Penner, Katharina Dyck (1895-1991)

"Mennonite Brethren Herald' obituary: 1991 Apr 5 p. 27

Birth date: 1895

text of obituary:

KATHARINA PENNER

Katharina Penner of Winkler, Man. passed away Feb. 3. She was born Feb. 13, 1895 to Peter and Anna Dyck near Blumstein, Man. She later told stories of her father keeping buffalo herds from running over their soddy by waving a branch. She attended school in Blumstein. The family moved to Winkler. She was baptized in August, 1911 and joined Winkler MB Church, where she remained a faithful member until her passing. On July 10, 1924 she married Heinrich H. Penner, a widower from Herbert, Sask. who had come to attend an MB convention. She returned with him on the train and met his teenage son and daughter and 8-year-old daughter, with whom she formed a close bond. She was a compassionate woman. During the Depression she often brought packages of food and clothing to the poor. In her last years in Salem Home in Winkler, she offered to help in the kitchen and laundry, expressed gratitude to her caregivers and offered comfort and help to handicapped residents. She is remembered for her early morning walks and her pride in her physical fitness. Predeceased by her husband in 1966, stepson Henry of Lethbridge, Alta., 1 grandson, 5 sisters, 7 brothers, 3 stepsisters and 3 stepbrothers, she is mourned by son Victor of Altona, Man.; stepdaughters Lynda Dyck and Nettie Brown of Winkler; 18 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great grandchildren. The funeral was Feb. 6 in Winkler MB Church, with Wally Klassen, Jake Neufeld and 3 grandsons ministering.