ELIZABETH POETKER

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ELIZABETH POETKER Betty Poetker (nee Rosenfeld) passed suddenly on January 1, 2006 at the Concordia General Hospital at the age of 88. Betty was born on October 10, 1917 in Ufa, Russia to Peter and Helen (nee Ratzleff) Rosenfeld. In 1919, Mom and Dad Rosenfeld, three sons, one sister and a half sister moved to Germany from Russia on an exchange program with Russian prisoners of war. Four years later in the spring of 1923 the family moved to Canada. Mother, father and the five children settled on a farm in Herbert, Saskatchewan. Due to drought conditions and crop failures the family moved north to Foam Lake in 1937. In the fall of 1940 the family finally settled in Steinbach, Manitoba; there, Betty was baptized in May 1942. Betty met Bill Poetker in Steinbach and on November 6, 1943 they were married. In 1944 Bill and Betty built a house together at 305 Kingsford Ave. in Winnipeg. There they were blessed with four sons Rudy, Don, Robert and Dennis. The third son, Robert, succumbed to leukemia in August 1951. After living there for fifteen years Bill and Betty decided it was time to move to a larger house, which they built at 307 Kingsford Avenue. Both Betty and Bill worked as caretakers at several schools in the River East School Division. At the same time they were also caretakers of the North Kildonan Mennonite Church on Roch Street. They were members of this church for over 50 years. In 1993 Bill and Betty celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with their family and their friends. After Bill suffered a stroke in 1992, Betty and the family decided to admit him into the Bethania Personal Care Home. At the same time Betty moved into Bethania Haus to be closer to Bill. In 1995 Bill passed away. Betty spent countless hours volunteering in Bethania Personal Care Home and visiting the many friends she had made in the Home. In November 2005, due to ill health, Betty was admitted into Bethania Personal Care Home. The family is survived by three sons: Rudy, his wife Alison and their three sons, Mark, his daughter Chelsea, Brian and Kevin; Don and his two daughters Crystal and her husband Ryan, their daughter Savannah, and Ashley; Dennis, his wife Lillian, and their three children, Jocelyn, husband Sherwood, sons Isaiah and Luke, Jon and Amy. Betty is also survived by her sister-in-law, Edith Poetker, a step sister-in-law Chris Remple, as well as many nieces and nephews. The pallbearers will be grandsons, Mark, Brian, Kevin, Jon, granddaughter Amy and grandson-in-law Sherwood Armbruster. If friends so desire, donations may be made to Bethania Personal Care Home. Funeral services will be held on Friday at 1:00 pm, January 6, at Bethania Personal Care Home, 1045 Concordia Ave., with Reverend Gerhard Friesen officiating. Interment at Brookside Cemetery. Viewing will be prior to the service. At this time, family would like to express their gratitude and deepest appreciation to the doctors and nurses of the emergency room and the intensive care unit of Concordia General Hospital for their care and their respect. Special thanks to the care-givers of Bethania Personal Care Home for their years of service caring for Opa and Oma. KLASSEN FUNERAL HOME 1897 Henderson - North of McIvor 338-0331

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 04, 2006