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Adriaantje [Adrien] Groenveld who passed away on November 13/2016 at home in Chilliwack. He died peacefully in his sleep after enduring lengthy battle with chronic health issues.  He is survived by his Wife Jacoba [Koos] Groenveld, and 5 children Jan [John], Caroline, Adrien, Robert, and Richard Groenveld and six grand children and 5 great grand children. Adrien was blessed to enjoy a happy family life with many friends that always found him to be a source of pleasure and humor always a kind and loving person always looking at people in a positive light.

Adrien was Born in Holland in town of Haarlem in July 13/1926 and grew in New Vennep to the parents of Rier and Cornelia Groenveld who were farmers.  Adrien was number 4 in the age of his five siblings and still has one surviving sister Hazien Kofoed.  Adrien grew up in a farm back ground during the war years in his teens and always liked horses even thought one stepped on his foot and crushed some his toes and making them crooked for the remainder of his life, but he never the less enjoyed animals. It was during the war years that Adrien lost his mother in a horrific accident which left a permanent scar on his emotions when a war plane was shot down and an engine came loose and came through parent’s bedroom killing his mother instantly.  Adrien after the war years decided in 1952 to strike it out as landed immigrant in his new country Canada to find a new life, he left Rotterdam and Holland which had running water, flush toilets, and paved roads to come and arrive in Halifax and take the train across the country which took five days and much scenery change from ocean, lakes and forests and then onto the bald prairie with hot summers and cold winters, outhouses and well water, and dirt roads.  He started to work for his employer a local farmer, but that lasted very shortly as the man got polio.  So, he was asked to join the CPR which happened to be working on tracks in farm where he was working, so started his life in railroad.

Later Adrien asked For Jacoba [koos] Witte his long-time girl friend to move to Canada and get married and start a new life.  Adrien first met Koos and when he was bike riding from his town of New Vennep to koos town of hoofdorp to visit his uncle Pete.  But he encountered two 2 girls and one really caught his eye, but being a little sly he needed to start the conversation so he asked the girls if they knew where to find the house of Pete Groenveld?  Of course, they replied, you’re standing right in front of it, and so the ice was broken and a new friendship developed and a marriage of 64 years later they remained together.

Adrien and koos started on several adventures in there life together starting a country store with one kid in hand and soon a second and third and so on, but eventually they travelled further down the track to place called Simpson Saskatchewan where raised their 5 children while a running a full scale restaurant know as ”Groenveld’s Lunch”.  Life was busy taking care of a restaurant and with hours of 6:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m always tirelessly working to provide for their family.

Twenty years later they moved to the next town down the line Watrous Saskatchewan where Adrien worked for CNR and eventually retired from railroad.  It was also in Watrous where the greatest change came to Adrien and Koos when they first came into contact with Jehovah’s witnesses via through their older son John and their youngest son Rick who while living at home became one of JW’s.  Dad was sure he could prove his son Rick his beliefs were wrong from The Bible, needless to say the more he tried to prove it wrong the more convinced he became that what he had was the truth.  So, after a bible study was started with Adrien and Koos it wasn’t long before he dedicated his life to His God Jehovah in February 14/1987 and soon followed by his wife koos.  What impressed Adrien and koos the most was the real changes they saw in their children’s lives from lion to lamb and that was key to seeing if it makes better people then we need to find out more.  So, Adrien enjoyed great happiness in his service to Jehovah even thought it started out a little on the intense side when brother he was working with made him work his own street with tremendous success only to the brothers surprise he made Adrien work his own street.  Adrien always said the ministry separated the men from the boys and thus he truly enjoyed his ministry serving his God Jehovah telling others about his wonderful hope God’s of making the Earth back in to the paradise and giving obedient man everlasting life. Adrien also enjoyed serving in the local congregation of JW’s serving as ministerial servant and helping out any assignment he was asked to do.  He certainly was looking forward to the resurrection, where he welcomes back his mother.   But knowing his condition was very critical he was content to have sleep in death and looking forward to hearing to that future time when his God Jehovah will perform the greatest miracle of waking him out of his restful sleep of death into that beautiful restored paradise earth.  We are certainly all looking forward to that time.