Businesswoman.
Born in Russia on 12 August 1918, daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth Loewen, at the age of four years she came to Canada with her family. After living in Saskatchewan and Ontario, they settled at Winnipeg where she received an education degree from United College. In 1943, she married David Friesen and they had four children. In 1951, she and her husband founded the Quality Construction Company (later Qualico Developments) and, the following year, Rancho Realty. They created the David and Katherine Friesen Family Foundation, and they founded Menno Simons College, Winnipeg Mennonite Elementary School, and the Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary. They also established the Katherine Friesen Centre next to First Mennonite Church. She died at Winnipeg on 1 November 2015. She was selected posthumously as a Manitoba Women Trailblazer.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 7 November 2015
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 6 January 2024
Memorable Manitobans
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