Penner, Maria Reimer (1885-1977)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1977 Aug 05 p. 38

Birth date: 1885 Nov 23

text of obituary:

MRS. MARIE PENNER

(Mrs.) Maria Penner was born in the Crimea on November 23,1885 to Jakob and Elisabeth Reimer. Happy, carefree years of childhood and youth were spent in Talintchi, Crimea. Converted in childhood, she was baptized at the age of 18 years and accepted into the Mennonite Brethren Church at Karassan, Crimea. The greatest joy she had was painting nature scenes which she could do masterfully until in her late eighties. In the 1930's she sold paintings to buy bread, and repaid the cost of her voyage to Canada the same way.

From 1943 to 1947 she lived in Germany before moving to Canada. On May 29, 1949 she was married in Virgil, Ont. to Rev. Johann Penner and became a mother to six daughters, two sons and their families. In 1954 the Penners moved to a home in Niagara-on-the-Lake. In 1971, after 22 years of happy marriage, the Lord called her husband home. Three years later Mrs. Penner moved into Tabor Manor in St. Catharines where the Lord gave her three more years. She went to be with her Lord on June 23. Funeral services were held on June 25 in the Virgil Mennonite Brethren Church with pastor Abe Quiring and Rev. Isaac Toews officiating.

She leaves to mourn two sons, John and David of St. Catharines; six daughters: Helen (Mrs. David) Lick, Mary (Mrs. George) Neufeld, and Agnes (Mrs. William) Friesen, all of St. Catharines; Joanne (Mrs. Frank) Kowalik, Kenora; Sofie (Mrs. Erwin) Bonikowsky, Guelph; and Kay, Toronto; 34 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, (Mrs.) Elisabeth Reimer, Niagara-on-the-Lake; and many relatives and friends both in Canada and Russia.