Obituary for Hella Funk (Schroeder)
Hella Funk (Schroeder)
July 15, 1919 - October 17, 2020
Hella Funk escaped the bonds of earth on October 17, 2020.Her wishes were for a service of praise and thanksgiving, where she could hear the organ in her coffin. Unfortunately, we are unable to have that celebration.
Hella is fondly remembered by her family – daughters Sigrid Fast and Margot Fieguth (Werner), grandchildren Paul (Betty Pries) and Anita (David Willms); great-grandchildren Anya, Andrew, Thomas, Naomi, Stefan.
Hella was predeceased by her parents Jakob and Johanna (Ensz) Schroeder, her husband Herbert, brothers and their wives Erich (Irmgard), Kurt (Frieda) Hans (Christel), son-in-law George Fast and nieces and nephews Adelheid, Barb, Manfred and Walter.
She was born July 15, 1919 on a farm in the Free State of Danzig, Prussia (now Gdansk, Poland). She was the third of four children born to Johanna and Jakob Schroeder right after WW1. Hella attended 8 years at the town school followed by 1 year of classes in Home Economics. The family worshipped at the Fuerstenwerder Mennonite Church where she was baptized in 1934. Lessons in dancing and good manners were a must for all the youth and served as a wonderful way for young people to meet. Mom had decided at an early age that farming was not for her and she would prefer city life. At these dances she met a handsome banker, Herbert Funk; they fell in love and married October 18, 1939. Their honeymoon was very brief as WW2 had begun in Danzig and Herbert was conscripted.
During the war years Hella lived in their newly built brick home in Tiegenhof where she planted a garden with fruit trees, flowers and vegetables; she raised chickens for eggs and meat and basically coped on her own. She gave birth to two daughters, Sigrid in 1941 and Margot in 1943. When the Russians invaded Germany she fled and after 3 weeks at sea, they were finally given shelter on a farm in West Germany. Her husband miraculously found them in February 1946. They both found employment on a larger farm. She, who had not wanted to live on a farm, was now hand milking 17 cows twice a day. Her widowed mother lived with them.
Post war life in Germany was most difficult and when they heard about possible sponsorship by Mennonites to come to Canada, they accepted this new challenge. In December 1951 they boarded the Beaverbrae and crossed the stormy Atlantic. Arriving at the CPR station in Winnipeg on December 26, they received the most memorable, warm Christmas welcome by the Wiens and Warkentin families in Glenlea..
The large Wiens family did not require farm workers so they encouraged them to move to Winnipeg. Hella found work cleaning houses and was treated like a valuable family member. Hella & Herbert became active members of the First Mennonite Church.
Hella bicycled wherever she needed to go and that probably accounts for her long life. In 1958 they bought their first car, a VW beetle. The family camped their way across North America. They loved visiting with family and relatives in Germany. They were so thankful to God for granting them many good years of retirement.
They moved into Sunset House, First Mennonite Church in l994 and Herbert died in l997. The church became her second home. She thoroughly enjoyed planting the flowerbeds and looking down from her third floor window to see them bloom. She attended every church service, loved the choir concerts, the organ music; the bible studies. She loved being hospitable and her table was permanently extended for family and friends.
Hella joined the Bethania family in October 2015. Soon after her arrival, when people asked her how she felt, her response was “100 % good”. Being able to be outdoors in the garden, taking part in the Mennonite church services and music programs, and meeting so many familiar volunteers made Bethania a wonderful last home for her. Unfortunately, the coronavirus regulations stopped the visitors and ended all the programming which took the joy out of living. Even so, her last words were still “danke”, “thank you”. For all who knew her, she was an example of living life with gratitude and joy.
Thank you to the loving staff at Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home. Donations may be made to the Bethania Garden fund or Mennonite Central Committee.
July 15, 1919 - October 17, 2020
Hella Funk escaped the bonds of earth on October 17, 2020.Her wishes were for a service of praise and thanksgiving, where she could hear the organ in her coffin. Unfortunately, we are unable to have that celebration.
Hella is fondly remembered by her family – daughters Sigrid Fast and Margot Fieguth (Werner), grandchildren Paul (Betty Pries) and Anita (David Willms); great-grandchildren Anya, Andrew, Thomas, Naomi, Stefan.
Hella was predeceased by her parents Jakob and Johanna (Ensz) Schroeder, her husband Herbert, brothers and their wives Erich (Irmgard), Kurt (Frieda) Hans (Christel), son-in-law George Fast and nieces and nephews Adelheid, Barb, Manfred and Walter.
She was born July 15, 1919 on a farm in the Free State of Danzig, Prussia (now Gdansk, Poland). She was the third of four children born to Johanna and Jakob Schroeder right after WW1. Hella attended 8 years at the town school followed by 1 year of classes in Home Economics. The family worshipped at the Fuerstenwerder Mennonite Church where she was baptized in 1934. Lessons in dancing and good manners were a must for all the youth and served as a wonderful way for young people to meet. Mom had decided at an early age that farming was not for her and she would prefer city life. At these dances she met a handsome banker, Herbert Funk; they fell in love and married October 18, 1939. Their honeymoon was very brief as WW2 had begun in Danzig and Herbert was conscripted.
During the war years Hella lived in their newly built brick home in Tiegenhof where she planted a garden with fruit trees, flowers and vegetables; she raised chickens for eggs and meat and basically coped on her own. She gave birth to two daughters, Sigrid in 1941 and Margot in 1943. When the Russians invaded Germany she fled and after 3 weeks at sea, they were finally given shelter on a farm in West Germany. Her husband miraculously found them in February 1946. They both found employment on a larger farm. She, who had not wanted to live on a farm, was now hand milking 17 cows twice a day. Her widowed mother lived with them.
Post war life in Germany was most difficult and when they heard about possible sponsorship by Mennonites to come to Canada, they accepted this new challenge. In December 1951 they boarded the Beaverbrae and crossed the stormy Atlantic. Arriving at the CPR station in Winnipeg on December 26, they received the most memorable, warm Christmas welcome by the Wiens and Warkentin families in Glenlea..
The large Wiens family did not require farm workers so they encouraged them to move to Winnipeg. Hella found work cleaning houses and was treated like a valuable family member. Hella & Herbert became active members of the First Mennonite Church.
Hella bicycled wherever she needed to go and that probably accounts for her long life. In 1958 they bought their first car, a VW beetle. The family camped their way across North America. They loved visiting with family and relatives in Germany. They were so thankful to God for granting them many good years of retirement.
They moved into Sunset House, First Mennonite Church in l994 and Herbert died in l997. The church became her second home. She thoroughly enjoyed planting the flowerbeds and looking down from her third floor window to see them bloom. She attended every church service, loved the choir concerts, the organ music; the bible studies. She loved being hospitable and her table was permanently extended for family and friends.
Hella joined the Bethania family in October 2015. Soon after her arrival, when people asked her how she felt, her response was “100 % good”. Being able to be outdoors in the garden, taking part in the Mennonite church services and music programs, and meeting so many familiar volunteers made Bethania a wonderful last home for her. Unfortunately, the coronavirus regulations stopped the visitors and ended all the programming which took the joy out of living. Even so, her last words were still “danke”, “thank you”. For all who knew her, she was an example of living life with gratitude and joy.
Thank you to the loving staff at Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home. Donations may be made to the Bethania Garden fund or Mennonite Central Committee.