Mary Ann was adopted into the home of Jake R. and Agnes Wiebe in June 1937. She was well loved and very content with her family. Mary Ann lived with her parents in the Hoffnungsgort District near Plum Coulee, in the Zion District and in Winkler and had great memories from each home they lived in. After her parents passed away Mary Ann purchased her home on Stanley Avenue in Winkler and often commented on how it was the perfect place for her. When she realized that she needed more help to live independently it didn’t take her long to decide she needed to sell her home. She moved to the Buhler Active Living Center where many people from her church family lived. She made new friends and appreciated the caring community environment.
Mary Ann attended the Plum Coulee Bergthaler Church with her Giesbrecht grandparents. She was baptized when she was a young woman in the John Dyck pond, south of Morden. She considered her church her family. She taught the 2 year old Sunday School class and was committed and active in church throughout most of her life.
Sunday visits to Aunts and Uncles were often a highlight in her week. It was a chance to see her cousins. Because she did not have siblings the cousins were very important to her.
Sometimes Mary Ann had to help outside on the farm but her true passion was entertaining indoors. She would help her mom clean and prepare for guests and this led her to a career in the Bethel Hospital Housekeeping Department where she worked meticulously for 25 years. She continued this passion for cleaning well into her 80’s. When she lived on Stanley Avenue not long before she moved to Buhler she was still climbing ladders to take down her curtains to wash them or to clean light fixtures. When she lived at Buhler she mentioned several times that it was time to clean behind the fridge or under the stove. Her home was always clean and tidy and she lived with no clutter.
She had the opportunity to travel and enjoyed many trips. British Columbia, Thompson, Michigan, England, Greece, and Alaska to name a few. Her favorite trip was to the Holy Lands with Back to the Bible. Some trips were with her parents and other travels included her friends . She was always open to meeting mew people along the way. Mary Ann was always up for an adventure even if it was just a ride to Ritcher Manitoba where she stemmed beans along the way to keep her hands busy.
Mary Ann loved her parents and was very sad when her father passed away. She continued to care for her mother until that was no longer possible and always felt she should have done more when her mom had to be moved to Salem Home for her last days.
For many years Mary Ann was part of a group of ladies that met to celebrate birthdays. She enjoyed preparing for those celebrations and looked forward to connecting with friends.
She was grateful for some friendships where she would quietly spend time connecting by helping with their daily chores. Whether it was gardening, canning, cleaning, cooking, driving, sewing or any other tasks to be accomplished, Mary Ann was willing and capable of so many things. At the end of those days she would return to her home to her cat named Spotty, whom she loved.
A new chapter opened for Mary Ann after her retirement that brought her the most joy. It was found in the relationships she nurtured with the Wall family when she began a new job babysitting the children. Mary Wall became a close friend and Mary Ann missed her deeply when she passed away too early but she kept forging a relationship with Stephanie, Courtney and Lindsey. Mary Ann was close to the age of their grandparents but Mary Ann viewed them as ‘her’ children and she loved them. They enjoyed her and found her to be a lot of fun. She cooked their favorite food, took them on adventures, introduced them to her friends, taught them to watch the Blue Jays complete with knowing the stats and exposed them to their first Soap Opera -General Hospital. After Mary passed away, Mary Ann took on the role of hosting family suppers for Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving. Stephanie and Courtney were faithful helpers to Mary Ann in planning and preparing these meals, and these were times that the whole family looked forward to. Mary Ann has always been included in family events – and she attended the weddings of all 3 children, which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Mary Ann didn’t like to sit idle. She created beautiful crocheted pieces, made countless dish cloths, cut out hundreds of denim squares. Most of her handiwork was for others. When she passed away she had just completed a complicated doily for a friend and was working on a project for someone else.
In the last few years Mary Ann often had specialist appointments in Winnipeg. She no longer drove but did not shirk her responsibilities and paid the gas for every trip and a meal to boot. While waiting for yet another appointment the conversation would inevitably turn to “Where shall we eat today?” She was an adventurous diner. She enjoyed sushi, pizza, Chinese, Mongos Grill, Olive Garden Red Lobster, Clay Oven and pickerel bites from Fergies Fish to name a few. Her favorite was the outdoor patio at The Old Spaghetti Factory. It was an economical deal- salad, entrée, and a beverage with spumoni ice cream to top it off.
Mary Ann was kind and did not want to interfere in any one else’s life. She was a good friend and a great travelling companion. She was fiercely independent and did not want to be a bother to anyone. She appreciated any act of kindness towards her large or small.
Mary Ann struggled with health issues in the last few years but she did not worry and instead trusted the Lord to take care of her. She was fully confident her life was in God’s hands.
Mary Ann was hospitalized mid August due to the complications of her growing cancer. Her health declined quickly and she passed away peacefully September 9 2024.
We are grateful to God for taking her quickly so she did not have to suffer long. In her last days she was very ready to leave this world and looked forward to seeing those who went before her.
