MARY (MARIA) NEUFELD

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MARY (MARIA) NEUFELD On June 3, 2009, our beloved mother, Mary Neufeld, passed away at the age of 93, at the Donwood Personal Care Home, in Winnipeg. She will always be remembered by daughters Ingrid Brown, Helen Anderson, Vera Neufeld, Diane Pyper (Murray Meads), three grandsons, Ramon Brown (Tina), James Anderson, Michael Anderson (Alisa), and two great-granddaughters, Sami Stewart and Alyssa Brown. She is also survived by nephew Gordon Berg (Kelly) and their two sons; niece Diane Watts (Robert); one stepsister and two nieces in Germany. Mom was predeceased by her husband of 66 years, Jacob, her parents, Helena and Johann Berg, her brother Jacob and sister-in-law Suzanne Berg, and son-in-law David Brown. She was born in Osterwick, Ukraine, Russia on January 3, 1916. She worked hard all her life and faced many hardships that made her the strong person that she was. She was only four years old when her mother died. Her father remarried and the family was enlarged by a stepmother and four siblings. Mom was 19 when her father was taken and never seen again. On June 8, 1941, she married Jacob Neufeld in Osterwick, where they both taught school. Their daughter Ingrid was born in 1942 and in 1943 they fled the purges of the USSR to Germany. By the grace of God, the family was reunited in Germany after a three year separation during the war. With the help of Jacob's relatives and Mennonite Central Committee, the family was able to immigrate to Manitoba. There they had three more daughters - Helen, Vera, Diane and eventually three grandsons, all of whom brought them much joy. Life for the family gradually improved, and they were grateful for their good fortune in coming to Canada, where they had family and made many friends. Mom devoted herself to making a home for her family. She was a skilled seamstress, and excelled in the kitchen, providing her family with tasty meals and delicious baking. She liked to keep up with current events and watch football and golf. Funeral services will be held at North Kildonan Mennonite Church, 1131 Roch Street, on Monday, June 8, 2009 at 11:00 a.m., with viewing prior to the service. Burial will follow at Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens, 4000 Portage Avenue. If so desired, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Mennonite Benevolent Society. The family gratefully acknowledges the excellent care given to our Mom by the dedicated and compassionate staff at the Donwood Personal Care Home. Mom, we feel eternally grateful to have had you in our lives for so long, and for all you have taught us. Our love for you will remain Today, Tomorrow and Always.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 06, 2009