Cornelius Guenter, age 93, peacefully at home on Monday, February 7, 2022 left this earth to be with the Lord.
He is survived by his eight children and their spouses, 29 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren, two sisters and one brother. He was predeceased by his wife, Helena, son-in-law, Ron, and eight of his brothers and sisters.
He was born on October 25, 1928, in New Rhineland, Chihuahua, Mexico, to Johan and Maria Guenter. Dad was the second oldest of 12 children. His early childhood was spent in a rural farming area of Chihuahua, and there he enjoyed going to school and helping out with the chores on their property. He especially enjoyed working with the horses.
His desire to follow God started early in his life and on May 29, 1950, he was baptized.
He met the love of his life, Helena, at one of the social gatherings in the neighbouring villages. They were married on April 13, 1952, and started their family in Mexico. Soon after that in August 1954, they emigrated to Canada. Their first home was in Steinbach and then they moved to Springstein where all of their eight children were raised.
He provided for his family by working in construction in Winnipeg. He worked at various construction tasks before making finish carpentry his main focus for many years. He enjoyed all aspects of construction and it was very evident in his projects and in the houses that he built.
After moving away from Springstein, Mom and Dad also lived in Oak Bluff, Winnipeg, and LaSalle for several years. And then, in 2007 they moved to Winkler so that they could be closer to many of their brothers and sisters. They cherished their time in Winkler and had countless coffee outings with these family members and friends in the community.
The Sommerfeld Mennonite Church also played a large part in their lives as it had been their church throughout their lives in Canada. Dad had many roles at church beginning with teaching Sunday School and then acting as the Sunday School Superintendent for many years. His spirit and generosity touched many people throughout his life and he will be greatly missed.
We take comfort in knowing that his prayers are now answered and that he is once again with Mom.
Thanks Dad. We love you.