Name: Victory Memorial Park & Funeral Centre
Address: Surrey, BC

Vanwege mijn moeder,Isabel RONSE (de jongste van de 15):
Nonkel André en tante Boel danken de familie Ronse van Canada voor het mooie bericht met foto betreffende uw moeders overlijden. We zullen haar altijd blijven herinneren als een zeer lieve, zachte en wijze vrouw!

Innige deelnemings, sincere condoleances, Birgit Tanghe from Gent Belgium

Dag familie van mijn grote zus Maria,

Wij willen graag ons medeleven betuigen aan jullie in verband met het overlijden van tante Maria.

Uw kaartje heeft ons veel plezier gedaan.
Schrijven gaat niet meer voor mij, aan 85 jaar mankeert de mens van alles.
Mijn longen zijn voor de helft versleten daardoor kan ik moeilijk ademhalen, ook het evenwicht is wat moeilijk.
Moeke is ook de 80 voorbij. Zij kan gelukkig nog van alles doen, daarmee gaat het leven nog.

De kinderen helpen veel, gelukkig.
Katie, de oudste, is nog steeds een globetrotter maar is gelukkig.
Ze geeft boventoon(overtones) zangles en woont uit op het platteland.

Jo, de oudste zoon, woont in Malawi in Afrika.
Hij was de weelde hier in België beu en geeft daar Franse les, muziekonderwijs en leert  de kinderen op school in een orkest spelen. Hij komt nooit meer terug naar hier.

Patrick is praktijkmeester loodgieterij en is een goede leerkracht voor de anderstaligen. Hij heeft een zoon en een dochter.

Bieke werkt nog steeds bij de KBCbank bij de afdeling beleggingen . Zij is hertrouwd met een Engelsman die onze taal niet grondig wil leren. Zij heeft 2 zonen uit haar eerste huwelijk.

Marieke werkt op een bureel van een groot bedrijf en staat onder de grote bazin. Ze heeft 3 kinderen, 1 zoon en 2 dochters.

Ziezo, nu weet u één en ander van ons gezin.
U zult ook wel één en ander meegemaakt hebben met de kinderen.
Gelukkig zijn de jaren van verstand bereikt en nemen we alles wat we nog kunnen en nog gaat.

Dikke knuffel van nonkel Jozef, tante Mia en Kathy.

Luc's Eulogy : 


What a life, what a legacy Moeder left behind. 
Our Moeder, or Bonnemama was a beautiful, tender and caring person, full of patience and determination who lead a full, interesting and passionate life. She obviously needed these traits to raise her 11 children in sometimes very trying circumstances.
To give you but a glimpse thereof, her number 2 son Eric who could not be with us because of a bad back condition asked that I read an excerpt of a book that is meant to be a dedication and a memoir to her life. Here then is what he wrote: 

"My mother would never complete her studies which were of such importance to her; she held such pride in her academic and musical achievements. At this time, WW2 was under full swing. Every week during the war her parents demanded that she ride her bicycle  (-just a rickety one-gear. you kids-) 80 kilometers or so to a nearby village; there, she would exchange clothing and fabric in exchange for meat, cheese or other available foods to fill the stomachs of her hungry siblings at home. My mother once no longer in school was awakened every morning to sweep the street in front of the house, prepare breakfast, clean-up, go to mass and once a week to confession to be granted absolution (but what was there to confess, so I made up a few things, she said!). She was not only physically beautiful where heads would turn as she passed, and cars would honk a hello, her femininity, her character were the envy of many. She also had a strong disposition, which served her well to overcome the many obstacles that life would throw at her. You could count on mom singing all the while, while performing her interminable chores. "End of Eric's quotation


Moederke was an extremely generous person and she touched many as attested that while raising 11 children she still had the courage to open up her house to Sandi Mullick of Winnipeg who is with us as is one of his daughters. Moeder enjoyed little things and was always cheerful and singing while doing various tasks. I have never known moeder to turn away anyone. A friend of ours also wrote the following:

I'm saddened to hear of your Mom's passing. I think you know I had a soft spot in my heart for her. I thought she was a rather special woman - warm, strong, kind, intelligent, fiercely independent, adventurous and always with a twinkle in her eyes. She always made me feel so welcome and I found her so easy to talk to. I feel privileged to have known her.  

