Obituary of Margaret Dueck

Margaret Dueck, our beloved Mother, Grandma, Great-Grandma, Sister, and Friend, passed away on November 18, 2024 at the age of 97. She longed for her eternal home and is now with Jesus and with those who went on before her. She was predeceased by her parents. Peter W and Elizabeth Friesen, our Dad, Jacob A. Dueck, her infant twin daughters, Mildred and Marlene, her grandson Jonathan, her granddaughter Becky, her great-granddaughter, Hannah two brothers, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and many friends. Mom accepted Jesus into her life as a teenager and was baptized on the confession of her faith. In her personal testimony she wrote, "I accepted the Lord when I was 17, way back in 1944. I had been under conviction for a while already and knew that I should confess my sins but it did not happen till we had revival meetings. ... I knew that I would have to make some confessions. I found that very hard but what a relief when I gave in. John 3:16 and 1 John 1:9." Mom met Dad when he was working as a farm hand for her father. They were married in 1946 and moved into Dad's parents' farm. Unfortunately, Dad developed a heart condition and passed away in 1968, leaving Mom with nine children. A few of us were almost past the teen years, but the youngest one (Don) was only about 10 months old. Mom took on the role of both Mom and Dad and continued farming with Art and Lawrence. Life was not easy for her, but her nature was one of courage, and the Lord was faithful in providing for us. Mom remained a farmer at heart and was always interested in her sons' crops and grain yields. Mom had many interests. She enjoyed reading and quilting and spent many hours with her friends at Rose Bay, sewing blankets. One of her favorite hobbies was playing Scrabble and if you shared a game with her, you were her friend! She enjoyed sports and tells the story of her catching the ball on second base in one of her school ballgames. When Deb became involved in volleyball and basketball, Mom would be her faithful spectator and supporter. Mom's garden was huge every summer, as long as she lived on the farm. There was enough for our Winnipeg relatives to come and pick fresh vegetables. Mom’s flowers were amazing! Her colorful flower boxes were an important part of her happy place while living in Rosenort. Mom enjoyed cooking at Bible camp for several summers. In a 1989 Messenger (the EMC paper the Rosenort Church reporter wrote, "Mrs. Margaret Dueck told us of the youthful joys awaiting volunteer camp personnel. (She has been a cook at camp for many years and is getting younger all the time!)" Mom had the opportunity to work in the cafeteria at Winnipeg Bible College when Don and Deb were students there. Her cinnamon buns were very popular with the students, and have become famous over the years, especially with the staff at Enns Brothers (Deb's place of Work). Mom also loved working at the Morris Thrift Store and appreciated the friendship of those who volunteered there. Mom was blessed with fairly good health until age 86 and lived quite independently until her nineties. Mom was very thoughtful and sent many birthday and encouragement cards to family and friends. When someone she knew, passed away, she would say, "I did not do enough for her." Mom reached out to others as long as she could, even while she was not feeling well. Her move to Niverville Personal Care Home in 2021 was not easy in that she left her community and church, and although she moved to a nice facility, she didn't know anyone there. Her desire was that she would be a shining light there. Her prayers were answered - her last birthday card from the Niverville staff had a note in it, "This is your day to shine, but you shine every day." The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Niverville Personal Care Home for their love and care for Mom in the last 3 years that she resided there. Mom loved a good time and was fun to be with. She is survived by her 5 daughters and 4 sons and their spouses: Sylvia (David) Froese, Art (Martha), Linda (Klass) Friesen, Alvera (Arnie) Weber, Elaine (Tim) Klassen; Lawrence (Naomi); Wes (Karen); Deb (Ron) Janzen; Don (Juanita); 26 grandchildren and 49 great grandchildren. She will be deeply missed by her immediate family, 4 sisters, 3 brothers, their families and many nieces and nephews. Her family and friends were very special to her and she appreciated all her visitors so much. If you visited her in the last years, we thank you for brightening Mom’s days. The funeral service will be held Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 2:00pm at the Rosenort E.M.C. A private family burial will take place prior to the funeral service at the Church cemetery. Public viewing will be held at the Rosenort E.M.C., Friday, November 22, 2024 at 7:00pm with a time of sharing and devotional starting at 7:30pm.