Obituary for Katherine Unger
Katherine Unger, loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, & friend, passed away suddenly on May 23, 2022. She was born on May 22, 1936, being the 12th of 17 children born to John and Nettie Buhler in Saskatchewan. The family moved to Manitoba when Kathy was 3, living in a sod house in Arden.
Kathy worked hard on the farm and then moved to Winnipeg starting out as a live in housekeeper, then moved on to the polio ward at the Municipal Hospital when the need arose.
Kathy met her future husband Harry at a church tobogganing event, and they married on September 24, 1960. They were able to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary together in 2020.
Their first home together was in a two-room suite, and their first child Shirley arrived almost a year later. In the spring of 1962, they purchased their first home in Prairie Grove. It was here that daughters Phyllis, Rosanne, and Gladys, as well as son Wesley completed the family. After almost 30 years, Kathy and Harry transitioned to city life in Winnipeg. In 2018, the couple downsized to 55+ apartment living and in April of 2021, Kathy began living in Concordia Village, where she resided until her passing.
Many of Kathy’s skills learned on the farm were beneficial to her life as a homemaker & wife and were things she was able to pass on to her children. Beautiful country gardens were kept with lots of canning and freezing to do after. Dresses, suits, and blankets were sewn for the family, along with well prepared home-cooked meals.
She was a good host often entertaining family and friends from the city out for a country visit. “Chatty Kathy” can accurately describe her, as she talked with everyone she met. Her volunteer time at the thrift store was enjoyed sorting linens, but mostly, she looked forward to the fellowship it offered.
Children were a big part of Kathy’s life, as she babysat for others, including her own grandkids, worked with kid’s club, and sewed “gramma jammas” for all her grandchildren to enjoy.
Puzzling, word searches, and reading were some of Kathy’s favorite pastimes. Her greatest legacy gifted to others was her caring nature and faith that her Lord has everything in his hands. Many were on the receiving end of a phone call to check up and make sure all was well, a call to reach out just to chat, or reassurance that God is in control and that there is always someone else worse off than we might be, so we should be thankful.
She will be deeply missed by her daughters, Shirley, Phyllis, Rosanne (Randy Friesen), and Gladys, son Wesley, granddaughters Krystin, and Avery, grandsons Cody, Tyson, and Rorey Skjaerlund, and 5 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by 4 of her brothers and 1 of her sisters, as well as many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents John and Nettie Buhler, several of her siblings, and her loving husband Harry Unger, who passed in November of 2020.
The family would like to express their thanks for the staff at Concordia Village where her joy for her new home and their delight in her presence was evident.
A funeral service will be held at the Winnipeg Evangelical Free Church, 500 Lagimodiere Blvd, on Monday, May 30th at 11:00 with a viewing starting at 10:30 A.M. A graveside service will be held for Kathy at Prairie Grove Cemetery after the funeral service.
The service will be livestreamed, and available at:
https://bit.ly/2FVZx0Q?fbclid=IwAR2Sdo_PRwbdy3gfUzTZrRtbalDt927TDgneHdfLbScfs8rQoUz_anypdGQ
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Greater Europe Mission for Shirley Unger https://gemission.ca/donate/ (Donation field would be Shirley Unger)
Kathy worked hard on the farm and then moved to Winnipeg starting out as a live in housekeeper, then moved on to the polio ward at the Municipal Hospital when the need arose.
Kathy met her future husband Harry at a church tobogganing event, and they married on September 24, 1960. They were able to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary together in 2020.
Their first home together was in a two-room suite, and their first child Shirley arrived almost a year later. In the spring of 1962, they purchased their first home in Prairie Grove. It was here that daughters Phyllis, Rosanne, and Gladys, as well as son Wesley completed the family. After almost 30 years, Kathy and Harry transitioned to city life in Winnipeg. In 2018, the couple downsized to 55+ apartment living and in April of 2021, Kathy began living in Concordia Village, where she resided until her passing.
Many of Kathy’s skills learned on the farm were beneficial to her life as a homemaker & wife and were things she was able to pass on to her children. Beautiful country gardens were kept with lots of canning and freezing to do after. Dresses, suits, and blankets were sewn for the family, along with well prepared home-cooked meals.
She was a good host often entertaining family and friends from the city out for a country visit. “Chatty Kathy” can accurately describe her, as she talked with everyone she met. Her volunteer time at the thrift store was enjoyed sorting linens, but mostly, she looked forward to the fellowship it offered.
Children were a big part of Kathy’s life, as she babysat for others, including her own grandkids, worked with kid’s club, and sewed “gramma jammas” for all her grandchildren to enjoy.
Puzzling, word searches, and reading were some of Kathy’s favorite pastimes. Her greatest legacy gifted to others was her caring nature and faith that her Lord has everything in his hands. Many were on the receiving end of a phone call to check up and make sure all was well, a call to reach out just to chat, or reassurance that God is in control and that there is always someone else worse off than we might be, so we should be thankful.
She will be deeply missed by her daughters, Shirley, Phyllis, Rosanne (Randy Friesen), and Gladys, son Wesley, granddaughters Krystin, and Avery, grandsons Cody, Tyson, and Rorey Skjaerlund, and 5 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by 4 of her brothers and 1 of her sisters, as well as many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents John and Nettie Buhler, several of her siblings, and her loving husband Harry Unger, who passed in November of 2020.
The family would like to express their thanks for the staff at Concordia Village where her joy for her new home and their delight in her presence was evident.
A funeral service will be held at the Winnipeg Evangelical Free Church, 500 Lagimodiere Blvd, on Monday, May 30th at 11:00 with a viewing starting at 10:30 A.M. A graveside service will be held for Kathy at Prairie Grove Cemetery after the funeral service.
The service will be livestreamed, and available at:
https://bit.ly/2FVZx0Q?fbclid=IwAR2Sdo_PRwbdy3gfUzTZrRtbalDt927TDgneHdfLbScfs8rQoUz_anypdGQ
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Greater Europe Mission for Shirley Unger https://gemission.ca/donate/ (Donation field would be Shirley Unger)