BERTHA ALIDA VANDERSTEEN

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BERTHA ALIDA VANDERSTEEN It is with great sadness that the family of Bertha Vandersteen announce her passing on December 7, 2013. Bertha was born July 19, 1915 in a log house to Cornelia Grift and Gysbertus Vandersteen. She began her schooling at Marble Ridge School, walking three miles across the fields through heavy snow in winter and flooding in the spring. There were many times when getting to school was impossible. Despite this, education was very important to Bertha and she struggled to complete her schooling in a time when education for women was not a priority. She earned money to help pay for her further studies by spinning wool and knitting socks and keeping bees. These endeavors did not bring in much money but she didn't give up. It took 10 years after finishing elementary school, before she was able to go to Winnipeg to take her high school and university education. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and her certificate of Education, she taught at Gimli Collegiate for two years before obtaining her Masters Degree in Education at the University of Manitoba. She then taught junior high school in Winnipeg for 15 years, before she went to London, England; first to teach a year on exchange and later to study at London University, obtaining an Associateship Degree in Education. Bertha travelled widely while in Europe, visiting her parents' birthplace in Holland, as well as touring England, Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Holy Land. Back in Canada, she would entertain us with stories of riding a camel to the pyramids in Egypt, visiting the tulip fields in Holland, touring castles and cathedrals, and having tea with the Queen Mother. Bertha returned to Fisher Branch after her father died, to care for her mother for almost 20 years. During that time, she taught high school at Fisher Branch Collegiate for eight years, a time she really enjoyed, before retiring in 1975. Bertha was very talented in the arts and had many hobbies. She enjoyed sewing, knitting, quilting, making rugs, woodworking, painting, and playing the piano. She loved flowers and had a huge border of perennials for many years, as well as a large vegetable garden. She loved reading and had a large library and helped to instill that love of reading in the next generations. She also enjoyed baking and a highlight of our growing-up years was Sunday afternoon tea at Aunty Bertha's with home-made cookies and tea in real china cups! Bertha was a woman of great faith, which sustained her throughout her life. She was predeceased by her parents Cornelia and Gysbertus, an infant sister Alida, her sister Susan and brothers Jack, Case, Bert and Tony. She is survived by her sister-in-law Leona, many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and great-great-nieces and nephews. Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Roman Catholic Church in Fisher Branch, Manitoba. The family would like to thank the staff of Fisher Personal Care Home for their compassionate care of Bertha in her last years. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Fisher Personal Care Home. FISHER FUNERAL HOME INC. In care of arrangements. Fisher Branch, MB 204-372-6271 or 204-372-6803

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 13, 2013