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In the late 1950's, my mother, Helen (Lena) Spenst began gathering and charting information regarding my paternal (David K. Friesen) side of the family, and later, on the maternal (Lena Spenst) side.
Working with limited resources and starting with no knowledge of genealogy, she persisted for twenty years, writing countless letters to individuals and foreign agencies requesting any and all leads from official records, family bibles, church records, and personal memory, untill she felt that all leads available to her had been exhausted. At that time she produced a booklet for the family called "Kith & Kin" "D. Friesen Family Record, Part 1". That was followed by "Part 2", which detailed the maternal side, the Spenst genealogy.
Most of the work was typed on an old, unreliable typewriter, and copied for our booklets on primative xeroxes, but is ledgeable.
The information that she provided is truly amazing, even by today's standards, and to do so without the technology that we have become accustomed to is remarkable. She would be joyful in the knowlege that her efforts have made it even easier for all of us to know of and to share in our rich and facinating cultural background, and that we have the desire to continue working on the project that was so dear to her.
Any additions or editing of her work is done in loving memory and honor of the diligence and unyielding dedication that she demonstrated throughout her lifetime, which was totally devoted to her family.
Bob Friesen
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