Tribute

Genealogical Registry and Database of Mennonite Ancestry #1307572
Benno Martens’ birth certificate shows that he was born on July
20, 1948 at 11am to parents Hans and Rita Martens “em
Domieilie ne lugar Witmarsum, distrite de Gustave Richard”. The
birthdate was actually July 19th, 1948, but due to a typographical
error it was registered as July 20, 1948 which became part of his
annual birthday story. His birth was certified on July 28, 1948
with the “Municipio de Dona Emma Comerca de Ibirama, Estado
de Santa Catarina”. His grandparents are listed on his certificate:
Gerhard Martens and Maria Martens (paternal) and Abram
Penner and Elisabeth Penner (maternal). These grandparents had
fled Russia in the early 30s and immigrated to Brazil.
Benno’s family left Brazil for Canada when he was a teen. They traveled from Sao Paulo to New
York to Toronto. He was given Landed Immigrant status on June 18, 1964 and together with his
parents and 4 siblings, settled in Aldergrove, BC. Benno was enrolled in grade 9 at Aldergrove
Secondary where he learned English. After realizing his propensity for the Industrial Arts in high
school, he attended carpentry school at BCIT.
Benno obtained his Canadian Citizenship on April 30, 1971. After several months of dating,
Benno married Leni Epp, November 20, 1971 by C.K. Neufeld at United Mennonite Church,
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Their certificate of marriage was witnessed by Abram Heinrichs
and Hildegard Epp. The couple settled in Aldergrove, British Columbia.
At the age of 23, Benno accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and was baptized on May
21, 1972 at Bethel Mennonite Church, Aldergrove, BC. He was involved in Sunday School and
Boys Brigade ministries for many years.
Soon, the couple welcomed 5 children to the scene: Jennifer, Marlon, Mark, Luella and Freddy.
Benno built a home and hobby farm on 36th Avenue for the family and worked for DG
Construction and Otter Construction in the early years, before he moved on to house framing
and later on worked as a sawyer at Westwood Industries cabinet shop in Port Kells. His
workmates often became his lifelong friends. Alongside these he would be working on his own
farm with selling hedge cedars and began in 1984 working together with his wife doing
caretaking, custodial and landscape maintenance at the church. In retirement years he
operated an extensive squab farm in his barns.
Benno was an avid fisherman in both summer, camping with the family, and winter with ice
fishing. He enjoyed playing hymns on the harmonica and accordion. He loved planting trees and
having many animals and specialty birds on his property. He loved kids and his grandchildren
were his greatest joy. Benno enjoyed funny stories. He was always telling jokes, teasing and
playing practical jokes. He was frequently on BBQ duty for the many family gatherings that
were held on the farm and a pack of cards was always on hand to play Durak with his family in
the evenings and many a Sunday afternoon after faspa.
Benno was a handyman and would have several repair projects on the go along with his physics
experiments that would keep him busy in the barn on the farm in Aldergrove or later in the
garage workshop at the house in Abbotsford with his Maté and hot water thermos at hand. His
latest project was a self-propelled machine incorporating magnet power and he was obsessed
with Sudoku which he worked on until the side effects of pancreatic cancer rendered him
unable to continue.
Benno passed away on July 30, 2020 at 4:00pm in palliative care at the Abbotsford Regional
Hospital Cancer Centre. He is predeceased by a brother, Alvin, and his parents, Hans and Rita
along with his niece, Jenny.
He leaves behind to mourn his beloved wife, Leni of 48 years, and his children and
grandchildren: Jennifer (Rob) & Jonah; Marlon (Cheryl), Aiden & Kaylie; Mark; Luella (John),
Grey & Tate; Freddy (Priscilla), Jorgen & Johann. He also leaves behind his siblings whom he
loved dearly: Luiza, Anelore (Dale, in memory), Frederico (Sally) & Regina (Tony) along with his
nieces, nephews, in-laws, cousins and many relatives and friends.
An intimate gathering for a graveside service is to take place at Maclure Road Mennonite
Cemetery, 33965 Maclure Rd, Abbotsford on Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 11:00am.
The family wishes to thank relatives and friends who walked the journey with them and
appreciated the attentive, high-quality care Benno was able to receive in palliative, made more
remarkable under the circumstances of the pandemic.
Share your memories and condolences on Benno’s In Memoriam page
https://www.facebook.com/benno.martens.7