Mom was born on September 17, 1931, in Mexico. To Jacob and Justina Neufeld Both of Saskatchewan Canada. She was baptized upon the confession of her faith on May 23, 1949, by Bishop Jacob peters. Mom is a Christian and born-again believer. Mom married dad when she was only 18 Years old. Together they raised nine children. Mom and dad were blessed with 11 children in total, and two of those were stillborn.
On August 28th, 2009, mom and dad celebrated an incredible milestone – their 60th wedding anniversary! That same year mom lost her husband, our dad, the day after Christmas.
In mom’s younger days she enjoyed and was so very proud of her twins. A boy and a girl. She always told the story of when they were newborn, how a neighbour came by for a haircut from my dad, and she had shown the neighbour the babies sleeping in her big bed, and she describes how she had dressed them in little white gowns, and how they both had their little arms up, sleeping so peacefully, and what a beautiful sight that was. She was so proud. She talked about that often.
Mom was a full-time homemaker whose skill set helped her and dad to prosper. Her gardening, cooking and seamstress abilities allowed her to create amazing Mennonite foods to fuel our bodies and create and repair clothing. Mom sewed most of their kids’ clothes in the earlier years. And made high quality wool blankets to keep us warm in our winters. As well as homemade feather pillows.
We, as a family give thanks to God for the years we were given with mom, and we will cherish the memories she left with us forever. We also want to thank the caring staff, at Gladstone health centre, in her final days of life.
In May 1962 mom went through a serious surgery to repair her body after having her first stillborn baby boy in Mexico. His name was David. January 2, 1968, she had a second stillborn baby, a girl, her name was Margaretha. Named after our mother. This was her youngest and last child.
April 5, 1968, she had another surgery after she was done having all of her children, her body was pretty wrecked, her surgery had taken place in Leamington Ontario.
They were poor, for years they lived in a tiny one room dirt brick home with a dirt floor. Sometimes not knowing where the next meal would come from. While us kids were still young. Mom told the story of when was collecting eggs on the farm, they had this goose, that would come and bite her in the back of her legs, while she was collecting eggs, well, mom was getting pretty tired of this Goose pecking at her legs, so one day when he came in for a bite. she grabbed him by the neck and squeezed him pretty tight, she said that thing started backing up really hard and digging his feet into the ground to get away from her, the goose never bothered her again.
As the years went by… our parents moved around a lot. searching for a better life for their family. Mom and dad travelled quite a bit in their lifetime, usually for work, that they could also do with the children. Dad and mom believed that it was important to work along side with the children so they could learn. They did a variety of work from farming, hoeing beets, to picking cucumbers and tomatoes, working in the chicken barns, or picking stones off the field. Mom and dad always worked hard and taught us kids to work hard and earn our keep.
Mom and dad also traveled for fun, their wedding anniversary was August 28, and they usually ended up going out for breakfast, and then to the Morden corn and apple festival to watch the parade. They also loved to travel to Ontario to visit family, friends, and their children and grandchildren. They even managed to get to Florida and go on a ship ride that had a glass bottom so they could see the fish below. One fond memory that they had was going to see the movie, Titanic, at the theatre with uncle Isaac and Aunt Kathy Wall of Morris.
Mom loved gardening and canning her harvest. Making all kinds of jams and jellies, pickles, apples, peaches, and such. She also (LOVED) plants and flowers. She had the greenest thumb id ever seen. In fact, she would find all kinds of containers to grow her beautiful flowers in, she would use old fashioned wringer washers, or bathtubs, or anything she could put some soil into, and plant those flowers, and they always looked beautiful, her yard was well known due to of all the flowers.
She loved to colour in her colouring books, also she loved to do embroidery. She had a set of paints that had every Colour imaginable in it. It was a big tin container, and she would use these paints to paint beautiful flowers butterflies and birds onto dish towels, pillowcases and such. I can still remember the smell if I go back in my mind. She also loved to sing. I believe my brother has a recording of her singing with him.
