OSWALD (OSSIE) BORCHERT

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OSWALD (OSSIE) BORCHERT  

Our husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Oswald Borchert, passed away on March 24, 2023, at the age of 95. He was greatly loved, and will be sorely missed.
He was born near Akmenynai, Lithuania, a farm boy, son of a blacksmith, seventh of eight children. As the youngest boy, he was allowed the rare privilege of going to school (there was enough help on the farm from his older brothers), where he (as he would proudly tell you) achieved a grade 5 education!
Not long after, the Second World War started. Ossie was drafted at the age of 16 and spent the next few years fighting in the trenches. He returned to his family after the war, and soon met a young woman named Martha, whose family was from a nearby Lithuanian village. Martha and her family immigrated to Canada in 1950, and Ossie followed soon after. He and Martha wrote letters back and forth, with her in Winnipeg and him in the Kitchener/Waterloo area, until Martha's brother wrote a letter telling him that he'd better come quick if he wanted to be with her before he lost his chance. Ossie promptly hopped on a train to meet Martha in Winnipeg, and they were married within three months.
He and Martha had four children, and the years that followed were filled with raising and supporting his family. He built a successful career in the sales and service of industrial sewing machines, working for many years for Union Special, before starting his own small business in his semi-retirement.
Throughout his life, Ossie greatly enjoyed travelling and camping with his family in their camper trailer, and in retirement enjoyed summers at his cottage at Hillside Beach with family and friends. He also greatly enjoyed getting together with friends and playing cards; he especially loved a good game of Thousand. Ossie was a skilled handyman. He took great pride in his ability to fix things, and continued working in his workshop well into his 90s.
He was predeceased by his parents, Karl and Eva, his son Peter, and his seven siblings. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Martha, children, Rosemarie Markwart, Karin Bridges (Trevor), and Rick Borchert, grandchildren, Laurena (Tyler), Tiffany (Mike), Kyle (Monica), Ryan (Arin), Leah, Rebecca (Evan), and Adam, and great-grandchildren, Oliver, Emily, Violet, and Alice.
A number of years ago, Ossie decided to write his autobiography, typed by typewriter, with all the spelling mistakes of a man for whom English was his fourth(!) language. His stories are mesmerizing, capturing a life filled with adventure, and loss, and perseverance, told with charming humour. The following are the first few lines of his autobiography, his wonderful spelling as written:

"I Oswald Eduard Borchert Was born on August th 3rd 1927. I dont know this with sertinty, but I think, upon arriving in too this World, the first think I prpobly sead was Aaaaaaaaaa. So now I was here."

He was here, and we are grateful.
A memorial gathering will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 01, 2023