Obituary for Ella Zacharias
ELLA ZACHARIAS
May 26th, 1937 - June 8th, 2022
Ella Zacharias - wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother - passed away peacefully with her family by her side on June 8th at The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg, at the age of 85.
She will always be lovingly remembered by her husband David; sons, Barry and Robert (Kelley); daughter Barb.; her grandchildren, Dustin, Wyatt, Hailey, and Amy; her sister Marge, sisters-in-law Hilda and Hugette; and a good number of nieces, nephews, and friends
Ella was born in Reinfeld, MB as the 5th child of nine children; Peter, Mary, Tina, Abe, and Marge are the siblings she grew up with; three siblings died as young children.
Although a bright pupil who enjoyed school, Ella moved to Winkler when she finished Grade 8 to work as household help to help support her family. She and David met when she was 15 years old when she caught his eye while they were both visiting his brother Abe in the Winkler hospital. He found out where she lived, did some old-fashioned, Mennonite-style courting, and they have been together ever since. Ella eventually moved to Winnipeg where she worked as an aid in one of the municipal hospitals until they got married on August 25th, 1957 and settled into life together in the city.
Being part of the Mennonite community in Winnipeg was a central part of Ella's life, and - as a young couple - she and David were among those who started the Bergthaler Church that then evolved into the Home Street Mennonite Church. Many of Ella's friendships and much of her own and the family's social life revolved around the people and activities there.
"The Dyck Family" connections also remained strong into adulthood and many a weekend trip was made to southern Manitoba to visit the Frindschaft and to get together to eat good Mennonite food (lots of it), talk (in Plattdietsch), and laugh (loudly).
Ella and David's three children were born between 1958 and 1963 and they moved as a family into the house built for them in Charleswood by Ella's brother-in-law, John, in 1964. Ella spent the next years making a good home for her family. She was an immaculate housekeeper, a great baker, and a good cook - the kind of wife that could be relied upon to make a delicious meal for guests visiting her home, and the kind of Mom who made heart-shaped cookies with pink icing for the Valentine's Day party at school and the best klik sandwiches for a church picnic or baseball game or family road trip. Teenagers visiting Ella's kids knew there would always be some homemade cookies, squares, or buns to be found in her kitchen or the basement freezer.
Ella liked to be active and loved to work - at home and in the yard, at her paid position as a saleswoman, for the church, and at a variety of voluntary jobs. She started her Eaton's career when her youngest started school and enjoyed her work in the ladies‘ shoes department at Polo Park thoroughly, for 30-plus years to follow - receiving recognition as an outstanding employee there for a job well done. Mom valued her colleagues greatly and liked her job all the more because of them.
Ella was an active member of the Ladies Group at church, taking part in everything from serving at weddings and funerals, to acting as treasurer, to modelling at a fashion show there.
She worked for many years in the Church Library, which fit well to her beloved hobby of reading. Whether it be a newspaper article, The Mennonite Mirror, a romance novel, a self-help book, a thriller, or modern Canadian Literature: many of Ella's enjoyable, informative, and relaxed hours were spent with her nose in a book - preferably while comfortably sitting in the lazy-boy chair in their cozy screen-room, shaded by the crab-apple tree.
Retirement brought the opportunity for her to expand her voluntary activities, and Ella spent many years working weekly at the Grace Hospital Cafe, the Pregnancy Distress Thrift Store for over 20 years, the MCC Thrift Store, as well as regularly serving coffee at Bethel Place, where she also served on the board for many years.
Ella also enjoyed taking time off for road-trips all over North America with David and with their friends, for yearly visits to Germany to visit Barb. and her family, and for the occasional holiday somewhere warm during the long Manitoban winters.
Throughout her life, Ella cared the very most about her husband, her children, and her grandchildren, of whom she was very proud. One of her greatest joys was regularly taking care of her grandchildren while they were growing up and spending time with them as they got older and more independent. The fact that her two "German" grandchildren both wanted nothing more at age seventeen than to come spend a year living with their senior grandparents speaks loudly about her ability to happily share her time and energy in a way that made her loved ones feel cared for. Ella liked to have fun, and she loved to laugh - even if a family joke might occasionally be at her expense.
Inviting her adult "kids" and grandkids to stop in on their way home from work and school for regular Wednesday evening dinners became a tradition for many years that combined Ella's enjoyment of time spent with her family and her wish to help in a practical way. She said it was the best way to see everybody without taking away from their free-time on the weekend and, at the same time, it gave the others one evening a week that they didn't have to think about getting supper ready.