Our mother was quite the spunky woman, she told us the story, one evening, where her and my dad were coming home from someplace, and there were some young guys in a car that tailgated them with their high beams on, making it really hard for my dad to see, so my mom whipped out a hand held mirror which she kept in the glove compartment, and she held up that mirror and flashed those dudes back. It didn’t take long for them to pull out and pass mom and dad. Go mom. …
Mom always worked hard, she liked everything to be neat and tidy. Her dresser drawers were always perfect, and her house was clean, her clocks hung straight, and everything had to be just right. Yes, I said clocks, she liked to have lots of them, so she could see the time from any and every angle. She even had one in the bathroom. I think she was slightly OCD. And passed it on to a few of us.
She loved baking big loaves of bread and was always so proud of how beautiful they turned out. Serving it with her homemade jams and jellies. She was also an excellent cook, very good at making all kinds of soup. And delicious meals. Mom made the best chicken noodle soup, cabbage borscht, zomma borscht, And carrot soup. Nobody cooked soup like our mother. She’s the only one I know that could create a delicious gourmet meal out of beans, farmers sausage, and shinke flèche. Or clops and potatoes with bing cherry moose, and white milk rice. I will always miss her delicious cooking. She worked hard all her life, up until her eyesight became compromised, and sore hands no longer allowed her to cover her hangers. Which she gifted to many friends and family.
Mom broke her arm in February 1989. Then she broke the other arm falling on ice, surgeries and hardware followed. Mom also fell downstairs, a long flight of stairs, and survived any broken bones, but had a huge laceration in her leg, which took a few years and lots of trips to the hospital to put on fresh dressings, eventually that too healed. Mom had many accidents in her lifetime, too many to count. From falling off ladder’s, to cutting her finger while using dad’s electric table saw. I was amazed at the things she actually lived through. She was a strong-willed super woman, strong willed, really is an understatement!
She had congestive heart failure for many years, and in 2016 she had a pacemaker implanted. Which gave her a few years of a better Quality of life. But may also have hindered in the end. Mom fell again on October 31, 2020 on a very windy day, when she went outside to secure a flower pot so it wouldn’t blow away. This resulted in another broken arm/ dislocated shoulder, this one did not heal. After spending some time in the hospital during the time of Covid, and no visitors being allowed, she decided that she would give up her apartment in Altona, and it was decided that she would move in with Sara. After being discharged from the hospital. She only had one functioning arm, and it was her dominant arm that was broken, so it was hard for her to do things for herself anymore. The doctors couldn’t do surgery, as it wasn’t an option for her due to her age and other health issues. The broken bone never healed. But she surprised us once again by proving how strong and resilient she really was. She kept going forward. Even propelling herself in her wheelchair.
She really enjoyed her reading machine, that magnified the words she read in her daily bread, she spent many hours sitting at the machine and reading. She was always proud to show it off to anyone who came to visit her. She could read right up until moving into the Care home. She was really sad to leave it behind but realized that she probably couldn’t use it anymore. She had started to fall quite frequently and landed in the hospital. Then to the care home. Which was (not) a good experience for mom. We were hoping she would enjoy her new surroundings and all the different people and things that she could do. But it seemed that it was not meant to be. But it’s not all serious, there were some funny moments. At one point when she first moved to Salem, she was sitting at the dining room table one day waiting for her meal, she sat quietly, but there were some other residents there that were in poor shape, and somewhat noisy. I sat there with mom, and all of a sudden, she looks at me a little sideways, and quietly asked… “ Zit di dit noo sheen gonen ??” I couldn’t contain myself, I burst out laughing as I shook my head and said no. She didn’t think it was funny.
Mom was definitely one of a kind. There will never be anyone quite like our mother. But almost immediately after she moved into Salem home, her health deteriorated, or so it seemed…
Her legs mysteriously started to swell, and she became weaker, and in just one week, she had three falls. She bruised a lot, and she was already anemic, so the falls and bruises caused her to require another blood transfusion. And then a few more. Everyday she just wanted to go home so badly. I think she just gave up. So, she only lived at Salem for four months. Then back home to Sara’s place, and back to the hospital, then against our better judgment, had to move to the Altona personal care home. This was a nightmare, and after just two months, we took her out of there. She moved back to Sara’s place. Here she was able to relax more and felt safe once again. Even joking around once in a while. She made it to her 93rd birthday. And to this day when she goes to bed, she’ll ask me, zent de darin alla tow gemacht? I would always assure her that the doors were all locked. Then she would relax.
