Biography
John Janzen’s ancestral origins stem from Western Europe. His ancestors, having been passionate Mennonites who did not believe in war, were persecuted for their strong views against participation in the military. Fleeing Western Europe in the 16th century, they settled in the Lowlands of the Vistula River on the Southern shores of the Baltic Sea, They lived in Prussia until the early 19th century, when his maternal ancestors relocated to Russia. From 1870 to 1880, Janzen’s ancestors migrated to the United States and settled in Central Kansas.
John M. Janzen was born to Hilda Gertrude Neufeldt and Louis Abraham Janzen on October 28, 1937, in the town of Newton in Central Kansas. He is the second of four children, and one of three boys in his family. Growing up on a farm in Newton, John’s responsibilities included feeding the chickens and calves, milking the cows, and working the fields with horses and tractors.
Janzen’s parents, his mother a nurse, and his father a farmer-stockman, both had a very high regard for education and always encouraged their children to make the most of their potential. When Janzen began his Master’s studies, his father sent him off with one piece of advice, "If you begin graduate study, try for a PhD." So from early on, Janzen was encouraged to pursue a higher education, and had the support of his family to help him through it. For most of his undergraduate career, however, Janzen continued to return home for the summers to help out with the family farm.
He is currently married to Reinhild Kauenhoven and has three children.
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