Ella's subtle way of offering of love through acts of service could also be evidenced in how readily she and David opened their home to provide a place to stay to so many people over the years: to a niece’s boyfriend many years ago, to a number of children that Barb. worked with in her social services positions, to a young couple from their Home Street Church, to the young L'Arch volunteer from Frankfurt, to one of Barb.'s university professors from Germany, to the former neighbor-girl and her family while here for her Dad's funeral during Ella's last Autumn in their house on Vialoux - all who needed a place to stay were simply welcomed to make Ella and David's home their home in Winnipeg for a time.
Despite struggling with a number of health conditions that made movement, socializing, reading and conversation difficult for her these past several years, just the right amount of teasing from Dave or referring to some family joke could often still get Ella to share one of her best smiles with us or say one of her "classic Ella" lines - even over the facetime talks made necessary by distance and Covid. It became more and more evident, however, that Ella was growing weary of her life as it had become on this earth as it became increasingly difficult for her to connect with those she cared for most.
It is a treasure to know Ella spent her last minutes and hours and days in the company of David and her family whom she loved so well, and who loved her back dearly.
We are very sad about having to say good-bye and she will be missed greatly. We are glad for her that her suffering is over, and will always be grateful for her waiting till we could all be together to go.
We appreciate the many expressions of concern and compassion, affection and support offered to Mom and Dad and us as a family during these sometimes difficult years.
As Mom's kids, we especially thank our Dad for his steadfast love and caring for Mom and all the hands-on support he learned how to give to Mom, whether it was easy for him or not. Grandma Dyck knew all along that you would truly be a good husband for her daughter.
Special thanks goes out to the health care aids, recreation staff, and nurses at The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg for their patient, gentle, and caring support of Mom and our family this past year.
We also thank the dedicated team at Lindenwoods Terrace for the year before that, who helped Mom and Dad get used to accepting the necessary help and support through the warmth, friendliness, and flexibility they offered.
Though Covid brought many challenges with it, the efforts made to foster communication and relationship were obvious and appreciated at both of Mom's living places since leaving her beloved home in Charleswood with its yard full of deer, squirrels, birds, and bunnies in the Spring of 2020.
Many of those working with her warmed Mom's life, and our hearts, by noticing her beautiful smile, sense of humour, and love of matching clothing.
A service for family and friends will be held at Home Street Mennonite Church on Friday, June 17th, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a light lunch in the church basement. Masks are required at the church and will be made available.
Service will be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/z9n4Ql8hOEo
A private family interment service will take place at Sage Creek Cemetery.
Those wishing to make a donation in Ella's name are welcome to make a contribution to MCC.
May 26th, 1937 - June 8th, 2022
Ella Zacharias - wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother - passed away peacefully with her family by her side on June 8th at The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg, at the age of 85.
She will always be lovingly remembered by her husband David; sons, Barry and Robert (Kelley); daughter Barb.; her grandchildren, Dustin, Wyatt, Hailey, and Amy; her sister Marge, sisters-in-law Hilda and Hugette; and a good number of nieces, nephews, and friends
Ella was born in Reinfeld, MB as the 5th child of nine children; Peter, Mary, Tina, Abe, and Marge are the siblings she grew up with; three siblings died as young children.
Although a bright pupil who enjoyed school, Ella moved to Winkler when she finished Grade 8 to work as household help to help support her family. She and David met when she was 15 years old when she caught his eye while they were both visiting his brother Abe in the Winkler hospital. He found out where she lived, did some old-fashioned, Mennonite-style courting, and they have been together ever since. Ella eventually moved to Winnipeg where she worked as an aid in one of the municipal hospitals until they got married on August 25th, 1957 and settled into life together in the city.
Being part of the Mennonite community in Winnipeg was a central part of Ella's life, and - as a young couple - she and David were among those who started the Bergthaler Church that then evolved into the Home Street Mennonite Church. Many of Ella's friendships and much of her own and the family's social life revolved around the people and activities there.
"The Dyck Family" connections also remained strong into adulthood and many a weekend trip was made to southern Manitoba to visit the Frindschaft and to get together to eat good Mennonite food (lots of it), talk (in Plattdietsch), and laugh (loudly).
Ella and David's three children were born between 1958 and 1963 and they moved as a family into the house built for them in Charleswood by Ella's brother-in-law, John, in 1964. Ella spent the next years making a good home for her family. She was an immaculate housekeeper, a great baker, and a good cook - the kind of wife that could be relied upon to make a delicious meal for guests visiting her home, and the kind of Mom who made heart-shaped cookies with pink icing for the Valentine's Day party at school and the best klik sandwiches for a church picnic or baseball game or family road trip. Teenagers visiting Ella's kids knew there would always be some homemade cookies, squares, or buns to be found in her kitchen or the basement freezer.
