Obituary of Elizabeth Remple

We are saddened and yet grateful that God has granted Mom the desire of her heart – to finally be ‘Home.’ She passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Bethania Personal Care Home on Sunday, November 1st at the age of 98 and is now in His loving presence. She was the last surviving sibling of her family. Mom’s story began on February 11, 1922 when she arrived in the home of Frank & Aganetha Kroeker of Rosenort. She and her 14 siblings were raised on a farm next to that of the Jacob Kroeker family and Mom enjoyed great camaraderie with those cousins. Life on the farm consisted primarily of much work and little play, so a special time of year was threshing season when delicious food was in abundance. In those days lines of responsibility were clearly defined – she and her sisters did household and outside chores; their brothers only outside farm work. With little to entertain them, a buggy ride for Sunday afternoon visitations was a highlight. On her first day of school Mom arrived in a brown and green plaid dress with hair in braids and ready to learn. She excelled in arithmetic, geography and spelling. It was a nursing career that she aspired to but unfortunately furthering her education meant moving away from home which at the time was considered unsuitable for a young woman. So that dream went by the wayside and she remained on the farm. Instead of nursing people, she took care of cows, chickens and horses. While in school she inherited the nickname ‘Lucy’ and that stayed with her. Mom had an amazing capacity to remember birthdays and telephone numbers. That stood her in good stead, especially when her eyesight started to fail. At the age of 20, Mom fell in love with handsome Henry Remple, her first and only boyfriend. The wedding day was just another ordinary Sunday. On November 23, 1941 they walked into church and were married during the service. Much to Mom’s chagrin she was required to wear a kerchief on their special day. Mom & Dad settled on a farm of their own and over the next few years five children completed the family: Stan (Nell) Remple, Carol (Harvey) Ohlsen, Irma (Dave) Friesen, Beverly (Wil) Cornelsen and Brenda (Don) Klassen and eventually 7 grandchildren: Derek & Christine; Darren (Adri); Marshall (Shannon) & Matthew (Kellie); Marissa (Marc) & Jordan (Sarah) and 9 great grandchildren joined them: Katya; Ryland & Teo; Madison & Lauren; Charlotte; Piper, Harrison & Felicity. Mom was a very industrious homemaker and managed to raise all five of us in a small house without any amenities. Those were frugal days and undoubtedly she sacrificed much in order to take care of us. She discovered she was a natural at the sewing machine and dressed her four daughters and herself in the styles of the day. Working in a fabric shop in Morris for several years was therefore a perfect fit for her. Fashion and shopping were two of her loves and being well dressed and groomed remained a part of who she was even until near the end. Life on the farm was hard work. Each year Mom grew a huge vegetable garden and our summer holidays were taken up with picking, pickling and preserving. There are memories of Mom milking cows early morning and evening and hauling pails of milk to the cream separator. Little time was left to indulge in leisure activities but when it did, Mom enjoyed quilting bees, the company of her sewing circle and coffee klatches. After the family was grown, Mom & Dad had the pleasure of travelling to Ontario, Palm Springs and Hawaii, as well as experiencing a bigger world through many travelogues. Mom loved good food, good coffee and good conversation. Practicing hospitality was her love language. She and Dad happily shared many delicious meals with friends around their table. And we could always count on our favorite dishes when we came home. Always ready to rise to a challenge, she managed to teach Stan the skill of making roll kuchen. When she was no longer able to cook, her first concern was “what are we going to eat?” Until she was hospitalized, she still received much pleasure in sharing whatever she had on hand. The proverbial ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’ was evident in our home. Mom modeled a great work ethic that has followed us to this day. Mom believed in staying fit. She maintained a regular walking routine until well into her 90’s. But what Mom did not believe in were prescription drugs unless absolutely necessary. For the better part of her life she was blessed with great health and she defied the odds even in her last few months. Mom was very social and had the ability to develop long-lasting friendships. When she and Dad finally decided to retire to Winnipeg in 1989, it didn’t take long before she added to her circle of friends through bible studies, scrabbling, ceramics, puzzling and breakfast dates. Her personality and unique sense of humor, often surfacing in unexpected ways, endeared her to many. When Dad passed away in 2000, Mom faced the challenges of living life without him. It eventually became apparent that she needed to move from her condo to an assisted living facility. Her competitive spirit moved with her to Lindenwood Terrace – she loved to win at Skipbo or scrabble. A perfect outing was to dine at her favorite restaurants and she took advantage of every opportunity to do so even if it meant arriving at the Pancake House three days in a row. As Mom’s eyesight and memory continued to deteriorate, she found that God truly cared about the details of her life. He answered many of her very simple prayers. In early May of this year a brain injury from a fall, followed by a stroke, left her hospitalized and eventually transferred to the Bethania Personal Care Home. We extend our appreciation to the staff for caring for Mom through challenging COVID times and limited opportunity for family to visit. Many have enriched Mom’s life with their friendship through visits, telephone calls, prayer, cards and invitations to enjoy a meal out. To you we say a heartfelt thank you. She will be laid to rest next to Dad at the Rosenort EMC Cemetery. Unfortunately due to current circumstances, there will be no public celebration.