Hilda Vogt

Grandmother of 9.

Greatgrandmother of 14 greatgrands.

Born on March 19, 1931 in Fernheim, Paraguay, South America.

Hilda was born in Paraguay just after her people arrived there. The conditions were harsh. One third of the people that had immigrated died of malaria and other tropical diseases.

She was a survivor at this time of her life. Life was hard on the big ranch…. Being the oldest of 12 children, she helped her father on the farm. She tells of cotton picking, stump removals, braiding the hair of her sisters. At one point during the Bolivia/Paraguay war a captain of the Paraguayan army and his family occupied their home. She enjoyed playing with the Spanish children of the captain. She even learned some Spanish.

At age 20 she married Otto Vogt and along with helping him in his dental practice, she bore 2 girls; Naomi and Lilly.

4 years later, in March 1955, mom and dad immigrated to Canada, “a land flowing with milk and honey” and she thought erroneously that she would be reunited with her siblings and parents who had preceded her to Canada. It was not to be because Canada, unbeknownst to her, was a huge country where Ontario was a formidable distance from BC. They visited a few times but it was a difficult time for mom. She confided that she was quite lonely during these first years. She bore 2 boys; Robert and Peter in Chilliwack. Dad had found work here in the dental field and would go on to establish the Chilliwack Dental Lab. Mom soon became very active in church work especially during the time of the Jesus People when she would often host great numbers of young people at her house. She was affectionately known as MA Vogt because there was always food and a bed to be found in her home. Hilda was an amazing cook. It was said of her mother, Sarah, that she could take a few crumbs of what looked like nothing and create a feast. I believe that mom followed her lead. She spoke of miracles, where she would cook for so many, but many more would arrive and the food always stretched to feed them all! Her soups, stews, buns, pickles and platz were renowned. She passed on some of her culinary methods and secrets to those coming up after her as well. When her only granddaughter, Rachel turned 16, they secretly agreed to a plan where Rachel would get up before 5 AM and come to mom’s house for cooking lessons before she went off to school for the day. Rachel drove herself there in her own car and evidently they had many mornings of fun, cooking, baking, talking and laughing. How surprised we were when Rachel cooked up some borscht. She had learned all about it from her grandmother.

During the 1970s, 80s, and 90s Otto and Hilda travelled south during the winter months to serve the marginalized native groups of Paraguay with dental and medical care. Along with the nurse, Hedwig Unruh that traveled with them, they developed a ministry and many close relationships with people who held them very dearly. Once Otto passed away, Hilda kept travelling south until age 80 to continue the work. Her heartfelt ministry of prayer surrounded those people and all of her family here with an assurance of God’s presence and protection. Her prayers will be missed.

Gardening was her forte. She could make anything grow and produced much food and many flowers in her backyard garden, which she would then preserve by canning or whatever means available. She could teach a course to the new breed of “survivors.”

During her life time she went from being a survivor, to being an overcomer though and that was the beauty of her life. I’ve got to say right until the end of her life she was steadfast to maintain her independence and be the overcomer of all obstacles.

We honor her as a godly woman who opened her heart and her hand to many.

She loved to love people and Hilda Vogt was active in various churches and home fellowships.

Hilda was predeceased by her son, Robert in 2000, and her husband Otto in 2001.

She is survived by 3 of her children and their spouses and a daughter-in-law: Peter Vogt (Neva), Lilly (Doug)Isaac, Alice Vogt, Naomi (Al) Zacharias, 9 grandchildren and their families, Luke & Carey, Andrew & Caroline and Matt & Hannah Zacharias, Rachel (Dave) Hill; Shawn(Verna), Trevor(Misty) & Dustin(Melissa) Isaac and their families, and Brad & Anson Vogt and then 9 greatgrandchildren: Portia, Roman, Jack, Sophia, Lauren, Angelina, Davis, Julia, Cole, James, Cory, Luke

and Jay. There are also 4 sisters (Anne Reimer, Louise Krahn, Sally Enns & Kathy Guenther ) and 5 brothers (John, Eric, Werner, Peter & Rudy Wall) of the original 12 that live across Canada and in Paraguay.

Peace be with her spirit, which longed to be with her saviour, Jesus Christ. We believe she is being gathered to heaven as in Isaiah 51:

“For the redeemed of the Lord will return and come with singing unto Zion and everlasting joy shall be upon their head, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”