Kim Dawn Marie Doerksen (née: Edel) aged 51 years of Caronport, SK, passed away in Regina, SK on Sunday, March 10th, 2024.
Kim was born on June 12th, 1972 in Melville, Saskatchewan. She was the only child and greatest treasure of her parents, Rudy and Elaine Edel. Both her parents loved her dearly and made sure she knew it. Kim attended K-12 in Melville where she made many friends and delighted in the company of her cousins, aunts, and uncles.
As a child Kim adored her parents and couldn’t wait until daddy got home so she could force him to play Barbies, teacher, or store. As she grew, bike rides to play in the park brought her great joy, as did the arrival of her dog Mickey. Family camping trips to Good Spirit Lake were a highlight each summer.
Kim’s teen years saw her embrace art, particularly drawing and painting; this was continued by her many crafting projects as an adult. Once she earned her driver’s license, she could be found packing her Chevy Monza as full of friends as possible and cruising around town looking for boys to hang out with. This era also saw her take a job as a waitress and cook at the King George in downtown Melville where she continued to work through most of her college years, although her summer working at the public library was one she often remembered with great fondness.
Kim also began loitering on the steps of Bethany Evangelical Church with the youth group and joined in their activities. As a result, she attended a youth rally in Lang, SK in 1990 where she met Jesus in a new way and was forever transformed. This led her to enrol at Hillcrest Christian College in Medicine Hat, AB in the fall of 1991. College was a wonderful experience for Kim, and she made many friends and blossomed into a wonderful young woman. The college relocated to Calgary, AB as Rocky Mountain College, and there she met fellow residence assistant Brad Doerksen in the fall of 1993, and it wasn’t long before it was clear that her days of cruising with her friends in search of boys was over.
After graduating college with a B.R.E. in 1995, Kim married Brad on January 6th, 1996 in Melville and the two began married life in Calgary. In the fall of 1998 Kim and Brad decided to pursue further education and moved to Caronport, SK to both enrol at Briercrest Seminary where Kim earned a Master of Arts in marriage and family therapy, a reflection of her caring heart and passion to help people however she could.
Kim found her true vocation when she began working at the Angus Campbell Detox Centre. This led to joining the health region as an Addictions Counsellor, which included several years of commuting to Assiniboia, SK before settling into a series of roles in Moose Jaw, SK. In her addictions work Kim was a passionate advocate for her clients and put in many extra unofficial hours on their behalf, often going well beyond the call of duty to ensure they had every possible chance to succeed in their recovery. Kim’s willingness to sacrifice, her compassion, her hopefulness, and her generosity were on display for all to see.
Kim was a bright light in the lives of everyone she met. Yet her body and mind often would not let her keep up with her goals and desire to help others even more. All her life Kim struggled with anxiety and depression, a struggle she openly shared with others in the hope that mental health stigma might be reduced through telling her story. 2006 brought a cancer diagnosis and she bravely faced treatment and survived with the support of her church community. Two years later a serious bout of pneumonia included three days on life support before recovering. Kim’s spirit remained strong as she fought through these challenges, but they took a toll on her physical and mental health. Despite this she actively engaged in several house churches over the years, bringing her gentle spirit, deep insight, and care for people to each group.
During the last decade Kim remained active as the family planner, organizing many family events as well as trips with her parents to Florida and Nashville. There was always a concert, dinner theatre, play, or some such event in the plans as Kim made sure everybody got out and enjoyed themselves. Kim was also known for keeping the freezer stocked, or should we say eight freezers. Nobody ever left Kim’s house hungry because like her mother, meal planning and cooking were some of her love languages. But caring for family wasn’t just for special events, for Kim it was a lifestyle and she sacrificed deeply to care for both of her parents and grieved deeply when her dad Rudy passed away in 2020. She also loved and lost a number of dogs, including Mickey, Scooter, and Wuppy.
On January 28th, 2024, Kim was informed that she had cancer again and bravely faced another battle. This time things progressed much more quickly than anyone expected and on March 10th, 2024, she joined her daddy in the arms of Jesus.
Kim leaves to cherish and celebrate her memory: her beloved husband, Brad; mother, Elaine Edel; parents-in-law, Carl and Wilma Doerksen; and sisters-in-law, Andrea Doerksen and Mari Doerksen. Kim was predeceased by her father, Rudy Edel. Kim also leaves many uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, godchildren, and friends to remember the good times.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. in Moose Jaw Funeral Home. Those not able to attend may view the service virtually by going to www.moosejawfuneralhome.com/webcast/. As an expression of sympathy, donations in Kim’s honour may be made to Riverside Mission, 40 Manitoba St E, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 0A2, Moose Jaw Food Bank, 305 Fairford St W, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 1V8, Moose Jaw Transition House, Box 1866, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 7N6, or a similar charity local to you. Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane. Michelle Ellis, Funeral Director 306-693-4550 www.moosejawfuneralhome.com
