Helena Rempel (nee Braun)
1912 – 2008
It has been the will of our Lord to take home our dear mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother, Helena Rempel, nee Braun on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. She has reached the age of 95 years, 2 months and 24 days.
She was born on October 29, 1912 in the Plum Coulee area. Her parents were Jacob and Helena (nee Friesen) Braun. Upon confession of her faith in Jesus Christ, she was baptized on June 7, 1934 and accepted as a member of the Sommerfeld Mennonite Church. She was joined in holy matrimony with Peter A. Rempel of Neuenberg on September 23, 1934. To them were born 14 children; 8 sons and 6 daughters. One son predeceased her as well as her husband and our father who passed away on March 27, 1996. They had shared joys and sorrows for 61 years, 6 months and 4 days. She has lived in widowhood for 11 years, 9 months and 26 days.
She grew up in the Plum Coulee area and in the village of Rosengart, MB. After marriage, they lived most of their years in the village of Neuenberg. In the 1986, they moved to Winkler where they lived on 3rd St. South. Then when father became sick and had to be in the hospital and Salem Home, mother moved into the Autumnwood apartments. She lived there until January, 2003 when she moved to Salem Home and was a resident for 5 years.
Mother has enjoyed good health for the greater part of her life. She has had a busy life, raising a family of 14 children and also being a minister’s wife. In 2002, she became very sick and we thought her end was near. However with medical help and by the grace of God she became well again. On November 28, 2007, she again became quite sick but partially recovered again. Her condition shifted back and forth but gradually deteriorated. The last days of her life she was very sick, however, remained conscious till just hours before she died.
She leaves to mourn her passing 6 daughters, Helen Driedger of Winkler, Susie and Dick Penner of Neuenberg, Ann and Ed Falk of Winkler, Mary and Herb Klassen of Grande Prairie, AB, Marg and Dave Penner of Winkler, Martha and Ken Voth of Altona; 7 sons, Jake and Helen of Schanzenfeld, Abe and Sally of Winkler, John and Betty of Strathmore, AB, Willie and Ann of Hochfeld area, Frank and Mary of Rosenfeld area, Henry and Mary of Osterwick, Cornie and Helen of Winkler; 5 son-in-laws, and 8 daughter-in-laws; 49 grandchildren; 93 great grandchildren; 6 great great grandchildren; 1 foster sister and friends and relatives.
She was predeceased by her parents; Jacob and Helena Braun, her husband and our father, Peter A. Rempel (1996); 1 son; Peter (1980), 1 son-in-law; Frank Driedger, 2 grandchildren; 1 great grandchild and all her brothers and sisters.
Funeral service was held on Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 1:30 pm at Reinland Mennonite Church in Winkler with Bishop William Friesen officiating. Interment followed at the Church Cemetery in Schanzenfeld.
We mourn but not as such who have no hope, but believe that she, through God’s grace and mercy and her faith in Christ Jesus, has entered into her eternal rest to be with Jesus forevermore.
We, the Rempel family, would like to thank you for your deeds of kindness and prayers for mother and for us as a family. May God bless you for it.
Wiebe Funeral Home, Winkler
In care of arrangements,
www.wiebefuneralhomes.com