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BRENDA MAE SUDERMAN
Born: May 30, 1961
Date of Passing: Sep 19, 2026
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryBRENDA MAE SUDERMAN
Brenda Suderman died on September 19, 2026 at the Health Sciences Centre. She spent her last weeks as she had lived her life: with grit and determination, and surrounded by reams of friends and family.
She was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in 2025 and in spring of 2026 was approved for a liver transplant. Sadly, complications developed and she succumbed to the disease before she could receive that transplant.
Brenda was born on May 30, 1961, in Winkler, MB, and grew up on the family farm. Her schooling took her from the one-room school in Greenfarm, to Winkler's public schools, to college and universities in Winnipeg and Ottawa.
Brenda was a talented musician, a gifted sewist, and always a writer. Her work in the early 1980s at Mennonite Church Canada in communications led her to attend Carleton University in Ottawa to study journalism. She then wrote for papers in NWT, Portage La Prairie, and Winnipeg, before moving to the Free Press as a weekly columnist. For many years she wrote for the Faith page where her focus was Winnipeg's multifaith community.
She married Bert Siemens in 1991 and her children, Hillary and David, were born in 1994 and 1996. They enjoyed many family trips in their beloved 1985 Westfalia until Bert’s unexpected death in 2022, which was a blow to them all.
Brenda was a committed volunteer: she sat on several boards including the U of W Board of Regents and the Canadian Mennonite periodical; she was a dedicated member of Home Street Mennonite Church; and she had a passion for quilting with a flair for colour and design, sewing countless quilts and other items for fundraisers, friends, neighbours, and especially for new babies.
She was grateful for the many people who supported her during her illness. Her family also extends their deep gratitude for all who cared for her and visited during these last two challenging weeks in hospital, with special thanks to Drs. Marion and Chisick.
She was predeceased by her husband Bert Siemens, her father Peter L. Suderman, and Bert’s parents, Ruben and Tina Siemens. She is survived by her daughter Hillary Siemens and son David Siemens, her mother Magdalena Suderman, sister Beverly Suderman-Gladwell (Geoff, Nathan and Emerald, and Asa), brother Lyle (Carol, Kara and Jin, Nicole), and in-laws, Esther Siemens (Henry Janzen, Scott and Rachel and children, and Rebecca and Arthur), Len Siemens, Marian Siemens, and a large network of friends and extended family.
A funeral service for Brenda Suderman will be held Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. at Home Street Mennonite Church, 318 Home Street, Winnipeg, with an outdoor reception to follow.
Memorial donations may be made to Mennonite Central Committee for material relief programs.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 26, 2026
Condolences & Memories (2 entries)
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I met Brenda through her husband, Bert, who was a co-worker at the Grain Research Lab. For a number of years, Bert and Brenda offered their Wolseley home to a friend who raised chickens. On a given day in the fall people would descend on their back yard to pick up freshly slaughtered pasture-raised chickens. One year I was away on "chicken day" so Bert and Brenda kindly stored my chickens in their freezer until I was back. Additionally, Brenda contributed handmade articles for a silent auction I held in support of the Alzheimer's Association of Manitoba. Both Bert and Brenda put their Christian beliefs into practice and Winnipeg was richer for it. My condolences to Hillary and David at this difficult time. - Posted by: Wendy Barker (Friend) on: Sep 28, 2026
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I got to know Brenda during our year together as classmates at Carleton University's Journalism School in Ottawa. Both Manitobans, we eventually ended up back in Winnipeg working in various media there during the 90s. Our paths would cross, we'd lunch together, trade stories, and her impression on me remains as a capable, principled and thoughtful person. She has left us too soon. - Posted by: Lisa Keller (Friend) on: Sep 27, 2026