Ella liked to be active and loved to work - at home and in the yard, at her paid position as a saleswoman, for the church, and at a variety of voluntary jobs. She started her Eaton's career when her youngest started school and enjoyed her work in the ladies‘ shoes department at Polo Park thoroughly, for 30-plus years to follow - receiving recognition as an outstanding employee there for a job well done. Mom valued her colleagues greatly and liked her job all the more because of them.
Ella was an active member of the Ladies Group at church, taking part in everything from serving at weddings and funerals, to acting as treasurer, to modelling at a fashion show there.
She worked for many years in the Church Library, which fit well to her beloved hobby of reading. Whether it be a newspaper article, The Mennonite Mirror, a romance novel, a self-help book, a thriller, or modern Canadian Literature: many of Ella's enjoyable, informative, and relaxed hours were spent with her nose in a book - preferably while comfortably sitting in the lazy-boy chair in their cozy screen-room, shaded by the crab-apple tree.
Retirement brought the opportunity for her to expand her voluntary activities, and Ella spent many years working weekly at the Grace Hospital Cafe, the Pregnancy Distress Thrift Store for over 20 years, the MCC Thrift Store, as well as regularly serving coffee at Bethel Place, where she also served on the board for many years.
Ella also enjoyed taking time off for road-trips all over North America with David and with their friends, for yearly visits to Germany to visit Barb. and her family, and for the occasional holiday somewhere warm during the long Manitoban winters.
Throughout her life, Ella cared the very most about her husband, her children, and her grandchildren, of whom she was very proud. One of her greatest joys was regularly taking care of her grandchildren while they were growing up and spending time with them as they got older and more independent. The fact that her two "German" grandchildren both wanted nothing more at age seventeen than to come spend a year living with their senior grandparents speaks loudly about her ability to happily share her time and energy in a way that made her loved ones feel cared for. Ella liked to have fun, and she loved to laugh - even if a family joke might occasionally be at her expense.
Inviting her adult "kids" and grandkids to stop in on their way home from work and school for regular Wednesday evening dinners became a tradition for many years that combined Ella's enjoyment of time spent with her family and her wish to help in a practical way. She said it was the best way to see everybody without taking away from their free-time on the weekend and, at the same time, it gave the others one evening a week that they didn't have to think about getting supper ready.
Ella's subtle way of offering of love through acts of service could also be evidenced in how readily she and David opened their home to provide a place to stay to so many people over the years: to a niece’s boyfriend many years ago, to a number of children that Barb. worked with in her social services positions, to a young couple from their Home Street Church, to the young L'Arch volunteer from Frankfurt, to one of Barb.'s university professors from Germany, to the former neighbor-girl and her family while here for her Dad's funeral during Ella's last Autumn in their house on Vialoux - all who needed a place to stay were simply welcomed to make Ella and David's home their home in Winnipeg for a time.
Despite struggling with a number of health conditions that made movement, socializing, reading and conversation difficult for her these past several years, just the right amount of teasing from Dave or referring to some family joke could often still get Ella to share one of her best smiles with us or say one of her "classic Ella" lines - even over the facetime talks made necessary by distance and Covid. It became more and more evident, however, that Ella was growing weary of her life as it had become on this earth as it became increasingly difficult for her to connect with those she cared for most.
It is a treasure to know Ella spent her last minutes and hours and days in the company of David and her family whom she loved so well, and who loved her back dearly.
We are very sad about having to say good-bye and she will be missed greatly. We are glad for her that her suffering is over, and will always be grateful for her waiting till we could all be together to go.
We appreciate the many expressions of concern and compassion, affection and support offered to Mom and Dad and us as a family during these sometimes difficult years.
As Mom's kids, we especially thank our Dad for his steadfast love and caring for Mom and all the hands-on support he learned how to give to Mom, whether it was easy for him or not. Grandma Dyck knew all along that you would truly be a good husband for her daughter.
Special thanks goes out to the health care aids, recreation staff, and nurses at The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg for their patient, gentle, and caring support of Mom and our family this past year.
We also thank the dedicated team at Lindenwoods Terrace for the year before that, who helped Mom and Dad get used to accepting the necessary help and support through the warmth, friendliness, and flexibility they offered.
Though Covid brought many challenges with it, the efforts made to foster communication and relationship were obvious and appreciated at both of Mom's living places since leaving her beloved home in Charleswood with its yard full of deer, squirrels, birds, and bunnies in the Spring of 2020.
Many of those working with her warmed Mom's life, and our hearts, by noticing her beautiful smile, sense of humour, and love of matching clothing.
A service for family and friends will be held at Home Street Mennonite Church on Friday, June 17th, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a light lunch in the church basement. Masks are required at the church and will be made available.
Service will be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/z9n4Ql8hOEo
A private family interment service will take place at Sage Creek Cemetery.
Those wishing to make a donation in Ella's name are welcome to make a contribution to MCC.