Helen Suderman (nee Dyck)

1935 - 2006

Helena (known by most as Helen or Lena) Dyck was born to John G. and Eva (nee Braun) Dyck on October 12, 1935 in the house located on the Reinfeld Old Colony Church yard. Less than two months later, Helen and her parents moved to the farm they had purchased in Hoffnungsort, just north of Plum Coulee. She attended the Hoffnungsort School for seven years, near the end of which she contracted her first bout of Rheumatic Fever. Helen’s childhood was also characterized by family life: she was the oldest of eleven children, meaning that life was always interesting and lively, with each sibling adding another interesting dimension and outlook on both the farm’s daily chores and life in general. As the oldest, Helen took great delight in observing and helping with the raising of her younger siblings as her creative and diverse family grew around her. She loved her family deeply and it showed as she always spoke with great pride about every one of her siblings. She also retained a very close bond to her parents all her life and held them in very high regard. She found the death of her mother very difficult and felt the pain of her father’s aging-struggles very intensely.

Helen attended the Plum Coulee Bergthaler Mennonite Church from early age and was baptized upon her confession of faith by Bishop David Schulz on May 20, 1956. During her youth and young adult years Helen took many jobs which utilized her skills of care, her love of sewing and cooking, and her joy of gardening. From 1957 to 1958 she worked as a Nurse’s Aid at the Bethel Hospital in Winkler. Later this talented mother of ours focused her energies on her own family with canning, keeping freezers full of food, sewing matching outfits, bringing Faspa to the field, driving truck and combines and helping and supporting her husband wherever needed.

On November 2, 1958, after a year of courtship and a second bout of Rheumatic Fever, Helen was married to John Suderman of Greenfarm. Despite the normal expectation of the season, the weather on that day was exceptionally warm (65 degrees Fahrenheit) causing even some of the Wedding desserts (cream puffs) to melt. Helen and John settled in Greenfarm on the Suderman homestead until they purchased the Janzen farm across the field in 1965, where Helen lived and worked all her life at the tasks she so much enjoyed: sewing, cooking, gardening, and hosting family, relatives and friends who enjoyed stopping in for a visit.

Helen also felt especially blessed as the mother of three children. Joan Marie was born in 1959, Arlene Ruth came along in 1961and Garry John completed her trio in 1962. In all of the family activities, whether on the farm, on holidays or fishing trips, summer outings to the beach, or planning family celebrations, mom Helen was the central figure. Her children remember not only her food and her clothing creations, but her spirit of “fun”. She had a sense of humour and playfulness which aided their own understanding that life is an opportunity to experience joy.

Mom Helen was a person who loved work and keeping busy. She was active in the Greenfarm Sewing Circle and the MCC Thrift Store as a volunteer. In the last few decades she enjoyed travelling with John to the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) All Unit Meetings. She also enjoyed visiting her eight grandchildren and occasionally expressed sorrow and disappointment that the physical distance of some of them made more frequent contact so difficult. She was proud of her grandchildren and enjoyed sewing, knitting and crocheting various things for them - from blankets to clothing outfits (for both the children and their dolls) and everything in-between and beyond. More recently she experienced the joyous marriage of one grandchild and was anticipating the happy wedding of a second next month. These new grandchildren she also welcomed into her family with open heart and arms.

Helen died on April 7, 2006 at 12:30 am. She literally “went to sleep as she went to sleep” that evening. She had just worked into the night at her sewing machine to complete sewing a jean blanket (she was making 17 of these – one for every member of her family) and decided to join our dear dad, John, in retiring for the night, when her heart apparently gave way and she entered her permanent sleep. Rest in peace, dearly beloved wife of dad and devoted daughter of grandpa; sleep peacefully wrapped in our undying love, our loving mother and proud grandmother, our very dear sister and friend. And may God grant you eternal rest.

Helen Suderman was predeceased by her mother Eva (Braun) Dyck in 1995. She is survived by her husband John Suderman; three children and spouses along with eight grandchildren (plus two spouses): Joan and Edmund Pries of Kitchener, Ontario, and their daughters Kari, Kirsten and Kayla, Arlene and John Dueck, of Winkler, and their daughters Rachel and Jennifer, and Garry and Eva Suderman, of Winkler, and their children, daughter Jamy and husband Rob, son Richard and fiancé Amy Giesbrecht (to be married next month), and son Randy. She is also survived by her father John G. Dyck, ten siblings and spouses, Tina and Fred Jerger, Isaac and Agatha Dyck, Peter and Phyllis Dyck, Anne Dyck, Jake and Katie Dyck, John and Gloria Dyck, Abe and Linda Dyck, Betty and Brian Derksen, Dave and Eileen Dyck, and Willy and Margaret Dyck, five Suderman siblings, Abe and Elsie Suderman, Elsie Wall, Mary and the late Peter Wall (deceased 2005), Jim and Anne Suderman, Gordon and Agatha Suderman, and numerous nephews and nieces.

Funeral service was held Monday April 10, 2006 at the Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church at 2:00 pm with Rev. Peter Penner and Rev. Dr. Edmund Pries officiating.  Interment followed at Winkler Cemetery.

If friends so desire, donations may be made in Helen’s memory to Mennonite Disaster Services (M.D.S.) 134 Plaza Dr. Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9.

Wiebe Funeral Home in care of arrangements.