RUTH WIDERA
IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT THE FAMILY OF RUTH HILDEGARD WIDERA ANNOUNCE HER PASSING AT THE AGE OF 90. RUTH WAS BORN IN OSTERODE, GERMANY TO PAUL AND WILHELMINA THEWS ON FEBRUARY 16TH, 1931. RUTH WAS THE THIRD YOUNGEST OUT OF 10 CHILDREN AND THE LAST SURVIVING SIBLING.
IN 1949 SHE MET THE LOVE OF HER LIFE WALTER GEORGE WIDERA. THEY WERE MARRIED ON OCTOBER 18TH, 1949. THEIR DAUGHTER HILDEGARD WAS BORN OCTOBER 8TH, 1950.
WITH THINGS BEING VERY DIFFICULT IN NORTHWEST GERMANY, THEY IMMIGRATED TO CANADA IN 1952 WITH THEIR TWO-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AND SIX MONTHS PREGNANT WITH THEIR SON GEORGE.
THEY SETTLED IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND THEIR SON WAS BORN IN HANOVER, ONTARIO. NOT LIKING THE CITY LIFE, THEY MOVED NORTH TO RED LAKE, ONTARIO IN 1954.
ON A VERY COLD DAY, JANUARY 5, 1955 THEY WELCOMED THEIR SECOND SON DENNIS.
WITH RED LAKE BEING TOO REMOTE, IN 1957 THEY MOVED NEAR THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO AND IN 1959 BOUGHT A FARM IN CONMEE TOWNSHIP. ON THEIR 160 ACRE FARM THEY HAD A LARGE APPLE ORCHARD AND A VERY LARGE GARDEN. MOM EXCELLED AT PICKLING, CANNING, AND FREEZING ALL THE VEGETABLES FOR THE WINTER.
ON THEIR HOBBY FARM THEY HAD THEIR MILKING COWS, CHICKENS, PIGS, TURKEYS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. CHRISTMAS DINNER USUALLY INVOLVED A ROAST GOOSE WHICH WAS A GERMAN TRADITION. HER HOMEMADE GERMAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES WERE OUTSTANDING. RUTH ENJOYED PARTICIPATING IN THE CONMEE WOMEN’S INSTITUTE PLANNING FALL FAIRS, FUNDRAISING, WRITING COOKBOOKS, AND HAVING SOCIAL DINNERS.
IN 1978, ONCE THE CHILDREN HAD ALL MOVED OUT, RUTH AND WALTER MOVED OUT WEST AND SETTLED IN POWELL RIVER, B.C. THEY LOVED THE WARMER CLIMATE WHICH REMINDED THEM OF GERMANY. THEIR LARGE GARDEN FLOURISHED WITH ENORMOUS ZUCCHINIS AND 10-FOOT-TALL CORN STALKS. WALTER LOVED SALMON FISHING AND RUTH EITHER CANNED OR SMOKED ALL HIS CATCH.
RUTH LOVED HER GARDENING AND FLOWERS BLOOMED ALL YEAR ROUND. IN HER SPARE TIME, RUTH LOVED TO KNIT. ALL OF HER CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN WOULD HAVE SLIPPERS, SOCKS, MITTENS, TOQUES, SWEATERS, AND AFGHANS MADE FOR THEM. SHE ALSO PASSED THE TIME DOING EMBROIDERY. IN POWELL RIVER, RUTH ENJOYED THE GERMAN CLUB WHERE MANY SOCIAL GATHERINGS WERE ENJOYED BY HERSELF AND WALTER.
IN 1995 THEY DECIDED TO MOVE TO SPARWOOD, B.C. TO BE CLOSER TO FAMILY. FROM THERE, IN 1997, THEY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA TO BE CLOSER TO MEDICAL FACILITIES. WE ALL ENJOYED OUR VISITS TO LETHBRIDGE TO SEE THEM FOR MANY SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
IN LETHBRIDGE, WALTER, WITH RUTH’S HELP, WROTE THEIR LIFE HISTORY CALLED “AN EMIGRANT’S STORY”.
THEN IN 2015 HER DAUGHTER DECIDED THEY SHOULD MOVE TO MOOSE JAW, SASKATCHEWAN WHERE SHE LIVED SO SHE COULD ASSIST THEM IN THEIR RECLINING YEARS. IN MOOSE JAW, THEY RECEIVED GREAT CARE AT CHATEAU ST. MICHAELS.
RUTH IS SURVIVED BY HER THREE CHILDREN: HILDEGARD (MARK) ANDERSON, GEORGE (KATALIN) WIDERA, AND DENNIS (CHRISTINE) WIDERA; GRANDCHILDREN JEFFREY (JENNIFER), STEPHEN (NICOLE), HEIDI (DARREN), JENNIFER (CHRIS), AND GRANT (JESSICA); AS WELL AS 10 GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN.
RUTH WAS PREDECEASED BY HER HUSBAND OF 71 YEARS, HER PARENTS, HER FIVE BROTHERS AND FOUR SISTERS, AND HER GREAT-GRANDSON JOEL LUKE ANDERSON.
RUTH’S PASSION FOR LIFE WAS HER HUSBAND, HER CHILDREN, AND DOING EVERYTHING FOR HER FAMILY. SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR ANYTHING ANYONE NEEDED. THERE WAS NEVER A HUNGRY MOUTH IN THE HOUSE WHETHER IT WAS FAMILY OR FRIENDS. SHE LOVED ALL THE ANIMALS ON THE FARM AND WITH HER KIND HEART SHE WAS THEIR CONSTANT CAREGIVER 365 DAYS A YEAR. SHE LOVED NATURE AND ALWAYS THANKED GOD FOR THE BEAUTIFUL HARVEST THAT HE PROVIDED FOR THE FAMILY YEAR AFTER YEAR. SHE WILL BE TRULY MISSED BY ALL OF THE FAMILY UNTIL ETERNITY. AFTER 90 YEARS ON EARTH, SHE IS NOW AT PEACE, REUNITED WITH WALTER, AND THE REST OF HER LONG-LOST FAMILY WHOM SHE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT AND SORELY MISSED. GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU MOM/GRANDMA IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, WHOM YOU WORSHIPPED AND LOVED.
LOVE YOU ALWAYS,
To Those I Love and Those Who Loved Me
WHEN I AM GONE, RELEASE ME, LET ME GO. . .
I HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO SEE AND DO,
YOU MUSTN’T TIE YOURSELF TO ME WITH TEARS;
BE HAPPY THAT WE HAD SO MANY YEARS.
I GAVE TO YOU MY LOVE, YOU CAN ONLY GUESS
HOW MUCH YOU GAVE TO ME IN HAPPINESS.
I THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE YOU EACH HAVE SHOWN,
BUT NOW IT’S TIME I TRAVELLED ALONE.
SO GRIEVE A WHILE FOR ME IF GRIEVE YOU MUST;
THEN LET YOUR GRIEF BE COMFORTED BY TRUST.
IT’S ONLY FOR A WHILE THAT WE MUST PART,
SO BLESS THE MEMORIES WITHIN YOUR HEART