To the very end of her life Moeder acted as a confident to some of us, not necessarily dispensing advice but acting as a sounding board. She strongly desired to maintain a family spirit and asked that all of her offsprings get together at least once a year to commemorate and maintain family contact. 

We had a great role model in her and can be thankful of having had her in our lives. She went the way she wished, in dignity, without pain and probably quicker than some of us expected. We All must realize that we can't let her go but that she will live for All of us in our hearts and mind.

We will shortly purchase her own commemorative plaque and have it installed adjacent to BonPapa's tree in Crescent Park. 

Lastly, I like to remind everyone that the family home, yes her home were she raised many of us is open after the Celebration of Life ceremony.  
Thanks Moeder, Bonnemama for having been such a brave and wonderful person, what a whirlwind of a life you had.

Our deepest condolences for your loss of a wonderful mother, grandmother and great grandmother. We hope you can find the strength to go on without her presence and know that she lives on in all of you.

I just read the brief history of Maria Julia Ronse (my friend (Magdelina's Mom) and found that she truly WAS a very brave, strong and caring woman during her life.  She did live a good long age!
Thanks for the history of the wonderful woman.  She will live in each and everyone of her family members forever.

Brief Life History:
Maria Julia Ronse née Vanhoutte  ( MOEDER and BONNEMAMA)
A brief history 

Born, June 3, 1925 in Waregem, Belgium  passed away, September 21, 2015 in Surrey, BC, Canada.

Father:  Edmond Vanhoutte (Jan.4, 1898-1991)
Mother:  Madeleine Vanhoutte née Nachtergaele (Feb.15, 1900 - Nov. 25, 1974)

Bonnemama was raised flemish-speaking in the City of Gent in Belgium and was the eldest of eleven children.  She attended primary school and secondary school in Gent, completed seven years of piano, was a leader of the girl scouts for 5 years in Gent (Sint Jan Berchmans Group) where she met a Scouts Leader, her future husband.
   
1940-1945 Lived through the Nazi occupation of WWII.
1945 - Married Francois-Xavier Ronse on November 15
1946 - Moved to Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo and started her family with two boys. 
1950 - 1957 Returned to Belgium and raised seven children (5 boys & 2 girls)
1957 - Immigrated to Canada in July on the SS Waterman to the Richelieu area near Montreal, Quebec, where she was forced to move 9 times in 3  years. 
1960 - Moved to French-speaking rural village of Richer, Manitoba
1960 - 1964  While in Richer had four more boys and was raising a family of eleven children.
1965 - 1967 - Moved to English-speaking Fort Gary, Winnipeg
1965 - Accepted Sandi Mullick as part of her family
1965 - 1967 worked as a cook at the Pony Corral Drive-In, worked in the Library at the University of Manitoba, raised and fed her clan.
1967- 1987  Moved to Crescent Beach, Surrey, BC to a two-bedroom house while building a house, raising the children while working as a cook at a Group Home. In 1972 she went with her husband to Ghana, Africa, with the 5 youngest children for 1 year to return to their home in Crescent Beach via Belgium.
1987 - 2015 Moved to the West End in Vancouver, BC, to enjoy her stupendous view, to look after BonPapa, and to love and admire her beautiful children, grand-children and great-grandchildren.
2007  Her husband passed away September 22nd.
2015  Celebrated her 90th birthday surrounded by her whole family on June 6th.  
2015  Passed away with dignity in presence of one of her daughters on Sept. 21.

She left behind 11 children, 23 grandchildren,19 great-grandchildren and was pre-deceased by one grandchild. 

She was a Wise, Wonderful, Patient, Strong and Unforgettable Lady!

