WILLI KREIS SR.

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WILLI KREIS SR.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of Willi Kreis Sr. at 95 years of age in Winnipeg on March 8, 2021.
Dad was born on June 28, 1925 in Ukraine in the German village of Rosenfeld. He was predeceased by his infant daughter, Hilde, his first wife, Ida (Stumpp), his parents, Theodore and Emma (Schmidt) and brother, Robert. He leaves to mourn his death his loving wife Helga (Grother); son, Willi Jr.; daughter, Erika; four grandsons, Norman, Darren, T.J. and Matthew (Lowe); five great-grandsons, Ricky, Daniel, Aidenn, Kaleb and Dallas; brother Theodore and wife Clara (Drigola), and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
With the help of his family, Dad started his own construction company in Winnipeg which did well. Dad was able to make a good living building houses with one arm. He was a marvel to watch. He used a special hammer that he put under his right arm and placed a nail in the claw. He would then deftly hit the nail into the wood of what he was building. When he didn't use the hammer, he used the calloused palm of his hand to deliver that nail into the wood. His father and then his son worked with him until he retired when he was 50.
He was an active member of the German Club and the German Choir. He was also the Honorary President of the German Choir. This is where he met his second wife, Helga, whom he married in 1973. The day he married Helga, he blossomed into a happy man. Our father and stepmother always felt lucky to have found each other and shared a happy marriage which lasted 47 years. They never stopped cherishing each other.
Dad loved children, had a special smile just for them and couldn't resist saying something cheerful to them wherever they were. Dad also loved animals, especially his dog, Sparky. He raised special breeds of rabbits and pigeons and spent hours making sure they were well taken care of. Dad spent many hours every year tending to his garden, fruit trees and his favourite flower, roses.
Dad taught us the values of never giving up, working hard and always loving your family. After he retired, he enjoyed walking many kilometres every day around his home in East St. Paul where he happily greeted neighbours on the streets.
Dad spent the last few years at Concordia Personal Care Home. During the COVID lockdowns, face-to-face visits were rare but FaceTime on his iPad was a regular event. Even though he had dementia, he often shared pearls of wisdom with us. His most memorable pearl of wisdom was his statement that was made several weeks before his unexpected death: that "the best two things in life are love and jokes".
He died a sudden and peaceful death. A happy man to the end.
Special thanks to the staff at Concordia Place Personal Care Home for their gentle and caring ways. He truly enjoyed the staff who looked after him. He always called the female staff "lady".

We love you, Dad,
and will miss your love and jokes.

Cremation has taken place. Bardal Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements but, due to COVID restrictions, the funeral only will be attended by family members. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, March 17. Dad's remains will be interred at Brookside Cemetery. This obituary may also be viewed at Bardal Funeral Home.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 13, 2021