Obituary for Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Suderman (nee Peters)
Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Suderman (nee Peters) was born August 24, 1932, died June 3, 2022 at age 89. She is survived by daughters, Sara Jane Schmidt (Rick), and Marilyn Cameron (Norman); grandchildren, Keli Schmidt (David Sikkema), Paul Schmidt (Leah Klassen); great grandchildren, Annika and Elliot Schmidt; brother Ron (Ginny), sister-in-law Lena, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by husband Jake, daughter Betty Lou and brothers Jimmy and John.
Betty was born on the kitchen table on the family farm near Winkler, third child of John and Sarah Peters. Growing up on the farm made for a wonderful childhood but also hard work: house chores, tending flower and vegetable gardens and canning. She was spared the heavier farm labour. She caught her love of gardening from her parents and passed that on to her daughters.
Betty excelled academically, first in Gr.1-8 at the one-room schoolhouse at Rosenbach (walking the one mile each way), then in high school, accomplished partly by correspondence, partly by attending in Winkler, while boarding with her Aunt Margaret Trinke. She had fond memories of this time.
Childhood disease and death were not uncommon and Betty experienced the effects early in her life when brother John almost died from infantile paralysis. When Betty was 13 her brother Jimmy, having been ill with nephritis for four years, succumbed at age 16. Betty saw how her parents coped with this tragedy and how family and community rallied in support.
Music was central in the Peters family and Betty started singing along at the age of three. Her fine soprano voice was recognized early when she won her first class at the music festival singing “My Grandpa has Whiskers / They’re not very long / But boy they can bite you / They’re terribly strong!” Upon encouragement from the adjudicator, her parents enrolled her in voice lessons with Justina Wiebe, a well-known teacher in the area. She became a sought-after soloist and was able to continue singing well into her dementia.
While attending Winkler Bible School, Betty had another wonderful boarding experience with Mr.and Mrs. Hooge, who had their hands full with a lively bunch of young women. This was also when Betty met Jake, and they were married in 1952. They moved to Regina where life was immediately challenging. Betty became pregnant, suffering severe morning sickness, and Jake was working nights so they didn’t see each other much. After a very hard labour, Betty Lou was born in 1953; recovery was long. In all this, Betty’s mother-in-law was not particularly empathetic, Jake’s sisters were both in Winnipeg, none of her own family was close by and she hadn’t yet made friends. The situation was intolerable, and so they moved to Winnipeg, where Jake had been admitted to a Master’s of Social Work program at U of M. With a baby in tow it was almost impossible to find rental accommodations. They finally found a tiny one-room suite with a sympathetic landlord and a kind neighbour in the suite next door.
As Jake began his career and got better jobs, things began to look up. Jake’s dad gave them a mortgage to build a house on Roberta Avenue, and they moved in in 1957, the year Sara Jane joined the family.
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Strong Christian faith and principles were also hallmarks of the Peters family. Betty gave her heart to the Lord in child-like faith at age eight; at 16 she was baptized and began to take part in many church activities. In the first years of marriage, church needed to be within walking distance. South End MB on William and Juno was welcoming and here they made lifelong friends. When the church moved to its new building on Portage Avenue in 1961 they joined as charter members and remained active all their lives. Singing in the choir, many solos, and participating in the Women’s Fellowship were some of Betty’s contributions.
April 7, 1962 started out as a cold spring day and the ice was solid on the dugout at the farm. Midday, a chinook-like wind softened the ice. Betty Lou, on her own, went out on the ice and it gave way. Four-year-old Sara Jane and her six-year-old cousin Johnny were in the vicinity and heard her cry out. They ran to the house to alert the adults. Brother Ron pulled Betty Lou up, but it was too late. Shock spread throughout the community. The large, new church was packed for the funeral. Friends and neighbours were fantastic, offering much support. But sadness descended on the Suderman household for a long time. Through the years, trips home from church regularly involved a stop at the grave site.
In 1964 joy came again when Marilyn was born. Having a new baby in the house helped everyone. Marilyn was the baby that never slept during the day. She wasn’t too fussy, but Betty didn’t get a break.
Eventually Betty resumed voice lessons with Sara Udow, a wonderful Jewish lady, who taught all the fine Mennonite singers! Betty continued to sing, in the choir, solos and at weddings. After Betty Lou’s death, she could no longer sing at funerals.