Mom and dad were married, 60 years and 4 months. Mom reached the age of: 93 years, 6 months
And 7 days. Together they raised their nine children, and were blessed with: 25 grandchildren, 52 (great) grand children and 12 (great) (great), grandchildren.
One day While sleeping in the hospital, she started singing, Glory, glory hallelujah amen.
Mom taught us kids how to pray. And the kids taught her some prayers that they learned in school, many many years ago. Mom could recite those prayers right into her old age. These were her favourite prayers. We would like to share them with you now.
Jesus is knocking at the door
I will let you in
Come inside and save my heart
Make it white and clean
Be my friend and stay with me
Now and every day
Come Lord Jesus come inside
Come inside to stay.
Jesus we are glad you came
You are welcome in our home
Let us pray and sing together
Let us lovely watch each other
Father, mother, sister, brother.
Bless the food and make us strong
Good and happy all along. Amen.
January 22, 2025, I was helping mom to bed and get her comfortable for sleeping, I held her hands and prayed with her, as I held her hands, I noticed that she pulled away just ever so slightly and said that her hands hurt. I asked, your hands hurt? she said yes. She said everything hurts. I replied to mom and said, you are old your body is broken. I understand that everything hurts. Then She replied, when they lay me down it will not hurt anymore. I started crying, and I agreed with her, I said when they lay you down there will be no more pain. And then she replied, “What God does, it is done well. I immediately thought of this song.
“When they lay me down someday, I’ll close my eyes and fly away, this old world keeps turning around, I’ll be at peace when they lay me down, I’ll be at peace when they lay me down”.
Mom is survived by her children: Jacob and (Margaret) Neufeld of Ontario, (Frank) and Katherine Martens and Ontario. Abe Neufeld of Ridgeville Manitoba, Herman Neufeld of Emerson Manitoba, Nick and (Mary) Neufeld of Altona, Sara Neufeld of Winkler. As well 25 grandchildren, 52 (great) grand children and 13 (great) (great), grandchildren. One sister: Kathy Wall of Winnipeg Manitoba.
Mom was predeceased by: her husband Jacob P. Neufeld, son John, twins Peter and Jessie, son in- law: Tim, and Daughter in- law Linda. Also, one grandson, Johnny, two great-granddaughters: Samantha Neufeld and Abigail Faith.
Mom reached the age of 93 years, six months and seven days
Thank you.
On August 28th, 2009, mom and dad celebrated an incredible milestone – their 60th wedding anniversary! That same year mom lost her husband, our dad, the day after Christmas.
In mom’s younger days she enjoyed and was so very proud of her twins. A boy and a girl. She always told the story of when they were newborn, how a neighbour came by for a haircut from my dad, and she had shown the neighbour the babies sleeping in her big bed, and she describes how she had dressed them in little white gowns, and how they both had their little arms up, sleeping so peacefully, and what a beautiful sight that was. She was so proud. She talked about that often.
Mom was a full-time homemaker whose skill set helped her and dad to prosper. Her gardening, cooking and seamstress abilities allowed her to create amazing Mennonite foods to fuel our bodies and create and repair clothing. Mom sewed most of their kids’ clothes in the earlier years. And made high quality wool blankets to keep us warm in our winters. As well as homemade feather pillows.
We, as a family give thanks to God for the years we were given with mom, and we will cherish the memories she left with us forever. We also want to thank the caring staff, at Gladstone health centre, in her final days of life.
In May 1962 mom went through a serious surgery to repair her body after having her first stillborn baby boy in Mexico. His name was David. January 2, 1968, she had a second stillborn baby, a girl, her name was Margaretha. Named after our mother. This was her youngest and last child.
April 5, 1968, she had another surgery after she was done having all of her children, her body was pretty wrecked, her surgery had taken place in Leamington Ontario.
They were poor, for years they lived in a tiny one room dirt brick home with a dirt floor. Sometimes not knowing where the next meal would come from. While us kids were still young. Mom told the story of when was collecting eggs on the farm, they had this goose, that would come and bite her in the back of her legs, while she was collecting eggs, well, mom was getting pretty tired of this Goose pecking at her legs, so one day when he came in for a bite. she grabbed him by the neck and squeezed him pretty tight, she said that thing started backing up really hard and digging his feet into the ground to get away from her, the goose never bothered her again.
