BERTHA KLIMAN

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BERTHA KLIMAN Bertha Kliman died peacefully at home in the presence of loved ones on Sunday, March 24, 2013 at the age of 105. She was born in Winnipeg on August 5, 1907 to Moishe and Sarah Shnier, the eldest of their 12 children. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Gordon Kliman (1977), brothers George, Clifford, Jack, Cecil, Norman and her sister Charlotte. She is survived by her loving daughter Myra (Saul Cherniack), grandchildren Sara (Julian) Zuckerbrot, Mark (Sandra) Wolch, Jonathan (Angela) Wolch, great-grandchildren Ari Zuckerbrot and Jackson Wolch, her sister Esther Remis, brothers Irving, Max (Anita), Philip, Allan (Rona), and sisters-in-law Rae and Roberta, as well as many adored nieces and nephews. Bertha and Gordon were married in 1929 and made their home in Regina. Despite the hardships of the Great Depression, they loved Regina where they had treasured friends and were active members of a vibrant community. Their home was always open to family and friends and Bertha was famous for her Sunday brunches. She was a member of Hadassah, the Ladies Auxiliary of the Beth Jacob Synagogue, the National Council of Jewish Women and during the Second World War she volunteered for the Red Cross and Hostess Club, a canteen for service personnel. She was also a member of a Ladies' Reading Circle, an avid bridge player, opera lover, faithful reader of the New Yorker, New York Times, and a CBC listener. On Tuesday nights she played a cut-throat game of poker with a group of women, where the most a player could lose was two dollars! In her 70s, following the death of Gordon, Bertha moved back to Winnipeg. With some old friends and many new ones, she lived her life with zest: swimming regularly at the Pan Am Pool, taking sculpting courses and driving her car until she was in her 90s. Bertha loved red geraniums, the colour hot pink, dark chocolate and most of all, people. She was always interested in and curious about the world around her. She gave and received much love. When she started to slow down, in her 90s, Bertha was able to continue living in her own home thanks to her cherished caregivers who became family: Virgie Cruz, Josie Narciso, Fe Yap and their families. Thanks also to Manitoba Home Care and W.R.H.A. Palliative Care. A funeral service was held March 28, 2013. The family expresses special thanks to Rabbi Alan Green, Cantor A. Mass and Estelle Raber of Shaarey Zedek Synagogue and to Pallbearers Michael Shnier, Jordan Shnier, Gary Shnier, Daniel Shnier, Stan Kowalski and Jonathan Remis. Memorial contributions to the Bertha and Gordon Kliman Fund of the Winnipeg Jewish Foundation or the Canadian Museum of Human Rights are gratefully appreciated.
Publish Date: Apr 6, 2013

BERTHA KLIMAN With her loved ones by her side, Bertha Kliman died peacefully at her home on March 24, 2013. Funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 28 at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, 561 Wellington Crescent. A longer obituary will follow.
Publish Date: Mar 27, 2013

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 06, 2013