolf completed his PhD in Religion at the University of Ottawa (1971-74). He was invited to teach at Canadian Mennonite Bible College, now Canadian Mennonite University, where he retired in 1999. On sabbatical leave, he served with MCC, teaching at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, 1982-84. Adolf’s students enjoyed his teaching due to his vast knowledge, obvious enthusiasm for the subject, humour, stories, and his interest in them as students. In addition to teaching, Adolf served on local history boards and committees as well as edited, wrote and published local histories. His book Subjects or Citizens won a Manitoba History award.

Church and family were important to Adolf throughout his life. In Winnipeg, his home church was Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship. Adolf’s interest in and love for his family manifested itself in many conversations, crokinole and other games, crossword puzzles, support in projects, concerts, and careers. Adolf was also an avid and expert birder, which connected him with creation and community.

Adolf was intelligent, generous, funny, and kind. In his final years he lived with dementia, and continued to welcome others into his sphere politely and offer what he could to help or make others’ lives better. We were rewarded with the warmth of his smile, hand squeeze, or twinkle in his eye. The family would like to thank the staff at Pembina Place Mennonite Personal Care Home for the care they gave Adolf and us.
Interment will take place Wednesday, April 24 at 3 p.m. at Sage Creek Cemetery and Crematorium (formerly Mennonite Memorial Gardens), 884 Symington Rd, Springfield, Manitoba.

The memorial service will be at Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship, 150 Bayridge Ave., on Thursday, April 25 at 11 a.m. with reception to follow. The service will be livestreamed via Zoom at the following link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/158787495. Donations in memory of Adolf may be made to the Mennonite Central Committee or to the Canadian Mennonite University.