Peacefully, on Thursday, January 5, 2012, Daniel Friesen passed away with his wife at his side. He is survived by his loving wife, Ann, and their five children, Sylvia Thiessen (Allison, Ryan), Glen and Amber Friesen (Taylor, Morgan, Grayson), Marlene Friesen, Dale and Cassandra Friesen (Jersey, Tarek), and Les Friesen. He is also survived by his sister Bertha Plett. He was predeceased by his parents, John D. and Margaret Friesen, his brother John and sister Linda. Dad was born to John D. and Margaret Friesen on July 1, 1943 in Morris, Manitoba. At the age of five, they moved to Mexico and at the age of 16, they moved to Belize where they helped establish Mennonite colonies. At the age of 20, they moved back to Mexico, where Dad worked as a truck driver for Jacob and Elizabeth Froese on their ranch. It was there that he fell in love with a young lady named Ann, Elizabeth’s sister, who lived with the Froeses. On March 3, 1968, he married his sweetheart, Ann Froese. They lived in Mexico for four years, where their first daughter was born, and in 1972, they moved to Stratton, Ontario, where they were blessed with four more children. Dad ran the Husky gas station in Barwick, where he also drove truck and made deliveries. In 1981, he started driving for Penner International in Steinbach, and in December of that year, they moved to the Steinbach area, where he eventually bought his own truck, something he was very proud of. In February, 2000, at the age of 56, after having his severe back pain checked out, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood. The prognosis was not good. With radiation and chemo, he could expect to live 2-3 years; without it, he had only six months. There was also a stem cell transplant which could extend it to five years, but the doctors didn't think he'd get that far. Not ready to give up, he went to the elders of the church who anointed him with oil and prayed over him. He then chose to go through a tough round of radiation and chemo. To our amazement, his body responded better than we could have imagined and he became eligible for the stem cell transplant, which took place in August 2000. Although it was a long tough battle, he recovered from all of this and his cancer was officially in remission. However, in November 2001, he came down with a serious case of pneumonia and it looked like he wouldn’t pull through because his lungs were permanently damaged from the radiation and chemo. Doctors had given up and asked the family for permission to try experimental treatment on him, but we declined. God heard the prayers of family and friends, and slowly but surely, he recovered from the pneumonia. It took six months and doctors could not explain it – it was a miracle. Despite having a weak immune system and bad lungs, Dad insisted on living life to the fullest. He soon became Steinbach's most dedicated mall-walker and Uncle Jake’s #1 customer. And of course, Dad always enjoyed travelling with Mom. Often it was a 2-3 day trip to the C’mon Inn in Grand Forks, which they jokingly referred to as their cabin. They also enjoyed numerous trips to B.C., Ontario, Mexico, Arizona and Florida, just to name a few. Their most recent trip took place just three months ago - a road trip to Florida, where they enjoyed the beautiful weather for three weeks. Dad was an incredible man. Godly, kind, gentle, and patient - these four words describe our father perfectly. He never complained, found the silver lining in every situation, and often reminded us how blessed we were because God had been so good to us. He treated Mom like a queen for all the years they were married - almost 44. Their marriage was an excellent example to us and we never once heard them fight or even raise their voices to one another. Somehow, Dad made each of his children feel they were extra special to him. The well-being of his family was his main priority and whether it was school, sports, or work, Dad took an interest by making sure he was there, something he accomplished even as a truck driver. He also made an effort to build relationships with each of his seven grandchildren, even though his health didn't allow him to run around and play with them as much as he would have liked to. We miss him and know that Dad would have loved to enjoy many more years with us, but God had a different plan. He has finally been healed from all his pain and is rejoicing in heaven with loved ones who have gone on before. Should friends so desire, donations in his memory may be made to CancerCare Manitoba, Room ON109 – 675 McDermot Ave.; Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9. Special thanks to Dr. Krahn & staff at Bethesda Hospital who provided such great care for Dad in his final weeks. Funeral service will be held on Monday, January 9, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at Ridgewood Church with interment at the church cemetery.