DOROTHY SIEMENS

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DOROTHY SIEMENS On Sunday, August 16, 2015, after a short illness, in her home in Peachland, BC, surrounded by family, blue sky, mountains, and Mozart, Dorothy passed away peacefully at the age of 81 years. She will be greatly missed by her husband, Ray Siemens; her children Steve Siemens, David Siemens, Lisa Siemens, Chris Siemens (Deb), and Tim Siemens (Jan); grandchildren, Will, Sam, Chloe, Alex, and Nicholas; her brother Cornie Wiens (Betty Ann), and sisters Diane Funk (Ron), and Irene Spiers (Doug). She also leaves many nephews, nieces, and friends to cherish her memory. Dorothy was born in Horndean, Manitoba on October 10, 1933 to Jacob and Helena Wiens. Her brother, Cornie, was born the following year and they became close siblings for life. After more than a decade, they were joined by their sisters - "the little girls" - Diane and Irene. Dorothy spent most of her school years attending Horndean School. She had fond memories of her involvement in school plays and a school trip to Clear Lake that stayed with her all her life, despite traveling to many far more distant places in the world. Dorothy married Raymond Siemens in 1954 and was warmly welcomed into the Siemens family in Altona where they made their home on the family farm. Within the next 10 years, they had five children - four sons and one daughter. As a young mother caring for her family on a busy farm, Dorothy grew countless gardens, cooked thousands of meals, sewed and mended clothing, played catch with her children, transformed hollyhock flowers into princesses, and cardboard boxes into cottages. Out of necessity she was a practical person, by nature she was an artist, a person who loved to make things, to transform everyday objects from one thing into another. Nothing was ever wasted. As her children grew older the artist in Dorothy continued to grow and bloom. She painted and sculpted and became involved in the local arts community. Her paintings now hang in the homes of more people than the family will ever remember. In 1986, when they retired from farming, Dorothy and Raymond left the prairies and moved to Peachland, BC - an entirely new landscape for Dorothy to embrace. She continued to paint but also became a landscaper - collecting stones, mixing cement, creating stairs that led down the mountainside and into the garden. She sewed quilts, knitted and crocheted afghans, mittens, hats, scarves, and rugs. She was always busy creating and always had plans for her next project. As a wife and mother, Dorothy possessed infinite patience, wisdom, and forgiveness. She was a remarkable listener. Whether listening to Raymond talk long into the night when he returned from board meetings, or to her sons talk about rainfall, crop yields, their work and family lives, or her daughter tell stories about her students. She always listened deeply, hearing not only the words being said, but the lives lived between and around those words. As a grandmother, Dorothy spent each spring and fall at their house in Altona, a short walk away from Chloe and Nicholas where she watched them grow from babies to toddlers to the young people they are becoming. She did the same for Will, Sam, and Alex when she stayed with them in Winnipeg or when they came to Peachland on one of their Okanagan skiing trips. She was a constant presence in their lives, whether far away in British Columbia or close by in Manitoba. Family was always important to Dorothy. She and Raymond made sure that the lives of their children and grandchildren were deeply connected to the lives of both the Wiens and Siemens families. Dorothy would have been uncomfortable with tributes of this kind. She was modest about her life and accomplishments. Every one of her children regarded her as their best friend, as did Raymond. That is certainly the greatest gift any mother could give to her family. She will be missed greatly. A Celebration of Dorothy's Life will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at the Pioneer Centre in Altona, Manitoba. Donations in Dorothy's memory may be made to the Gallery in the Park c/o Town of Altona, Box 1630, Altona, MB R0G 0B0.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 12, 2015