In later years, Betty took on more volunteer work. She helped out at church with the Mom’s program and sponsored refugees. She really enjoyed helping students at Faith Academy. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s while attending Lions Manor Adult Day Club she readily took charge of singing time. Had she had the opportunity she would have been a wonderful teacher!
Mom was a homemaker in the full sense of the word. Her house was spotlessly clean, she was a great cook and baker, grew vegetables, and was a very fine seamstress, sewing many of her own and her daughters’ clothes, which they were proud to wear. Crewel embroidery, cross-stitch and reading provided many hours of leisure. Once Jake retired walking and travel were also enjoyed. But her passion remained the beauties she grew in her flower gardens.
In 2012 Betty’s 80th birthday was celebrated with a big party. Betty was generally quiet, not seeking attention, but she really enjoyed this occasion. Looking back, it was around then that we noticed her memory starting to slip.
In 2014, she and Dad moved to Kildonan House (assisted-living). Mom blossomed there making many friends. Also at this time, she was diagnosed with both Alzheimers and vascular dementia. By 2016, Dad could no longer look after Mom and we moved her to the Irene Baron Eden Centre where she lived for two years. This was not an easy time for her or her family. She was very lonely there, and never really adjusted. As her condition worsened, it was decided she would move to Bethania Personal Care Home. The more familiar Mennonite environment and being with Jake again made her much happier. We are very grateful for the three-and-a-half years of care and love that Betty received from all the staff. And special thanks to Carlie Fehr who remained a faithful companion to her last day.
In March 2022, a broken hip, followed by surgery and becoming wheelchair bound precipitated a swift decline. Just five days after she stopped eating, she died peacefully. Despite the ravages of her disease, Mom’s kindness never left her and most people who knew her will remember her as a sweet and cheerful person.
The memorial service will be at Portage Avenue Church, 1420 Portage Avenue, on Monday, June 13 at 11:00 a.m., with viewing from 10:00 a.m. Burial will take place after the service at Elmwood Cemetery. Due to the vulnerable health of some attendees, masks will be mandatory. The service will also be live-streamed on the Portage Avenue Church website (pachurch.ca).
We want to especially thank Bethania Personal Care Home for their care of Betty, and our family as well, throughout her time there, and in particular, the nurses and aides for their loving attention to Mom in the last few days of her life. You will never know how much this all has meant to us.
If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Betty to the Alzheimers Society of Manitoba https://alzheimer.mb.ca/you-can-help/donate/ or to Portage Avenue Church – Refugee Fund https://pachurch.ca/donate/
Betty was born on the kitchen table on the family farm near Winkler, third child of John and Sarah Peters. Growing up on the farm made for a wonderful childhood but also hard work: house chores, tending flower and vegetable gardens and canning. She was spared the heavier farm labour. She caught her love of gardening from her parents and passed that on to her daughters.
Betty excelled academically, first in Gr.1-8 at the one-room schoolhouse at Rosenbach (walking the one mile each way), then in high school, accomplished partly by correspondence, partly by attending in Winkler, while boarding with her Aunt Margaret Trinke. She had fond memories of this time.
Childhood disease and death were not uncommon and Betty experienced the effects early in her life when brother John almost died from infantile paralysis. When Betty was 13 her brother Jimmy, having been ill with nephritis for four years, succumbed at age 16. Betty saw how her parents coped with this tragedy and how family and community rallied in support.
Music was central in the Peters family and Betty started singing along at the age of three. Her fine soprano voice was recognized early when she won her first class at the music festival singing “My Grandpa has Whiskers / They’re not very long / But boy they can bite you / They’re terribly strong!” Upon encouragement from the adjudicator, her parents enrolled her in voice lessons with Justina Wiebe, a well-known teacher in the area. She became a sought-after soloist and was able to continue singing well into her dementia.
While attending Winkler Bible School, Betty had another wonderful boarding experience with Mr.and Mrs. Hooge, who had their hands full with a lively bunch of young women. This was also when Betty met Jake, and they were married in 1952. They moved to Regina where life was immediately challenging. Betty became pregnant, suffering severe morning sickness, and Jake was working nights so they didn’t see each other much. After a very hard labour, Betty Lou was born in 1953; recovery was long. In all this, Betty’s mother-in-law was not particularly empathetic, Jake’s sisters were both in Winnipeg, none of her own family was close by and she hadn’t yet made friends. The situation was intolerable, and so they moved to Winnipeg, where Jake had been admitted to a Master’s of Social Work program at U of M. With a baby in tow it was almost impossible to find rental accommodations. They finally found a tiny one-room suite with a sympathetic landlord and a kind neighbour in the suite next door.