C'est avec beaucoup d'émotions que nous avons appris le départ de tante Maria. Comme vous le savez nos parents étaient très liés avec Oncle Xavier Tante Maria du Canada et pour cette raison nous avons eu l'occasion de connaître un petit peu votre maman. Nous garderons d'elle le souvenir d'une femme souriante, généreuse, sportive. Elle était enthousiaste et elle aimait la vie. Nous avons été heureuses d'apprendre qu'elle est partie dans la dignité et nous serons de tout cur à vos côtés le 5 octobre.

Françoise, Isabelle, Bénédicte et Béatrice Lust

Grateful to have known Maria-such a kind woman

We would like to express our sincere condolences at the passing away of aunt Maria. Our thoughts are with you all at this difficult time of loss. 

Christine (Maria's godchild) and Paul Mestdagh-Vanhoutte
Freddy De Pue and Ann Vanhoutte

 condolences from myself and in particular my mother ,Therese Ronse-Flachet (tante Trees ,widow of Jan ) who has such a lot of good memories as they were together in the youth movement (scouts)
We all remember her as such a sweet lady !  Goedele Ronse

My heart goes out to you and your family....Losing a family member is not easy altho, know that she is at peace now & her spirit will ALWAYS be in her family left behind & she wants you all to be happy. May the strength that gave your Mom to live as long as she did be with you all and help you celebrate her life with LOTS of loving joyful memories.  The pictures are beautiful memories !

Chere Isabelle,
J'apprends, par le Facebook de Laetitia, le deces de ta belle-mere.   C'est une periode bien triste, de voir disparaitre nos aines, surtout pour Luc et ses freres et soeurs.  Et pour toi bien sur, qui t'es tant occupee d'elle durant toutes ces dernieres annees. J'espere de tout coeur qu'elle n'a pas souffert.    Je pense beaucoup a vous tous, aussi aux petits enfants et arrieres petits. 
J'espere que vous garderez tous des fabuleux souvenirs de cette magnifique femme que je n'ai rencontree qu'une petite dizaine de fois mais qui etait impressionante, avec un caractere bien affirme.  Je l'ai toujours vue enthousiaste, optimiste, interessee par tout et tous,  allant au devant de tout ce que la vie pouvait lui apporter, a elle et a sa famille.  Elle a certainement cree avec son mari ce formidable esprit de 'tribu" que l'on retrouve dans toute la famille Ronse.  Je peux encore entendre sa voix et son rire.   Genevieve

Our sincere condolences for the passing of our auntie Maria.
Beste familie Ronse-Vanhoutte, onze innige en diep gemeende deelneming bij het overlijden van onze auntie Maria. Je was de auntie met de beminnelijke en warme lach. Je was er ook altijd welkom. 
Ook al ben je zo ver, je zit dicht bij ons hart. En vergeet niet dat bijzondere mensen niet sterven,...zij gaan wel,maar blijven toch..voor altijd...in onze herinneringen.

my sincere condolences for the whole family Ronse & Vanhoutte  in Canada for the loss of my beloved eldest sister,mother and grandmother Maria Vanhoutte rest in peace beloved sister and may god bless Maria and everyone in the family Ronse  from your uncle Joris Vanhoutte and family

Goeie reis tanteke, doe de groeten daar aan iedereen die we kennen en bewaar een plaatsje met een mooi uitzicht ;-)

Sommes de tout cur avec vous dans ces moments douloureux.
Nos pensées vont vers vous, chers Luc et Isabelle, et toute votre  famille.
Avec toute notre amitié.
Léone et Georges

Aan gans mijn familie in Canada veel sterkte toegewenst bij het overlijden van mijn oudste zus Maria...
Rik Vanhoutte

Aan al onze familie Ronse-Vanhoutte in Canada ,onze innige deelneming bij het overlijden van tante Maria.
Our deepest sympathie ath de death of aunt Maria,strenght to the hole family.
Marleen Vanhoutte-De Zeine Georges De Pinte (Belgium)

Very sorry to hear of your loss. Maria was always cheerful and full of life. Flavianne De Vuyst and family

OBITUARY

Maria Julia Ronse

3 June, 1925 – 21 September, 2015

Victory Memorial Park & Funeral Centre

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