As the years went by… our parents moved around a lot. searching for a better life for their family. Mom and dad travelled quite a bit in their lifetime, usually for work, that they could also do with the children. Dad and mom believed that it was important to work along side with the children so they could learn. They did a variety of work from farming, hoeing beets, to picking cucumbers and tomatoes, working in the chicken barns, or picking stones off the field. Mom and dad always worked hard and taught us kids to work hard and earn our keep.
Mom and dad also traveled for fun, their wedding anniversary was August 28, and they usually ended up going out for breakfast, and then to the Morden corn and apple festival to watch the parade. They also loved to travel to Ontario to visit family, friends, and their children and grandchildren. They even managed to get to Florida and go on a ship ride that had a glass bottom so they could see the fish below. One fond memory that they had was going to see the movie, Titanic, at the theatre with uncle Isaac and Aunt Kathy Wall of Morris.
Mom loved gardening and canning her harvest. Making all kinds of jams and jellies, pickles, apples, peaches, and such. She also (LOVED) plants and flowers. She had the greenest thumb id ever seen. In fact, she would find all kinds of containers to grow her beautiful flowers in, she would use old fashioned wringer washers, or bathtubs, or anything she could put some soil into, and plant those flowers, and they always looked beautiful, her yard was well known due to of all the flowers.
She loved to colour in her colouring books, also she loved to do embroidery. She had a set of paints that had every Colour imaginable in it. It was a big tin container, and she would use these paints to paint beautiful flowers butterflies and birds onto dish towels, pillowcases and such. I can still remember the smell if I go back in my mind. She also loved to sing. I believe my brother has a recording of her singing with him.
Our mother was quite the spunky woman, she told us the story, one evening, where her and my dad were coming home from someplace, and there were some young guys in a car that tailgated them with their high beams on, making it really hard for my dad to see, so my mom whipped out a hand held mirror which she kept in the glove compartment, and she held up that mirror and flashed those dudes back. It didn’t take long for them to pull out and pass mom and dad. Go mom. …
Mom always worked hard, she liked everything to be neat and tidy. Her dresser drawers were always perfect, and her house was clean, her clocks hung straight, and everything had to be just right. Yes, I said clocks, she liked to have lots of them, so she could see the time from any and every angle. She even had one in the bathroom. I think she was slightly OCD. And passed it on to a few of us.
She loved baking big loaves of bread and was always so proud of how beautiful they turned out. Serving it with her homemade jams and jellies. She was also an excellent cook, very good at making all kinds of soup. And delicious meals. Mom made the best chicken noodle soup, cabbage borscht, zomma borscht, And carrot soup. Nobody cooked soup like our mother. She’s the only one I know that could create a delicious gourmet meal out of beans, farmers sausage, and shinke flèche. Or clops and potatoes with bing cherry moose, and white milk rice. I will always miss her delicious cooking. She worked hard all her life, up until her eyesight became compromised, and sore hands no longer allowed her to cover her hangers. Which she gifted to many friends and family.
Mom broke her arm in February 1989. Then she broke the other arm falling on ice, surgeries and hardware followed. Mom also fell downstairs, a long flight of stairs, and survived any broken bones, but had a huge laceration in her leg, which took a few years and lots of trips to the hospital to put on fresh dressings, eventually that too healed. Mom had many accidents in her lifetime, too many to count. From falling off ladder’s, to cutting her finger while using dad’s electric table saw. I was amazed at the things she actually lived through. She was a strong-willed super woman, strong willed, really is an understatement!
She had congestive heart failure for many years, and in 2016 she had a pacemaker implanted. Which gave her a few years of a better Quality of life. But may also have hindered in the end. Mom fell again on October 31, 2020 on a very windy day, when she went outside to secure a flower pot so it wouldn’t blow away. This resulted in another broken arm/ dislocated shoulder, this one did not heal. After spending some time in the hospital during the time of Covid, and no visitors being allowed, she decided that she would give up her apartment in Altona, and it was decided that she would move in with Sara. After being discharged from the hospital. She only had one functioning arm, and it was her dominant arm that was broken, so it was hard for her to do things for herself anymore. The doctors couldn’t do surgery, as it wasn’t an option for her due to her age and other health issues. The broken bone never healed. But she surprised us once again by proving how strong and resilient she really was. She kept going forward. Even propelling herself in her wheelchair.
