Helene Neufeld

Helene Neufeld (Sawatzky) was born in Gnadenthal, Manitoba on August 30, 1925, the youngest of 7 children and the only one in her family born in Canada. She was predeceased by her father Jacob Sawatzky, her mother Margareta Sawatzky, siblings Margaret, Mary, Jacob, George, Armin and Elsa, husband George and her daughter Anita Jewell. She is survived by her daughters Caroline and Madelyn, her sons-in-law Dan and Kevin, her grandchildren Adam, Aaron (Karin), Ilana (Michael) and Zoe (Alex) and her great grandchildren Rex, Addyson, Boden, Leo, Perla, Amalie and Levi.

After graduating from high school in Gnadenthal, Helen attended Normal School in Winnipeg where she earned a teaching certificate. She went on to teach elementary school in Reinfeld and Gnadenthal. In 1948 she married her sweetheart George W. Neufeld, also a teacher and they taught school in Gnadenthal before moving to Winnipeg in 1957 with their 3 daughters. They continued to teach school in Winnipeg, George as a Vice-Principal, and Helene as a Kindergarten teacher.

In addition to her teaching certificate, Helen achieved her A.R.C.T. in music for solo piano and when her children were young, she taught piano and music theory. She was the accompanist to the Mennonite Children’s Choir for some years and had a lifelong friendship with the Founder and Director of the Choir, Helen Litz.

When George had a stroke at the age of 54 and was eventually unable to work, Helene, in her mid 40’s, took a sabbatical and earned a Bachelor of Pedagogy, as it was called at that time. She became the breadwinner in the family and never once complained.

Helene took an early retirement to care for George and they spent a few years travelling and volunteering with the MCC in Akron Pennsylvania and New Hamburg Ontario before making their way to Kelowna. In 1985, enroute to Europe via Winnipeg where they stopped to visit their grandchildren, George suffered a fatal heart attack at 69 years of age.

Helene was immensely committed to her grandchildren and spent a great deal of her time caring for them in Parksville and Winnipeg and bringing family members together at her home overlooking Okanagan Lake, where many happy memories were made.

Following her 80th Birthday, Helene moved to Abbotsford, BC where she enjoyed spending time with her nieces and nephews and friends who lived there. She went to live at Menno Home a few years before her 90th birthday and although she was then experiencing the full effects of dementia, she embraced life there and fully participated in all the activities, including accompanying hymns on the piano.

Helene’s love of music was infinite, as was her faith. Singing hymns with her nieces Herta, Erika, Alice, Hedy and Ingrid Sawatzky – or “the dames” as they were also known, brought her much joy throughout her adult life.

The family would like to thank Herta, Alice, Hedy, Ingrid and Helmut and their families, along with special friend Geri Cole, for their friendship, love and support. The family would also like to send a big thank you to the amazing and dedicated staff at Menno Home East 1. Their care was above and beyond the call of duty and we are so grateful that she was so lovingly cared for there.