Bertha Patkau

December 1, 1922 – May 22, 2024

The family of Bertha Patkau (nee Klassen), wife of the late Abe John Patkau, are saddened to announce their mother’s peaceful passing at home in West Vancouver, British Columbia on May 22, 2024.

Bertha was born to her Mennonite parents, Henry and Katherine Klassen, in Dnipropetrovs’k, Ukraine on December 1, 1922. She was the eldest daughter among eleven siblings, including Jake, Henry, Rudy, Anne, Leona, Mary, John, Len, Waldy and Irene.

The family immigrated to Canada in 1923 when Bertha was 8 months old. They eventually settled in the farming community of Vauxhall, Alberta.

She met Abe, her future husband, when he came from Saskatchewan to Alberta, to work on the farm. On December 27, 1942, Bertha married Abe and they subsequently settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In Winnipeg, Abe worked for 10 years as a bookkeeper at Monarch Machinery before going into business for himself. His business, Robinson Alamo, started as a wholesale agricultural implement company and later expanded to include recreational vehicles, with offices in Winnipeg, Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Calgary and Grande Prairie, Alberta. During this time, Bertha managed the home and raised 2 children, John born in 1947 and Karen, born in 1951. The First Mennonite Church of Winnipeg was the centre of their religious and community life.

Family life in Winnipeg was greatly enriched when Bertha’s eldest brother Jake and his wife Katie with children Jack, Richard, Don and Bev, moved from Alberta to nearby Sanford, Manitoba. Many happy holiday celebrations were shared alternately in Sanford and Winnipeg.

In 1977, Abe and Bertha retired to Kelowna, British Columbia. Here they enjoyed the beautiful scenery, the bounty of local fruit trees and the relaxed lifestyle of the rural community. Bertha was an excellent baker, to Abe’s great delight (and that of the many friends and family who visited.) Finally, she had time to develop her artistic skills and took up water colour and oil painting. Bertha had great curiosity and valued learning. She loved to read and in doing so educated herself about the world. Abe and Bertha attended the Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Church. She volunteered here and at Ten Thousand Villages ¬– a store that created fair-trade opportunities for artisans in developing countries.

Abe and Bertha lived happily in Kelowna, until Abe’s passing on January 16, 1997.

Bertha moved to West Vancouver, British Columbia to be close to her son, John, in 2001. She joined the West Vancouver United Church. Known for her kind and generous spirit, she continued to volunteer. She made many friends in the church community, as well as in the condominium, where she made her home for twenty-three years.

In November 2020, Rose Nazareth Claudio and Doris Lagman began providing Bertha with homecare, for which we are enormously grateful. We’d also like to thank the Vancouver Coastal Health Home Support Workers and the Livingwell Home Support Workers, who helped Bertha to remain at home until her passing.

Bertha is survived by her son John, together with his wife Patricia, and her daughter Karen. As well as her siblings Anne, John and his wife Alice, Waldy and his wife Betty, Irene and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her beloved Abe and son-in-law Michael Kacsor.

A memorial service will be held at the West Vancouver United Church in July. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your charity of choice.