SUSAN REMPEL (WIEBE) -

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SUSAN REMPEL (nee WIEBE) 1928 - 2006 After a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer's Disease, Susan beloved mother, grandmother, sister and friend, died peacefully on October 22, 2006 at the Bethania Personal Care Home, in the company of her family. She will be lovingly remembered by her children: Dorothea (Walter Kampen), Gina Rempel (Paul Shelton), Charlotte (Stan Kroeker), Herbert (Lorraine); grandchildren, Christine (fiancé David Robinson), Andrea, Colin, Lauren, Graeme, Alexander, Jeremy, Julian, Stephanie, Zachary and Hillary; especially her niece Lilly (Jake) Bargen (whom she looked upon as a sister); and her nephews, Erich (Velma) and Helmut (Helga) Mierau; her brothers, Henry and Dietrich Wiebe and sister-in-law Elizabeth Wiebe. Also sister-in-law Frieda (Hans Neufeld); and brothers-in-law, Harry (Martha) Rempel in Germany and Arthur (Mary) Rempel in Calgary; and many nieces, nephews and friends. Susan is predeceased by her husband, Hermann Rempel in 1982 and 11 of her siblings. Susan was born to Dietrich and Maria (nee Guenther) Wiebe on February 13, 1928 in Halbstadt, Siberia. She was the youngest of 13 siblings who survived past infancy. It was a time of great turmoil and Susan experienced much hardship after losing her father at the age of ten. She proved enormously resourceful in surviving famine, war and displacement. Susan cared for her mother, sister and later her niece and nephews beginning at a young age and managed to escape from the Soviet Union to a refugee camp in Germany. Here she was baptized upon her faith in Jesus Christ. In the camp she met Hermann Rempel and they became engaged to be married. Susan emigrated to Canada and waited three years for Hermann to receive permission to emigrate. They were married within two weeks of his arrival in Winnipeg in 1951 and were happily married for 31 years. Susan was a creative homemaker and loving caregiver. She was always ready to lend a helping hand or a listening ear. She was an enormously energetic, practical and optimistic person who sacrificially gave of her time, talent and love to her family, friends, fellow church members and neighbours. Her door was always open and all who entered left feeling nurtured and affirmed. She was a founding member of the Douglas Mennonite Church whose pastors (James Schellenberg and Don Rempel Boschman), music ministry and members were a great support to her and her family during her long illness. Although Susan suffered from Alzheimer's disease for many years, she was a wonderful example of facing illness and death with a quiet dignity and grace. Her faith in God was her refuge and her strength. She will be greatly missed, but we know she is in a better place and that she is always with us as long as we remember her. Viewing and prayer service will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25, at Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home on 1045 Concordia Avenue. Funeral service will be at Douglas Mennonite Church, 1517 Rothesay at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, October 26. Interment to follow at Green Acres Memorial Gardens. The family would like to thank her caregivers at Bethania for the compassion shown to our mother during her stay. In lieu of flowers, donations in Susan's memory can be made to the Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home - Spiritual Care or the Mennonite Central Committee, an organization she valued highly and credited with saving her and her family from starvation during the famine in Ukraine in 1933. Wiebe Funeral Chapel, Winkler In care of arrangements, 325-4201 www.wiebefuneralhomes.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 25, 2006