We would like to thank the residents and staff at BALC for the care they gave Mary Ann; The HF Wiebe Pharmacy for going above and beyond in making sure she had what she needed; Dr Jordan Kroeker, Dr Woelk and the staff in the Palliative Care Dept and the Medical Ward at BTHC for carefully honoring her wishes and diligently attending her needs during her stay.
Lovingly missed, forever remembered.
Mary Ann attended the Plum Coulee Bergthaler Church with her Giesbrecht grandparents. She was baptized when she was a young woman in the John Dyck pond, south of Morden. She considered her church her family. She taught the 2 year old Sunday School class and was committed and active in church throughout most of her life.
Sunday visits to Aunts and Uncles were often a highlight in her week. It was a chance to see her cousins. Because she did not have siblings the cousins were very important to her.
Sometimes Mary Ann had to help outside on the farm but her true passion was entertaining indoors. She would help her mom clean and prepare for guests and this led her to a career in the Bethel Hospital Housekeeping Department where she worked meticulously for 25 years. She continued this passion for cleaning well into her 80’s. When she lived on Stanley Avenue not long before she moved to Buhler she was still climbing ladders to take down her curtains to wash them or to clean light fixtures. When she lived at Buhler she mentioned several times that it was time to clean behind the fridge or under the stove. Her home was always clean and tidy and she lived with no clutter.
She had the opportunity to travel and enjoyed many trips. British Columbia, Thompson, Michigan, England, Greece, and Alaska to name a few. Her favorite trip was to the Holy Lands with Back to the Bible. Some trips were with her parents and other travels included her friends . She was always open to meeting mew people along the way. Mary Ann was always up for an adventure even if it was just a ride to Ritcher Manitoba where she stemmed beans along the way to keep her hands busy.
Mary Ann loved her parents and was very sad when her father passed away. She continued to care for her mother until that was no longer possible and always felt she should have done more when her mom had to be moved to Salem Home for her last days.
For many years Mary Ann was part of a group of ladies that met to celebrate birthdays. She enjoyed preparing for those celebrations and looked forward to connecting with friends.
She was grateful for some friendships where she would quietly spend time connecting by helping with their daily chores. Whether it was gardening, canning, cleaning, cooking, driving, sewing or any other tasks to be accomplished, Mary Ann was willing and capable of so many things. At the end of those days she would return to her home to her cat named Spotty, whom she loved.
A new chapter opened for Mary Ann after her retirement that brought her the most joy. It was found in the relationships she nurtured with the Wall family when she began a new job babysitting the children. Mary Wall became a close friend and Mary Ann missed her deeply when she passed away too early but she kept forging a relationship with Stephanie, Courtney and Lindsey. Mary Ann was close to the age of their grandparents but Mary Ann viewed them as ‘her’ children and she loved them. They enjoyed her and found her to be a lot of fun. She cooked their favorite food, took them on adventures, introduced them to her friends, taught them to watch the Blue Jays complete with knowing the stats and exposed them to their first Soap Opera -General Hospital. After Mary passed away, Mary Ann took on the role of hosting family suppers for Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving. Stephanie and Courtney were faithful helpers to Mary Ann in planning and preparing these meals, and these were times that the whole family looked forward to. Mary Ann has always been included in family events – and she attended the weddings of all 3 children, which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Mary Ann didn’t like to sit idle. She created beautiful crocheted pieces, made countless dish cloths, cut out hundreds of denim squares. Most of her handiwork was for others. When she passed away she had just completed a complicated doily for a friend and was working on a project for someone else.
In the last few years Mary Ann often had specialist appointments in Winnipeg. She no longer drove but did not shirk her responsibilities and paid the gas for every trip and a meal to boot. While waiting for yet another appointment the conversation would inevitably turn to “Where shall we eat today?” She was an adventurous diner. She enjoyed sushi, pizza, Chinese, Mongos Grill, Olive Garden Red Lobster, Clay Oven and pickerel bites from Fergies Fish to name a few. Her favorite was the outdoor patio at The Old Spaghetti Factory. It was an economical deal- salad, entrée, and a beverage with spumoni ice cream to top it off.
Mary Ann was kind and did not want to interfere in any one else’s life. She was a good friend and a great travelling companion. She was fiercely independent and did not want to be a bother to anyone. She appreciated any act of kindness towards her large or small.
Mary Ann struggled with health issues in the last few years but she did not worry and instead trusted the Lord to take care of her. She was fully confident her life was in God’s hands.
Mary Ann was hospitalized mid August due to the complications of her growing cancer. Her health declined quickly and she passed away peacefully September 9 2024.
We are grateful to God for taking her quickly so she did not have to suffer long. In her last days she was very ready to leave this world and looked forward to seeing those who went before her.
We would like to thank the residents and staff at BALC for the care they gave Mary Ann; The HF Wiebe Pharmacy for going above and beyond in making sure she had what she needed; Dr Jordan Kroeker, Dr Woelk and the staff in the Palliative Care Dept and the Medical Ward at BTHC for carefully honoring her wishes and diligently attending her needs during her stay.
Lovingly missed, forever remembered.