Bertha "Bert" Josephine Clark

Bertha (Bert) Josephine Clark was born in the tiny Saskatchewan prairie town of Shell Lake on January 19, 1927. She was the eldest of 10 siblings raised by their Norwegian parents Arnt and Marit Hilstad. Mom spent most of her youth on the prairie fields until the family decided to move to Vancouver. It was springtime in the city with the flowers and trees in full bloom. Mom fell instantly in love. This was the beginning of her life in BC, soon to meet her husband Bob Clark and together eventually settle in Chilliwack.

How do I define our mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend in just a few words? I’m going to quote my cousin Shannon when she referred to Mom…“My most noble Aunt.” Noble. This isn’t a word we often hear but it so aptly describes our mom…high moral character, worthy, grand in appearance. She would often describe herself as stubborn, but I would choose to say “quietly determined.” She was elegant, she was strong...choosing her own path in life and walking it confidently.

Mom had an adventurous free spirit and enjoyed playing a variety of sports throughout her life, including showing the boys how you really play hockey. At 65 she learned to play golf, and this became her passion and daily ritual for the next 20 years. Throughout her life she could be found sitting at her sewing machine. She was a gifted seamstress and much of my after-school hours were spent sitting on her cutting table sharing my day and refilling her coffee. Family and friends greatly benefited from her skill having their wedding gowns, graduation dresses and numerous beautiful outfits created by her.

Mom had a joyful optimistic soul and the cornerstone of this was her faith. With the love she had for her Lord as the foundation she lived a beautiful life filled with abundant and unconditional love. We know she was looking forward to going home and seeing again her loving husband Bobby, her Mom and Dad and the many loved ones who were waiting to greet her. But oh, how we shall miss her.

A Memorial Service will be held at Henderson's Funeral Home, 45901 Victoria Avenue, Chilliwack, BC V2P 2S9, on March 27, 2026, at 1:30 pm.