Graveside service will be held at 3:00PM on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at the Reinland Mennonite Church Cemetery in Schanzenfeld.
Edith Martens (nee Fehr)1940 – 2022
Our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Edith Martens passed away peacefully in her home on Tuesday July 5, 2022 at the age of 82.
She was born on January 28, 1940 to Johann and Maria Fehr in what was Rosenfeld, northwest of Altona. Edith started school in Roseville and continued her schooling in Schoenweise, after a family move. She developed her creative talents in art and sewing and had perfect handwriting despite learning to write with a quill and being left-handed. Growing up in a large farming family allowed Mom to learn how to work hard, helping both inside the home and on the farm. Despite the hard work, there were many fun times singing, making music and playing board games with family and friends. She was baptized on June 7, 1960 by Bishop Cornelius Nickel in the Blumenfeld Reinland Church. She was united in holy matrimony to Isaac Martens on September 4, 1960 by Minister David Buhler. She and Isaac started their journey together on a small farm near Winkler. They moved to the town of Winkler and lived there for a number of years before spending more than 25 years near Blumenfeld on a mixed-use farm. They were pioneers in organic gardening and farming, aiming to be good stewards of the earth. After a move to a smaller acreage near Winkler, they developed a market garden and orchard, before retiring to a place in Winkler with an even smaller garden. No matter where home was, Edith made good friends with all of her neighbours. Family was of utmost importance to her and she was a part of a large close knit family. She was an exemplary role-model for her family and for the many groups she volunteered her time and talents. Edith was a founding member and many times the Head Leader of the Blumenfeld 4-H Club. She passed along her gifts, teaching many how to sew and garden and much more. Always a contributor to the community, she expanded her volunteerism once the farming duties began to lessen. She really enjoyed working at the MCC Thrift store, baking treats as a Salem Home Volunteer, serving with the Valley Harvest Maids, leading a Reinland Church serving group and instructing the quilting for the church quilting group, always with a humble heart. Additionally she applied her seamstress skills, sewing for others to support the family. She enjoyed undertaking challenging work so ended up with customers who became lifelong friends as she got to know each person and enjoyed creating a unique solution to each person’s custom needs. She left a mark on many in the community and will be greatly missed.
She was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Isaac, her daughter, Mary Giesbrecht, a granddaughter, Christina Martens, sisters, Annie, Mary and Helen and brothers, Diedrich, David, Jacob and Isaac, sisters-in-law, Nettie, Susan, Mary, Maria and Martha as well as brothers-in-law, Diedrich and John. She is survived by her brother, John Fehr and sister, Sarah Peters and also by eight children: Alma Friesen (George), John Martens (Mary), son-in-law, Ken Giesbrecht, Henry Martens (Tena), Edith Samuels (Emile), Isaac Martens, Annie Schaefer, Sarah Martens (Roy) and Eva Martens (Jay). She also leaves behind 27 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law, Marie, Catherine, Susie and Anne and brothers-in-law, Art, David, George and Jake and many nieces and nephews. Edith included in her family several step grandchildren and their spouses and children.
Graveside funeral service was held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday July 9th, 2022 in the outdoors at the Schanzenfeld Reinland Cemetery. Donations may be made in Edith's memory to some of her favorite causes such as Faith Mission, the Reinland Mennonite Church or the Canadian Red Cross. We would like to thank the amazing staff of Cancer Care at the Boundary Trails Health Centre, the Palliative Care team that assisted us in caring for her at home and the staff of Home Care that also made that possible. Their kindness and input were very appreciated and allowed us to have the time to create many new happy memories with mom in her final months at home. Thank you to Wiebe Funeral Home, Rev. Cornie Peters and the Reinland Mennonite Church for assisting with the service. Thank you to everyone who had a part in enriching Mom’s life. The family
Edith Martens (nee Fehr)1940 – 2022
Our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Edith Martens passed away peacefully in her home on Tuesday July 5, 2022 at the age of 82.
She was born on January 28, 1940 to Johann and Maria Fehr in what was Rosenfeld, northwest of Altona. Edith started school in Roseville and continued her schooling in Schoenweise, after a family move. She developed her creative talents in art and sewing and had perfect handwriting despite learning to write with a quill and being left-handed. Growing up in a large farming family allowed Mom to learn how to work hard, helping both inside the home and on the farm. Despite the hard work, there were many fun times singing, making music and playing board games with family and friends. She was baptized on June 7, 1960 by Bishop Cornelius Nickel in the Blumenfeld Reinland Church. She was united in holy matrimony to Isaac Martens on September 4, 1960 by Minister David Buhler. She and Isaac started their journey together on a small farm near Winkler. They moved to the town of Winkler and lived there for a number of years before spending more than 25 years near Blumenfeld on a mixed-use farm. They were pioneers in organic gardening and farming, aiming to be good stewards of the earth. After a move to a smaller acreage near Winkler, they developed a market garden and orchard, before retiring to a place in Winkler with an even smaller garden. No matter where home was, Edith made good friends with all of her neighbours. Family was of utmost importance to her and she was a part of a large close knit family. She was an exemplary role-model for her family and for the many groups she volunteered her time and talents. Edith was a founding member and many times the Head Leader of the Blumenfeld 4-H Club. She passed along her gifts, teaching many how to sew and garden and much more. Always a contributor to the community, she expanded her volunteerism once the farming duties began to lessen. She really enjoyed working at the MCC Thrift store, baking treats as a Salem Home Volunteer, serving with the Valley Harvest Maids, leading a Reinland Church serving group and instructing the quilting for the church quilting group, always with a humble heart. Additionally she applied her seamstress skills, sewing for others to support the family. She enjoyed undertaking challenging work so ended up with customers who became lifelong friends as she got to know each person and enjoyed creating a unique solution to each person’s custom needs. She left a mark on many in the community and will be greatly missed.
She was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, Isaac, her daughter, Mary Giesbrecht, a granddaughter, Christina Martens, sisters, Annie, Mary and Helen and brothers, Diedrich, David, Jacob and Isaac, sisters-in-law, Nettie, Susan, Mary, Maria and Martha as well as brothers-in-law, Diedrich and John. She is survived by her brother, John Fehr and sister, Sarah Peters and also by eight children: Alma Friesen (George), John Martens (Mary), son-in-law, Ken Giesbrecht, Henry Martens (Tena), Edith Samuels (Emile), Isaac Martens, Annie Schaefer, Sarah Martens (Roy) and Eva Martens (Jay). She also leaves behind 27 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law, Marie, Catherine, Susie and Anne and brothers-in-law, Art, David, George and Jake and many nieces and nephews. Edith included in her family several step grandchildren and their spouses and children.
Graveside funeral service was held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday July 9th, 2022 in the outdoors at the Schanzenfeld Reinland Cemetery. Donations may be made in Edith's memory to some of her favorite causes such as Faith Mission, the Reinland Mennonite Church or the Canadian Red Cross. We would like to thank the amazing staff of Cancer Care at the Boundary Trails Health Centre, the Palliative Care team that assisted us in caring for her at home and the staff of Home Care that also made that possible. Their kindness and input were very appreciated and allowed us to have the time to create many new happy memories with mom in her final months at home. Thank you to Wiebe Funeral Home, Rev. Cornie Peters and the Reinland Mennonite Church for assisting with the service. Thank you to everyone who had a part in enriching Mom’s life. The family