Patricia H. Daku

Early in the morning of December 31, 2025, our beloved mom, with family by her side, quietly slipped away from us into the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Patricia Helen Daku (nee Brown) was born in Didsbury, Alberta, June 11, 1937, the eldest child of Roland and Esther Brown. She grew up on a farm 17 miles east of Didsbury and attended the Bergthal Mennonite Church. She attended Grades 1 to 6 at Siebertville School, located 2 miles from their farm. She often mentioned her horse-riding adventures to and from school. For three months, she attended the Bible School which was located on the Bergthal Church grounds. The teaching was in the German language. Her dad had Parkinson’s Disease, and when it got too hard for him to receive care at home, the family moved to Rosthern, Saskatchewan, where her dad could receive the care he needed at the Rosthern Invalid Home. The family was in Rosthern for two years until Roland passed away, and then moved back to the Bergthal area. Mom finished grade 8, having passed to grade 9, when she began working to help support the family. She worked in a home setting where help was needed with household chores and gardening. She also worked in the hospital kitchen. Mom was saved and baptized at the age of 16.

She met a young Saskatchewan man, Henry Daku, when he came to work for her grandfather. They were married in Didsbury July 26, 1957. They lived on the farm east of Kipling, Saskatchewan, from 1957 to 1987. They then moved into the town of Kipling, where they lived for 30 years. They attended Hazel Edge Gospel Tabernacle south of Kipling until the congregation moved into Kipling in the 70’s and built a new church. Parkland Bible Church was their church home for 57 years. Some of mom’s involvement there included making coffee and managing the kitchen, serving as Sunday School treasurer, participating in Bible studies, being an active member of Missions Circle (Western Women’s Ministries.) They were both heavily involved with Kenosee Lake Bible Camp from the camp’s beginning in 1960. This support continued throughout their lives. Mom was a member of the Inchkeith Women’s Institute for many years, a very important community connection for her. She had many hobbies – knitting, crocheting, plastic canvas, baking, and gardening. In 2017, mom and dad moved to Herbert to reside together at Prairie Wind Estate, where they became involved and enjoyed their new community. They were reconnected to mom’s roots as her mom, Esther (Hamm), was born north of Herbert. Sadly, in 2019, her beloved husband, Henry, passed away. They had been married almost 62 years. In 2023, mom moved to the Herbert and District Integrated Health Facility - Longterm Care, where she resided until her passing.

As kids, we saw our mother work hard and learned much from her including how to cook, clean, and persevere. She was given a long life in spite of her health challenges, having suffered a severe stroke at the age of 25, another stroke in 2012, and the need for a pacemaker in 2023. She became very sick in the fall of 2024, but was able to rally, and in June 2025, she enjoyed a week-long visit with her sister Miriam. Mom celebrated her 88th birthday with Miriam, Richard and Linnea, and Bonnie Jean Brown, and with other family and friends. Many times, she was wheeled down the streets of Herbert in her wheelchair for visits at Marilyn and Lincoln’s house or at their church. We enjoyed countless visits and meals with her in her room and in the Sun Room at the Herbert Nursing Home. And recently, in the month of December, she was able to attend several events at the church and a family gathering at Marilyn and Lincoln’s on December 26th, where she was able to meet her new great-grandson, Kaslo! We are so thankful she could enjoy all of these things, never dreaming that she would breathe her last breath before the new year.

Patricia was predeceased by her husband, Henry, April 9, 2019; her parents Roland and Esther Brown/Schmidek and her step-father Ed Schmidek; her brother toddler Jacob Roy; her sister infant Winnifred Marie; her brother Terry Brown; her brother-in-law Henry Krahn; members of the Daku family: Bert (Violet) Daku, Edward Daku, Lillian (Mike) Szmutko, Ian Budding, Evelyn Szakacs/Turek (Lon Szakacs, Steve Turek), Carolyn Hall; nieces and nephews: Sandra, Doug, Grace, and Kenda.

She is survived by her children: Jenny (Dwayne) McGregor, Barry Daku, Laurie Daku, Marilyn (Lincoln) Vellacott; her grandchildren: Alyssa Daku, Saryna (Matt) Montes, Nathaniel (Sarah) Vellacott and their son Kaslo, Samuel (Talia) Vellacott, and Tabitha (Paul) Zhu; her sister Miriam Krahn; her brother Richard (Linnea) Brown; her sister-in-law Bonnie Jean Brown (Don Tymchuk); Henry’s remaining family: brother Peter (Pauline) Daku, sister Leona Budding, sister-in-law Louise Daku, and brother-in-law Clyde Hall; numerous nieces and nephews; and countless friends.

We would like to thank the staff of Prairie Wind Estate, where she lived from August 2017 until December 2022, and of The Herbert and District Integrated Health Facility, where she lived from 2023 until her passing, for their care for mom. Your kindness and connection with her will never be forgotten.

If friends so desire, donations in her memory may be made to Kenosee Lake Bible Camp (Box 217, Kenosee Lake, SK, S0C 2S0), to Parkland Bible Church (Box 635, Kipling, SK, S0G 2S0), or to Curtis and Bonnie Szakacs Journey Ministries (Box 424, Carnduff, SK, S0C 0S0 – charitable receipts not available.)

There will be a public visitation in Tubman Funeral Home, Kipling, SK, on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. The procession to Calvary Baptist Church Cemetery will leave from Tubman Funeral Home at 11:30 a.m.. The Celebration of Life will be held in Parkland Bible Church on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 1:30 p.m., officiated by Pastor Dwight Baron, Pastor Stephen Luff and Pastor Lincoln Vellacott. The celebration will be livestreamed with the link that is posted below.