She really enjoyed her reading machine, that magnified the words she read in her daily bread, she spent many hours sitting at the machine and reading. She was always proud to show it off to anyone who came to visit her. She could read right up until moving into the Care home. She was really sad to leave it behind but realized that she probably couldn’t use it anymore. She had started to fall quite frequently and landed in the hospital. Then to the care home. Which was (not) a good experience for mom. We were hoping she would enjoy her new surroundings and all the different people and things that she could do. But it seemed that it was not meant to be. But it’s not all serious, there were some funny moments. At one point when she first moved to Salem, she was sitting at the dining room table one day waiting for her meal, she sat quietly, but there were some other residents there that were in poor shape, and somewhat noisy. I sat there with mom, and all of a sudden, she looks at me a little sideways, and quietly asked… “ Zit di dit noo sheen gonen ??” I couldn’t contain myself, I burst out laughing as I shook my head and said no. She didn’t think it was funny.
Mom was definitely one of a kind. There will never be anyone quite like our mother. But almost immediately after she moved into Salem home, her health deteriorated, or so it seemed…
Her legs mysteriously started to swell, and she became weaker, and in just one week, she had three falls. She bruised a lot, and she was already anemic, so the falls and bruises caused her to require another blood transfusion. And then a few more. Everyday she just wanted to go home so badly. I think she just gave up. So, she only lived at Salem for four months. Then back home to Sara’s place, and back to the hospital, then against our better judgment, had to move to the Altona personal care home. This was a nightmare, and after just two months, we took her out of there. She moved back to Sara’s place. Here she was able to relax more and felt safe once again. Even joking around once in a while. She made it to her 93rd birthday. And to this day when she goes to bed, she’ll ask me, zent de darin alla tow gemacht? I would always assure her that the doors were all locked. Then she would relax.
Mom and dad were married, 60 years and 4 months. Mom reached the age of: 93 years, 6 months
And 7 days. Together they raised their nine children, and were blessed with: 25 grandchildren, 52 (great) grand children and 12 (great) (great), grandchildren.
One day While sleeping in the hospital, she started singing, Glory, glory hallelujah amen.
Mom taught us kids how to pray. And the kids taught her some prayers that they learned in school, many many years ago. Mom could recite those prayers right into her old age. These were her favourite prayers. We would like to share them with you now.
Jesus is knocking at the door
I will let you in
Come inside and save my heart
Make it white and clean
Be my friend and stay with me
Now and every day
Come Lord Jesus come inside
Come inside to stay.
Jesus we are glad you came
You are welcome in our home
Let us pray and sing together
Let us lovely watch each other
Father, mother, sister, brother.
Bless the food and make us strong
Good and happy all along. Amen.
January 22, 2025, I was helping mom to bed and get her comfortable for sleeping, I held her hands and prayed with her, as I held her hands, I noticed that she pulled away just ever so slightly and said that her hands hurt. I asked, your hands hurt? she said yes. She said everything hurts. I replied to mom and said, you are old your body is broken. I understand that everything hurts. Then She replied, when they lay me down it will not hurt anymore. I started crying, and I agreed with her, I said when they lay you down there will be no more pain. And then she replied, “What God does, it is done well. I immediately thought of this song.
“When they lay me down someday, I’ll close my eyes and fly away, this old world keeps turning around, I’ll be at peace when they lay me down, I’ll be at peace when they lay me down”.
Mom is survived by her children: Jacob and (Margaret) Neufeld of Ontario, (Frank) and Katherine Martens and Ontario. Abe Neufeld of Ridgeville Manitoba, Herman Neufeld of Emerson Manitoba, Nick and (Mary) Neufeld of Altona, Sara Neufeld of Winkler. As well 25 grandchildren, 52 (great) grand children and 13 (great) (great), grandchildren. One sister: Kathy Wall of Winnipeg Manitoba.
Mom was predeceased by: her husband Jacob P. Neufeld, son John, twins Peter and Jessie, son in- law: Tim, and Daughter in- law Linda. Also, one grandson, Johnny, two great-granddaughters: Samantha Neufeld and Abigail Faith.
Mom reached the age of 93 years, six months and seven days
Thank you.