Orval L Janzen

Orval L Janzen was born at home on a farm close to Clyde, ND. on February 12, 1935. He was the fourth of six children born to Hank & Elizabeth Janzen. He grew up on the farm, doing chores and milking cows by hand. At the age of eight, he came to faith in Christ at a youth conference. When the invitation at the end of the sermon, he along with his older brother and father made the decision for Christ as their Savior.

He attended Moscow Country School through the 8th grade. He then attended Bethany Bible School which was turned into an academy for his third year. He graduated from Bethany Academy May of 1955. Orval attended Grace College of the Bible in Omaha NE along with his fiancé Bernice Heppner. Orval and Bernice were married on June 21, 1956. May of 1958 he moved with his wife and new daughter, Gaylene to Munich, ND where he worked for his brother's business buying farmer's cream and selling it to a creamery. That same summer his brother bought a grocery store combining the two businesses. In 1961 Orval bought the business and operated it until the fall of 1964 at which time the business was sold.

Orval always felt that God wanted him to be a preacher. So, after selling the grocery store he moved his family to Tulsa, OK to pursue that goal. In Tulsa, Orval was introduced to Child Evangelism Fellowship and in June 1965, he and his wife, Bernice attended the Child Evangelism Fellowship Institute in Muskegon, MI. There, they learned how to reach children for Jesus Christ. Upon graduation, he became a local director for CEF in Shreveport, LA for three and a half years. The ministry of CEF consisted of training people to teach and reach children with the Gospel through Good News Clubs, 5-Day Clubs, state and county fairs and Teacher Training Classes. The summer ministry, Christian Youth in Action, was his biggest passion. CYIA taught teenagers to not only teach children in 5-Day Clubs but to know how to counsel those children for salvation.

March of 1969, he became the State Director for Colorado. In 1976 he was appointed Regional Director for the Central Region which included thirteen states. He held this position for eighteen years, traveling thousands of miles every year to meet with state and local directors; mentoring the men and women in those positions as well as recruiting people to the ministry. In 1994, he returned to be the State Director of Colorado, from which he retired in 2008.

God blessed Orval with two daughters, eight grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. He passed into the presence of his Lord on February 1, 2021, just eleven days short of his 86th birthday.

He is survived by his wife, Bernice, his daughters Gaylene Mansfield (Everett) and LaDonna Johnson (Randy), Grandchildren: Everett Jr. (Bryana), Tyrell (Meagan), Brandon, Amber Steed (Sterling), Caleb, Levi (Sarah), Seth and Aaron. Great Grandchildren: Wyatt, Norah, Penelope, Thayer, Nash, Griffin, Shane, Lincoln, Adelaide, Elliot, Oliver, and Summit.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Hank and Elizabeth Janzen, his sister Alice and brother-in-law Sam Dick, his brother's, Arnold and Orlando (Lon)Janzen, his sister-in-law Mame Janzen, his niece Julie (Janzen) Westby and nephew Gary Dick.