Albert N. Pauls

Albert’s life began in Medora, Kansas, on September 16, 1928. He was the seventh of nine children born to Jacob and Anna (Nickel) Pauls. The family moved to Reedley, California, when Albert was in the fifth grade.

Though Albert already loved Jesus, in the fall of 1938, a visiting preacher’s sermon convinced him of his need to accept Jesus as Savior. Months later he was baptized in the frigid April waters of the Kings River, thereafter becoming a member of the Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church.

After almost two years of employment with a new organization, Hume Lake Christian Camps, Albert was hired in 1947 by Sears, Roebuck & Company in downtown Fresno. What began as a month of work before Christmas turned into 15 years, mostly full-time.

From 1949 to 1953 Albert attended Pacific Bible Institute, just two blocks away from Sears. Enrolling part-time, he admitted it was partly to take advantage of the school’s convenient location and room-and-board policy. But another bonus soon followed, a richer social life.

At PBI Albert became acquainted with LaVerna Ens. He was one of the tenors in a mixed octet and LaVerna accompanied them on piano. As the group rehearsed and traveled, representing the school in churches and events on the West Coast as far as British Columbia, a friendship started to grow between a tenor and the pianist.

In 1953 Albert moved to San Fernando to fulfill his 2-year, 1-W assignment at Olive View Sanitarium. During that time, he was thrilled to sing in The Old Fashioned Revival Hour choir in Long Beach. He and LaVerna were both thrilled when they married in 1954.

Continuing to work at Sears while attending Fresno State, Albert earned a bachelor’s degree with a teacher’s credential in business education and finished his master’s degree in 1965. He enjoyed teaching for over thirty years, his last twenty-seven at Fresno City College. Over the course of four decades, Albert and LaVerna were actively involved in several churches, serving as a team in music and in developing church libraries.

On May 31, 2024, Albert joined LaVerna and their daughter Connie in heaven. He will be lovingly remembered by his daughter Gail, son-in-law, six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, two brothers, nieces and nephews, and all who knew him.

A Celebration of Life Service for Albert Pauls will be held on June 21 at 10 am in the First Mennonite Church in Reedley (1208 L Street). In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Jesus Film Project (jesusfilm.org/memorials) or to the Palm Village Legacy Fund.