Henry W. Poetker

Obituary

After a hard-fought battle with COPD, with our mother at his side, our father Henry W. Poetker was ushered into the arms of his Saviour in the early morning hours of August 7, 2024.

He is survived by his wife Helen, his daughters, Audrey, Laurie (Paul), Judy (Erwin), Sharon (Ian); his sons Henry (Lisa), Garry (Sherisse), Ron (Crystal); and his daughter Karen (Curt). He was a doting grandfather to 22 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

Henry was predeceased by his father Heinrich, mother Agatha, sister Anne Thordarson, parents-in-law Diedrich and Helen Wiebe, sisters-in-law Susie Loewen and Jean Poetker, brother-in-law Lloyd Rasmussen and brother and sister-in-law Dick and Helen Wiebe. He was also predeceased by his first grandson Timothy Heinrichs and son-in-law Jack Thiessen.

Dad was born on a sugar beet farm near Randolph at the tail end of the Dirty Thirties on April 21, 1939. The strength of character that served him well later in life was evident when as a young boy, he acquired rheumatic fever and had to learn to walk again.

Our parents met when Dad was 13 and Mom was 11. Dad’s fame (as a boy to have a crush on) had spread all the way to Altona where our mother lived and heard all about that cute Henry Poetker from a cousin. When Mom was 15, Dad asked her to skate, a romance that culminated in a proposal in a night of falling stars and a wedding on October 10, 1959. This October would have marked their 65th wedding anniversary.

Dad began working at the Bothwell Cheese factory as a milk truck driver in the sixties and was head cheesemaker from 1970-1978. During that time, he won an award for the highest percentage 93 score cheddar cheese. Our father was part of the first Chamber of Commerce and when it looked as though Bothwell might lose its school in 1968, Dad was part of the committee that arranged meetings with then Premier Ed Schreyer resulting in Bothwell being granted a new school. Dad’s true love, however, was farming, and it was to this that he turned his attention after leaving the Cheese Factory.

Underneath Dad’s gruff exterior was a man with a deep sense of loyalty to family. No one doubted that Mom came first in Dad’s life. Catching sight of a black-eyed Susan or a tiger lily in the ditch would always result in Dad pulling the car over to pick them for our mother. His great concern in his last days was how our mother would fare without him. He told her to remember that God was always with her. Our mother’s deepest prayer was granted when she was privileged to witness Dad take his last breath.

Our comfort as a family is that we will all be reunited with Dad and Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

A livestreamed funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at the Bothwell Christian Fellowship Church, 20 Sara Ave., New Bothwell, MB.

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