KATHIE JANZEN

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KATHIE JANZEN

Our mother, Kathie Janzen, was born in Rosenort on October 18, 1926, in what is now Ukraine, then part of Russia. Her parents were Isbrand and Katherina Wiebe (nee Reimer). After the births of two brothers the family moved to the village of Schoenau. Here a sister was added to the family. Life was hard, food was scarce as was everything else, and the political situation was precarious. Education was often interrupted. Things improved somewhat when the Germans invaded in the Second World War.
When the Germans started their retreat in 1943, the family, along with many other German speaking Mennonites, retreated with them. During this trip another brother was born. On their way west the men and older boys were required to join the German army. The women and younger children continued west to Germany on their own.
They ended up in the British zone as refugees where eventually they were able to reunite with their dad, but brother Henry was never heard from again despite much searching through the Red Cross and other agencies. The family was sponsored by Wiebe relatives to come to Manitoba and arrived in Halifax on October 16, 1947 on the USS General Stuart Heintzelmann.
Eventually they made a home for themselves in North Kildonan, Winnipeg, and joined the North Kildonan Mennonite Brethren church. After working hoeing sugar beets, and as a mother's helper, Kathie got a job in a sewing factory. During this time, she met and married Frank Janzen in 1950, also from Ukraine. They lived on Cheriton Avenue, raising four children and moved to Clearbrook, BC in 1965 to reconnect with Janzen relatives. She found this move difficult, but eventually made friends through the Clearbrook Mennonite Brethren Church. She continued to work and worship there until she no longer could. She loved to read, sew, bake and do puzzles. She found the death of her husband Frank in 2009 extremely hard.
Katie stayed in her own condo with much support from her daughter Agnes and home care staff until 2016 when she ended up in hospital after a fall. She rallied and soon moved to her new home in the Menno Hospital. We had many good visits with her there, most recently on Zoom.
She had congestive heart failure for many years and often told us that she was ready to go, that her time was in God's hands, and that it would be a wonderful day when she got to heaven. She had her wonderful day on November 25, 2020, with her son Hank beside her.
She was predeceased by her parents, brother Henry, brother Jake, sister Betty Wall, brother-in-law Irwin Wall, son-in-law Eric Schmidt, and great-grandson Ethan Schmidt, also sisters-in-law, Martha Janzen and Anna Janzen, and nephews, Paul Janzen and Alan Janzen.
She is survived by four children: Anne Schmidt, Hank and Shelley Janzen, John and Judi Janzen, and Agnes Janzen; also by nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are brother John and Vera Wiebe, sister-in-law Mary Wiebe, brother-in-law Henry Janzen, and many nieces and nephews.
Our mother taught us the meaning of faith, hope, charity, love, grace and contentment. We are grateful and will miss her.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 05, 2020