Ella Dueck (nee Barkman)

Obituary

Obituary from the Barkman family

Ella Barkman was born to John D and Suzanna K Barkman on October 20th 1926 in Giroux, Manitoba. She already had 3 older siblings – Annie, Edwin and Harvey – and was later joined by another brother, John.

Her father was working at the Reimer Abattoir as a refrigeration engineer at the time. The business moved to Saskatoon, Sk. When Ella was 6 years old, the whole family moved with it. It was a rather intimidating adjustment to begin school in a big city. Two years later, the business burned down and the Barkman family made a brand new start by moving to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. During their time there, the family became active in the Salvation Army and Ella’s faith journey started here. After 2 years in Prince Albert, the family decided to move back to Manitoba to be nearer to family and church connections. They did make one more attempt at a fresh start by moving to Sardis, BC when Ella was around 20 years old. However, homesickness brought the family back to their farm in East Landmark after a year. Due to her mother’s fragile health, Ella took over many of the responsibilities of developing and maintaining a large market garden with strawberry fields, orchards and, of course, huge flower beds. As nieces and nephews got old enough, she supervised them in helping with weeding fields and picking fruit. During this time she also worked as a telephone operator at the Greenland exchange and at the Municipal Hospitals in Winnipeg. When the work on the farm got to be too strenuous, Ella and her parents moved to Steinbach. Although she continued to care for her parents, she enrolled in LPN training. She worked at the Steinbach Hospital, the Resthaven Personal Care Home, a medical clinic and in-home care. She was so committed to her parents that when her mother was no longer able to stay on her own, Ella quit her job to care for her full-time.

Ella was a committed Christian and was baptized in the Prairie Rose EMC Church in her youth. She had a real heart for Christian education and started a Sunday School for neighborhood children even before Sunday School was adopted by the church and later became a much-loved teacher to her class of young girls at the church. Later, when she moved to Steinbach, she was a committed member of the Steinbach EMC Church. She was part of a musical quartet, giving programs in senior homes and hospitals. She was also part of a group called Mission Helpers whose purpose was to pray for and write to missionaries and provide some financial support. Ella had a huge heart for children, especially those without a stable and loving home. She helped provide a nurturing home for two foster children, Eric and Corine Stranger, and also a young teenager, Mary Schroeder. Ella took a keen interest in all her nieces and nephews and arranged big surprise bridal showers for each one that got married. After her mother died, she organized an annual Christmas brunch for all her nieces and sent them home with dozens of Grandma’s special ginger cookies. Ella had a lot of interests and hobbies and she loved to share them with others. She loved to read and had her own little lending library of especially Danny Orlis and Nancy Drew books that all of her nieces and nephews took advantage of. She enjoyed embroidery, playing board games, growing and arranging flowers. She collected stamps but even made that into a mission by contributing any stamps that she already had to a project of the Bible Society where so and so many pounds of stamps would give a Bible to someone who couldn’t afford to buy their own. Ella loved travelling – either local road trips or longer, more distant places. She enjoyed the outdoors and, in addition to tending her own garden, she and her sister loved going berry picking. Cooking and entertaining was a pleasure that Ella shared with many who were blessed to be around her table.

Although she was thrilled to have a family of her own when she married Uncle Pete in 1986 (at age 60), she continued to keep a keen interest in her siblings, their children and grandchildren. She was invited to many of their family functions and eagerly joined in. Each of her nieces and nephews had a special spot in their hearts for Auntie Ella. Her gentle, affirming spirit made each one of them feel her love and care for them.

Ella was predeceased by her parents, John D. and Suzanna K. Barkman, her infant sister Sarah, her sister, Annie Reimer (and her husband Abe); her brothers, Edwin and John (and his wife Mary); her sister-in-law Avril and her foster sister Mary Friesen. She will be dearly missed by her surviving brother Harvey and her sister-in-law Tina Barkman, as well as a host of nieces and nephews.

Obituary from the Dueck family

Our journey with Ella began in the spring of 1986. This is when she met our father Peter K Dueck and wedding plans were made shortly thereafter. Ella and our Dad were married on Sept 20/86. Ella was an amazing step-mother as she accepted us as her own children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Ella and Dad enjoyed married life for 8 years. The two enjoyed doing things together like gardening, picking berries and going on trips, as well as attending Golden Age in Blumenort. As season ticket holders, they joined the group trips to Winnipeg to watch travelogue productions. For their first wedding anniversary they made a 5 week trip to Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. Ella also enjoyed her involvement in a singing group that sang at Personal Care, Rest Haven and Golden Age.

A few years after Dad passed away she moved to Woodhaven where she enjoyed her time with many friends, group activity, the Book Mobile and visits from family and friends. After donating her car to Teen Challenge she enlisted a number of family members to run errands for her. This included taking her to her appointments for medical, dental, vision and pretty much anything that she needed, such as clothing and sometimes some shopping. A few family members brought her groceries, gifts for grandchildren and a yearly supply of crisp ten-dollar bills that were included in the many (aprox 40 to 50) birthday cards that she sent out each year to the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Ella loved playing games and puzzling with the grandchildren and playing with the great-grandchildren. She delighted in them.

A setback to her health caused her and her family a great deal of concern due to several blood clots and fluid retention. Thanks to the expert care of Dr. Widdifield, Ella made a slow but steady recovery over the last year.

During the past year Ella’s spirits were high and optimistic even though she continued to have health issues. She displayed an accepting attitude in spite of her deteriorating eyesight, hearing, unpredictable pain and a steady diet of medication. Her zest for life returned and was noticeable in her daily reading with the help of a new magnifying reading lens, frequent shared lunch hours with her sister-in-law, plans for new dentures and picking choke cherries for Tjoasche Mooss. Ella had her final car ride with a visit to the dental surgeon on September 6th and followed by a visit to the English Garden at Assiniboine Park.

She experienced great physical fatigue and discomfort but not in spirit. Saturday Sept 8th was Ella’s final day as she succumbed to sudden cardiac arrest in her apartment.

Left to mourn her passing, step-daughter Norma (Dan) Koop of Morden, and their family: Dwight (Michele) Koop and their children: Ashlyn (Justin) and their children: Baylor & Calder, and Braden of Saskatoon; Gwendy (Steve) Lapp and their children: Charissa, Nicole, and Josh of Westport, Ontario; Twyla Ens and children: Alex, Erika and Luke of Calgary; Marcia (Nathan) Wiebe and their children: Karlin, Colton, Callisa, & Kayleigh of Coledale, Alberta; step-son Len (Pat Allen) Dueck of Steinbach, and their family: Stephen and Christine (Steven) Goulet of Winnipeg; step-daughter Grace (Abe) Enns of Mitchell and their family: Sheldon (Carrie) Enns and their children: Josiah, Toby & Annilea of Grunthal, Jonathan (Lindsey) Enns and their children: Teagen and Ainsley of the Pas, Justin (Jayne) Enns of Mitchell. She also leaves to mourn one brother Harvey, and one sister-in-law Tina and many nieces and nephews.

Ella was pre-deceased by her husband Peter, her parents John & Suzanna, brothers Ed & John, one sister Annie, two sisters-in-law Mary & Avril, one brother-in-law Abe Reimer.

The family appreciates all the cards, prayers, and acts of kindness. Our thanks also to the Homecare people & special thanks to Dr. H. Widdifield for her unique and expert care.

The funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 15, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB, with a viewing prior to the service. The burial will follow at Heritage Cemetery, Steinbach, MB.

If friends so desire, donations in memory of Ella may be made to Teen Challenge, 414 Edmonton St, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2M2.

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