ESTHER DEDERICK

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ESTHER DEDERICK No words can express our sadness at the passing of our beloved mom, amma and aunt, Esther Dederick, at the age of 86. On December 9, 2018, with Christmas lights twinkling, she ascended peacefully into the hands of God. Esther was predeceased by her parents, Benedikt and Carolina Heidman; her husband of 52 years, Richard; her sisters, Eleanor Cuzner, Beatrice Backhouse and Emily Stolar; and her brother Howard. Mom will be forever missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her. Left to cherish her memory are her three children, Barb (Tom), Lemon (Calgary), Laurie (Bill) Speers (Winnipeg) and Paul (Shona) Dederick (Regina). Each of us enjoyed a precious relationship with Mom, who taught us that love and family were everything. Amma had an amazing relationship with her four beautiful granddaughters, Stephanie (Andy) Iverson, Kimberly Lemon (Tyler) and Allison and Kate Dederick. Mom is also survived by her eldest sister Leola Hallson, who, at 101 years of age visited Mom in the hospital and together they exchanged stories, compared nail colour and admired one another's fashion choices. Esther will be missed by many nieces and nephews, and was affectionately known as "Great" Aunt Esther to the next generation. Esther was born February 17, 1932 in Glenboro, Manitoba and was very proud of her Icelandic heritage. At age 15 she moved with her family to Winnipeg and soon met the love of her life Richard at a church youth group. After the kids were in school, Mom followed her dream and in 1967 she graduated as a nurse and worked at Misericordia Hospital. In 1972 the family moved to Saskatoon so Dad could follow his dream of becoming a Lutheran pastor. There Mom worked in the operating room at City Hospital until she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease she lived with but never allowed it to define her. Mom then began her new career as the "Minister's Wife", a role that culminated in lifelong friends and a strong faith. Mom was blessed to have extremely strong family ties and she had a wonderful relationship with nieces, Gail (Greg) Esselmont and family with whom she celebrated special occasions and a faithful church life; Sharon Stolar who was a loving support and favourite lunch partner; and Carole (George) Stilwell who shared a lifelong connection that carried on through the generations. Friends, Bev and Brian Born and Charlotte McLaughlin brought Mom much joy and happiness. Amma and her granddaughters were devoted to each other spending many happy times playing cards, Scrabble and board games and in the kitchen cooking, baking cookies and recreating traditional Icelandic recipes! She attended every confirmation, graduation and wedding and loved being a part of family celebrations. Mom was beautiful with a wonderful sense of style; always dressed fashionably she had an array of jewelry and shoes to match every outfit and perfectly manicured nails. She loved to shop for thoughtful and personal gifts. One of Mom's most precious legacies were the Icelandic sweaters she knit for each of her children and their spouses. Mom was always willing to try new adventures, learning later in life to downhill ski, skate and ride on the back of a Harley. She considered herself very fortunate to be able to share many travel experiences highlighted by trips to Iceland, the Caribbean, Florida and Hawaii. Many great memories were made during summer visits to the Speers cottage in Lake of the Woods. Mom faced her health challenges with incredible strength and determination and when asked, would always respond "I am fine". The last year was difficult as she recovered from a stroke and was then diagnosed with advanced cancer. Heartfelt thanks to the exceptional staff at Thorvaldson Care Centre and the Women's Hospital (5th floor) for their loving and compassionate care. Esther's favourite time of year was Christmas - although heartbroken that she left us during the holiday season we will celebrate as a family, bring joy to others and be grateful for the many wonderful memories - just as Mom would have wanted! In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Lutheran Church or ParkShare Endowment Fund to ensure Assiniboine Park, one of Mom's favourite places, remains accessible to all. Visitation will be held at Bardal Funeral Home, 843 Sherbrook Street on Friday, December 14 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the funeral service at First Lutheran Church, 580 Victor Street on Saturday, December 15 at 10:30 a.m. Bardal Funeral Home 843 Sherbrook Street, 204-774-7474 Condolences: www.bardal.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 12, 2018