Emmy Barke

Emmy Barke was born September 03, 1931 near the town of Malinsk in the Lydofka region of Ukraine. She was the fourth child of eight children born to John and Olga Schiwy. She came to know the Lord Jesus and was baptized in her early teenage years. Emmy willingly and faithfully served the Lord Jesus all the days of her life.

In the spring of 1932, the family repatriated to Waldwerder, East Prussia where they operated a small farm. In 1944, her mother and the rest of the family fled from East Prussia to Holtzminden, Germany. In May 1952 the family immigrated to Canada to settle in Lethbridge, Alberta.

On board the Beaverbrae in route to Canada is when Emmy first met Gustav Barke. Emmy married Gustav Barke August 20, 1955 at Bethany Baptist Church in Lethbridge Alberta. Shortly thereafter she moved to Calgary where she raised her family and lived until she passed on. Emmy was blessed with four children, one of which predeceased her, eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Emmy lived her life in the service of her Lord, husband, and family. She was kind-hearted to all, hospitable, generous, and always thankful for the life she was given. Emmy loved her family unconditionally. She was proud of her strong will and credited that attribute to her father. She was independent. She was a loving, supportive and faithful life partner to Gus for sixty-two years. Emmy’s favorite past time was gardening. In the garden is where she found joy spending endless hours planning and tending to her gardens. In the winter she would take to painting her favourite flowers on canvass. She always looked forward to Spring with great anticipation.

In the last few years of her life Emmy often talked with great hope and joy about going “Home” to be with her Lord and Family. Whenever we asked how she was doing she replied thoughtfully, and with a grin on her face, “Still Alive”. She passed on in the early morning hours of February 27, 2022 peacefully, without pain, fully alert, surrounded by those whom she loved. Emmy is “Still Alive” today with her Lord in Heaven. Hallelujah!!

Emmy is survived by, three children, Doug & Priscilla (née Barke) Rollings, Emmanuel (Manny) & Paulette (née Green) Barke, and Wilfred and Wendy (née Girard ) Barke; eight grandchildren - Trent Rollings, Greg Rollings, Shae-lynne Rollings, Kaylee-Anne Rollings, Caleb Barke, Nathaniel Barke, Michaela Barke, and Jonathan Barke; and five great grandchildren - Mattea Rollings, Aliyah Rollings, Zavier Rollings, Harmony Rollings and Koda Rollings; two siblings Eric Schiwy, Ingrid (née Schiwy) Wirzba.

Emmy is predeceased by her parents John and Olga Schiwy, her husband Gustav Barke, youngest child Vern Barke (Calgary) and three siblings – Email Schiwy, Anna-Marie Schiwy, Lydia Joujan (née Schiwy).