It is with profound sadness and broken hearts that we had to say goodbye to our beautiful, intelligent, courageous, loving and compassionate mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Anna Hofer on March 19, 2024 in her 96th year at Grace Hospital.
Mom was a devoted Christian throughout her life which instilled in her the importance of family and her faith in God. She was the youngest of 14 children and is survived by her brother David and sister Susanna of Minnesota, and her 10 children: Thomas (Evelyn, sons Matthew, Christopher (Melissa)); Harold; Joanna; Jan (Tim Scheuer, son Jensen); Elizabeth (John Thomson, daughters Savannah, Desiree); Edna (Richard Hofer, daughters Holly (Ryan Klann, daughter Kira), Allary (Allyn Walton, daughter Isabella), Chelsea (Christopher Wilkins)); John (daughter Corina); Lena (Barry Ford (deceased), children Lucas, Mallory); Becki (sons Ryan Stevenson (Lisa), Madisson Howanyk); and Edward (Juanita, sons Jordan, Brendon). She was predeceased by our father John on Dec 8, 2002 three days after celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary, her parents Jacob and Rebecca Wipf of South Dakota, and 11 siblings. Our mother’s wish to take her final step on her stairway to heaven to be reunited with Dad has been fulfilled.
Our mom had a very full, rich and eventful life. Her parents were born in South Dakota and they moved to Manitoba after the First World War to avoid conscription. She was born during the Depression on a community farm west of Winnipeg. Before the Second World War ended, Mom’s parents and her siblings who were still living at home, moved back to South Dakota. Mom was especially close to her sister Sarah who was already married and therefore stayed in Canada. As fate would have it, our father knew Sarah and she suggested he might like to court our mom who was still single at the time. Our father made his way to South Dakota in 1951 to court her. Several months later, he brought our beautiful mom back to Manitoba as his bride, and they moved in next door to her sister Sarah. Of course, Mom and Dad did not waste time building their family of 10 healthy children and working on the farm.
Our parents were very fond of traveling and managed to visit many countries including many of the US States, Canadian provinces, Germany, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, and Tunisia to visit with their children, church friends and extended family over the past 55 years. Mom loved nature, birds, gardening, cooking, reading, sewing and knitting – she passed these wonderful qualities onto her children and grandchildren. She practiced organic farming before organic was ‘cool’. At the age of 50 our mom acquired her driver’s license which gave her the freedom to work outside the home as a Health Care Aid and as a Housekeeper.
After our dad passed away in December 2002, our mom embarked on new adventures.She frequently visited her siblings and her extended family in Canada and the United States, and her children in Ontario and British Columbia. She even spent a month in California and Nevada in 2013 visiting her daughter Joanna. Our mom was able to get a taste of California living when she visited Bishop, Mammoth and Death Valley, CA and Las Vegas, NV but we couldn’t convince her to try the penny slots.
In recent years, as our mom got older and less mobile, she leaned on her family and Home Care workers to provide her with much needed support. Living with her daughter Joanna gave her and her children peace of mind, knowing that she was in good and caring hands.
A celebration of Mom’s life took place at Grace Christian Church, 50 Barnes Street, Winnipeg, MB on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 11:00 am. Interment was held at Green Acres Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Thomas Hofer, Harry Hofer, Ryan Stevenson, Lucas Ford, Jensen Scheuer and Christopher Hofer.
Charitable donations may be made to Grace Hospital and/or Grace Christian Church.