As Jake began his career and got better jobs, things began to look up. Jake’s dad gave them a mortgage to build a house on Roberta Avenue, and they moved in in 1957, the year Sara Jane joined the family.
.
Strong Christian faith and principles were also hallmarks of the Peters family. Betty gave her heart to the Lord in child-like faith at age eight; at 16 she was baptized and began to take part in many church activities. In the first years of marriage, church needed to be within walking distance. South End MB on William and Juno was welcoming and here they made lifelong friends. When the church moved to its new building on Portage Avenue in 1961 they joined as charter members and remained active all their lives. Singing in the choir, many solos, and participating in the Women’s Fellowship were some of Betty’s contributions.
April 7, 1962 started out as a cold spring day and the ice was solid on the dugout at the farm. Midday, a chinook-like wind softened the ice. Betty Lou, on her own, went out on the ice and it gave way. Four-year-old Sara Jane and her six-year-old cousin Johnny were in the vicinity and heard her cry out. They ran to the house to alert the adults. Brother Ron pulled Betty Lou up, but it was too late. Shock spread throughout the community. The large, new church was packed for the funeral. Friends and neighbours were fantastic, offering much support. But sadness descended on the Suderman household for a long time. Through the years, trips home from church regularly involved a stop at the grave site.
In 1964 joy came again when Marilyn was born. Having a new baby in the house helped everyone. Marilyn was the baby that never slept during the day. She wasn’t too fussy, but Betty didn’t get a break.
Eventually Betty resumed voice lessons with Sara Udow, a wonderful Jewish lady, who taught all the fine Mennonite singers! Betty continued to sing, in the choir, solos and at weddings. After Betty Lou’s death, she could no longer sing at funerals.
In later years, Betty took on more volunteer work. She helped out at church with the Mom’s program and sponsored refugees. She really enjoyed helping students at Faith Academy. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s while attending Lions Manor Adult Day Club she readily took charge of singing time. Had she had the opportunity she would have been a wonderful teacher!
Mom was a homemaker in the full sense of the word. Her house was spotlessly clean, she was a great cook and baker, grew vegetables, and was a very fine seamstress, sewing many of her own and her daughters’ clothes, which they were proud to wear. Crewel embroidery, cross-stitch and reading provided many hours of leisure. Once Jake retired walking and travel were also enjoyed. But her passion remained the beauties she grew in her flower gardens.
In 2012 Betty’s 80th birthday was celebrated with a big party. Betty was generally quiet, not seeking attention, but she really enjoyed this occasion. Looking back, it was around then that we noticed her memory starting to slip.
In 2014, she and Dad moved to Kildonan House (assisted-living). Mom blossomed there making many friends. Also at this time, she was diagnosed with both Alzheimers and vascular dementia. By 2016, Dad could no longer look after Mom and we moved her to the Irene Baron Eden Centre where she lived for two years. This was not an easy time for her or her family. She was very lonely there, and never really adjusted. As her condition worsened, it was decided she would move to Bethania Personal Care Home. The more familiar Mennonite environment and being with Jake again made her much happier. We are very grateful for the three-and-a-half years of care and love that Betty received from all the staff. And special thanks to Carlie Fehr who remained a faithful companion to her last day.
In March 2022, a broken hip, followed by surgery and becoming wheelchair bound precipitated a swift decline. Just five days after she stopped eating, she died peacefully. Despite the ravages of her disease, Mom’s kindness never left her and most people who knew her will remember her as a sweet and cheerful person.
The memorial service will be at Portage Avenue Church, 1420 Portage Avenue, on Monday, June 13 at 11:00 a.m., with viewing from 10:00 a.m. Burial will take place after the service at Elmwood Cemetery. Due to the vulnerable health of some attendees, masks will be mandatory. The service will also be live-streamed on the Portage Avenue Church website (pachurch.ca).
We want to especially thank Bethania Personal Care Home for their care of Betty, and our family as well, throughout her time there, and in particular, the nurses and aides for their loving attention to Mom in the last few days of her life. You will never know how much this all has meant to us.
If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Betty to the Alzheimers Society of Manitoba https://alzheimer.mb.ca/you-can-help/donate/ or to Portage Avenue Church – Refugee Fund https://pachurch.ca/donate/