Margaret Janzen

It is with joy for a life well lived and loved and with acute sadness for our own loss, that we announce the death of our dear mother, Margaret Janzen, at the age of 93, on Saturday, November 7, 2015 in Kentville, surrounded by loved ones. She was born in Margenau, Chortiza, Ukraine, on August 18, 1922, to Henry and Margarete Wiebe. Mom was the oldest of four girls, Mary, Gertrude, and Anne, all of whom have predeceased her. Our mother was blessed with a long and varied life:  she arrived in Canada as a toddler refugee, grew up in Manitoba during the Depression, moved to Ontario with her family in the early 1940s, met our Dad, Siegfried Janzen, married in 1945 and began five years of refugee work in post-war Europe. From her early years of working on the farm in Manitoba to the end of her life, Mom lived a life of service – to God, to others, and to her family. After moving to Nova Scotia in the mid 1950's, Mom managed the business side of Dad’s construction company, was an active member of the Kentville Baptist Church, and was a great supporter of Kingswood Camp. With Dad, Mom raised four daughters, supporting our various activities till the end of her life; she created designer clothes for all of us for over 20 years. In 1985, they moved to Petitcodiac, N.B., when Dad became pastor of the Petitcodiac Mennonite Church. Mom’s life witness continued through her generous hospitality, leadership in the Ten Thousand Villages store, and prison ministry, including baking cookies for ‘Dad’s boys’, visiting inmates, providing a safe refuge for parolees, and a permanent home for the wife of an inmate. After Dad’s death, Mom returned to the Annapolis Valley to live with her daughter, Carol Anne, for the last 10 years of her life. She took great delight in the family’s annual trips to Cape Breton. Being true to her Mennonite faith and heritage, Mom believed that service to others was not complete without nourishment of the body as well as the soul. She was an exceptional cook, from her special breads and pastries to her canning and food preservation – Mom fed thousands, including family, friends, campers, prisoners, and refugees. Mom was at her best when she was in service to others. Mom is survived by her four daughters, Carol Anne, Kentville; Madeline, Montreal; Helen (Dan, who dearly loved his ‘Momsy’), Calgary; and Wilma, New Glasgow; her ‘adopted’ daughter Laura (Blair) Steele, Scott’s Bay; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She is also survived by two brothers-in-law along with their wives and one sister-in-law, numerous nieces and nephews. We would like to thank Dr. Crystal Todd for her compassionate care of our mother, as well as the nurses on Medical B wing of the Valley Regional Hospital. Anyone wishing to honour Mom may make a donation to Spring House, Springhill; Acadia Divinity College; or Mennonite Central Committee Canada. Visitation on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the White Family Funeral Home, Kentville. Funeral service on Wednesday, November 11, 2015, at 1:30 pm, at the Kentville Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. David Bielby officiating. Private interment. Mom epitomized loving kindness and was humble in her walk with God. We will miss her dearly and will miss her presence in our daily lives. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. On-line condolences and inquiries may be directed to www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.