Margaret (Wolff) Verburg

Born in Luntern Holland June 18, 1948 passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus, March 10, 2025 in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Loving wife to the late Dick Verburg (2022) and mother of Tonia (Dave), Tammy (Richard), Diana (Scott), JanDirk (Helina). Cherished grandma/nana to 14 wonderful grandkids; Jesse (Sarah), Kelsie (Jacqueline), Grace (Richie), Sophia, Noah, Micah (Holly), Ethan, Luke, Maria, Hannah, Kathryn, Elizabeth, Jamieson and Adawna and 3 great-grandkids; Emelia, Ezra,and Hudson. Favorite sister of Joanne, Ethel and John (predeceased by Joe, Jack). Beloved sister-in-law and friend. She loved her family, friends, her work for the CIBC, music, quilting and all things cute and furry, her church and her God. Parkinson’s disease added challenges to life but it did not steal her warm smile or sense of humor. You will be missed.

Born in Luntern, Netherlands on June 18, 1948, Margaret was welcomed by older brother Joe and sister Joanne, into the growing family of Hermanus and Jeanette. As with many Dutch families after the war, they left their home in 1951 and immigrated to Canada in search of better job opportunities and more space. Leaving their comfortable village, family and friends behind was very challenging for Oma (Jeanette), and being pregnant at the time of crossing didn’t help! Margaret was too young to remember much, but she recalled missing having relatives around and cousins to play with. The young family first moved to Chatham Ontario and then 7yrs later to Portage Road in Niagara Falls. As the third child of 6, she loved spending time with all her siblings and enjoyed growing up just outside of town, playing and hiking in the open areas around their home. They always had animals to play with, like guinea pigs, rabbits, goats and chickens, as well as Oma’s big gardens to help with.

She learned the value of hard work by helping her Dad at night cleaning offices and running a fruit stand in the summer. By grade 11, she had saved enough to buy her first car, a previously loved baby blue VW beetle, the perfect vehicle to blast her favorite music band “the Beatles” in! After graduating high school, Margaret started work for the CIBC as a banking teller. She worked for the CIBC bank until her retirement in 2005. She took a short break from work when a handsome young Dick Verburg swept her off her feet and convinced her to marry him in November of 1969. They were blessed with 3 girls and 1 son: Tonia, Tammy, Diana, Jan Dirk. She loved little babies and they were foster parents to several little ones in between the births of their own children.

As much as Mom enjoyed being home with us kids, the finances of a self-employed electronics repairman are not always predictable, so she took part time jobs, answering phones and working cash at the hardware store and finally returning to the CIBC when their youngest started school. This made life very full but she always made time to be involved in church activities, visiting family, needlework, reading and baking, as well as her love for walking, growing flowers and all things “cute and furry”. Mom and Dad visited over 45 provincial parks and drove to Alaska, over their 54 yrs of marriage, dad driving and mom supplying fresh snacks and music.

Later in life, after the kids had left home she did some volunteering in the community and picked up the love of quilting. This new hobby brought her hours of joy and new friends as she created a fabric hug for all her kids and each of her 14 grandkids and 3 great-grandkids. They also continued to drive around, but now it was to get her “grandkid fix” every 2 weeks or so. She loved the all the plays and music concerts and family get-togethers. Quilting also gave Margaret a creative outlet that she could do at home, while she cared for Dick after several of his major surgeries. She loved to bless her family with these gifts, always trying to be fair and making sure everyone got one.

She had a simple yet strong faith in God and a sense of humor with lots of funny sayings that helped her cope with the challenges of life. She found strength in these and the love of her family in the last few years of her life as she struggled with Parkinson’s disease. She handled the decline in her abilities with patience and grace, being kind and accepting to all those who helped her with daily tasks. Special thanks to all the loving people at Martindale Retirement home in St.Catharines and those at Elgin Falls

retirement home in Niagara Falls for your compassion and care in the last few months of her life. Daughter, Sister, wife, sister-in–law, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, colleague and friend, Margaret touched each of our lives in a special way. You will be missed. Praise be to our Father in heaven for His good and gracious love that has blessed our lives with you.

Celebration of life to be held at Faith Fellowship CRC Church 4878 Jepson St. Niagara Falls on Saturday April 5 at 1pm.