Schaefer, Margaretha Wiebe (1897-1948)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1948 Apr 1 p. 3, 7

Birth date: 1897

text of obituary:

MRS PAUL J. SCHAEFER

Mrs. Paul J. Schaefer (Margaretha Wiebe), 51, died at her home at Gretna, Manitoba on Friday, March 19, at 9:00 p. m.

Margaretha Wiebe was born in Marienthal, South Russia. She received her education, elementary and high school, and also her teacher's training at Berdjanesk [sic Berdjansk]. She taught school for two years at Augustobe, Crimea, at Gregorievska for one year, and for two years at Alexandrodar, Caucausus. Her favorite subject was art.

At the age of 18 she was baptized by Elder Sudermann and joined the Berdjancsk [sic Berdjansk] Mennonite church. In 1921 she was married to Paul J. Schaefer. In 1925 they came to Canada, making their home temporarily at Gretna, Manitoba, where Mr. Schaefer attended the Mennonite Collegiate Institute for a period of two years. For nearly a year they lived at Manitou, where her husband took a teachers' training course, and then they moved to the village of Gnadenthal. Here Mr. Schaefer was active as principal for 15 years.

Mrs. Schaefer always took a great interest in her husband's work and often conducted an extension sewing class. In 1943 the family moved back to Gretna and Mr. Schaefer joined the staff of the Mennonite Collegiate Institute. While at Gretna, Mrs. Schaefer has been an active member of the Mennonite Sewing Society, and was always interested and helpful in Christian activities.

In 1944 Mrs. Schaefer became ill and the diagnosis was cancer. She underwent an operation in August, and then another one in September. She also received special treatments which seemed helpful.

Last November there was as evident change in her condition, and on Feb. 20 she was admitted to the St. Boniface hospital. She was returned to her home on March 2, where she died on Friday, March 19.

Funeral services were held in the M. C. I. chapel on Thursday, March 25, at 1:30 p. m. Burial was made in the Gretna cemetery.

The bereaved are her husband, who will be principal of the M. C. I. next school year; two daughters, Mrs. John (Lily) Harms of Rosenort, and Mrs. Jacob (Irma) Pauls of Arnaud; two sons, Theodore and Wilfred; two granddaughters, Rosemary Harms and Ingrad [sic Ingrid] Pauls; a sister, Mrs. Louise Neufeld, Chilliwack, B. C.; her mother, Mrs. Catherina Wiebe, 80, now at Gronau refugee camp, Germany; and many friends.