She is predeceased by her husband John Friesen, daughter in law Diane, parents Isaac and Katherina Derksen, and her brother Jake.
Nettie was born in Winkler, on May 22, 1951, and grew up in the village of Reinfeld. She was the second youngest in a bustling family of 12 siblings.
When Nettie was eleven years old, her dad had a stroke and a few months later he passed away. This was the first of several hard events that shaped Nettie’s life. One thing that really stood out in her mind was all the time that she could see her mom kneeling by a kitchen chair and asking God for guidance. This had a great impact and helped shape her life.
During her teens she attended a youth group in Reinfeld, and it was during this time that she really got to know what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus. She understood 1 John 1:9 and knew that she was saved through Christ and that she was a new person in Him. She was then baptized in the Old Colony Church in 1970.
After high school Nettie went to Dixville, Quebec for one year with MCC to work in a home for adults with mental disabilities. This opportunity paved the way for future employment in Winkler when she returned. After she came back, she worked in the Bethel Hospital for several years as a health care aide. Dr. Wiebe recognized her experience and invited her to work at Valley Rehab (now Gateway Resources) where she worked for many years, as a supervisor of clients. She loved and respected each client she cared for, and demonstrated that all people deserve dignity and respect. Later in life Nettie still spend her time caring for youth with disabilities as she volunteered her time in Winnipeg at the St Amant Centre. Nettie loved to serve and would spend countless hours at church, the MCC store in Winkler, Ten Thousand Villages in Winnipeg and Winkler, and the Winkler Horticultural Society. Just a few days before she passed, Nettie was serving at the Thanksgiving supper at EMM Church.
On June 23, 1974, Nettie married John Friesen and together they were blessed with three boys. John and Nettie moved many times throughout their marriage and in 1979 they were living near Chortitz when their home was destroyed in a fire. They lost everything except the clothes on their backs and each other. This devastating loss brought Nettie closer to God, John and to her family. After the fire, John found work in Alberta and they moved to LeDuc. This move was one of several between Alberta and Manitoba. John passed away in 2011 and Nettie’s sisters became a great source of comfort to her as several of them were also widowed. The sisters coffee date on Tuesdays became a very important outing.
No matter where Nettie landed, her yard and her gardens were a priority for her. In Winkler, the Horticultural Society became an important part of Nettie’s life. Nettie loved to garden, loved all flowers and any dirt under her nails. She was always moving plants around her yard, taking cuttings and gifting cuttings to share her love of plants with others. She also loved to paint, craft and decorate and celebrated each season with new decorations.
Nettie was a good support for her boys at all their school events and was very proud of their accomplishments. She was especially excited to finally become a grandma at 71 years old to Berkeley and treasured any time she had with him, easily sharing photos of him with anyone she met.
Several significant life experiences shaped Nettie and she shared openly how Christ had proved himself to her so many times. Even through her many health concerns, she felt she could trust God and that he had been faithful to her throughout her life. Though life was not always easy, Nettie was resilient and relied heavily on her faith in Christ and recognized that God was always in control.
In memory of Nettie, donations can be made to Boundary Trails Health Centre Cancer Care Unit.
Burial will take place at the Reinfeld Cemetery prior to the service at 12:30 p.m.