Obituary of Clara Reimer
Clara Reimer, our dear sister and aunt, was born at Swalwell, AB on June 19, 1924 to Henry L. and Susie Reimer on the home place, being the oldest of seven children. She peacefully passed away surrounded by loved ones at Westview Care Community (Linden Nursing Home), Linden, AB in the early hours of April 26, 2018, attaining the age of 93 years. Her entire life was spent in the Linden area.
She had a happy childhood. She attended and graduated from Linden School. Her world changed in 1954 when her father died, leaving the children fatherless and her mother a widow.
In her youth Clara felt the Saviour calling, and at the age of 15 she committed her life to the Lord, coming to the cross, and accepting his sacrifice for her sins. That year, revivals were being conducted by Albert Unruh and Frank Wenger. Clara was one of 42 gathered in, and was baptized on January 21, 1940, becoming a member of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, and remaining true to her vows until the end.
Clara trained for and graduated as a Certified Nursing Aide. Working 10 years at the Linden Nursing Home, she cared for both older folk and maternity patients. This was a two-story building, and transferring patients between floors on stretchers was sometimes really too hard on the nurses. She enjoyed her work and the patients.
Clara’s way of showing love to people was to serve, setting an elegant table laden with delectable food and tea. She was a perfectionist with good taste, and when guests came for dinner you can be sure that they would be invited to help themselves, and again, and again. Hospitality was her strong point. Family and friends have fond memories of first-class meals, faspa, and night lunches, visiting around the table or on the deck under the shade trees and among the poppies and apple trees. She also enjoyed going to a nice restaurant for a good meal.
Her love of serving people was expressed by working at Banff, a tourist town, several summers with a few other girls. This experience was a highlight of her life.
One code of her life was to be inclusive. If a family gets together, everybody should be there, and no one left out.
Clara took her Christian life seriously, of which her daily devotions were a part. When she would get into conflict with someone, she always seemed to be the first to say, « I’m sorry, » always followed by the words, « Can you forgive me? » Before going to sleep, it was her goal to settle any discord.
During most of our mother’s widowhood, daughters Clara and Margaret were her care-givers and companions. Clara gladly helped her to the last detail. After Mother passed away in 1992, the girls bought a condominium, living there until failing health forced them to sell and ultimately to move to the Linden Nursing Home. Again special thanks are in order to Clara and Margaret who spent so much love and effort, often denying themselves of social events, to the extent that Mother never needed institutional care.
Clara, having spent her life giving, now was ready to receive. She was a model patient in the Home, never complaining, and usually smiling. One afternoon she gave a compliment to the nurse tending her, and the nurse was overheard smilingly saying, « Oh, Clara! You always say such nice things about me. »
Those left to cherish Clara’s memory are her siblings and their families: brother Jacob and Bernice, Linden, AB (Beverly and Jason, Cheryl and Steve); sister-in-law Priscilla Reimer, Pincher Creek, AB (Roland and Mary Louise, Karen and Wes, Burt, Doreen); brother Edward, Linden, AB (Randy and Vicki, Kate and Lorrin, Diane); sister-in-law Jean Reimer, Linden, AB (Greg and Esther, Brian and Dorothy, Jeanette and Johnny, Wanda, Darryl and Melody); sister Gladys and Lloyd Penner, Stettler, AB (Ray and Hazel, Suzanne and Martin, Rita and Tim, Steven and Shandele).
Clara was pre-deceased by her parents, two brothers, one sister, one sister-in-law, and one infant brother. The family extends deepest gratitude to the staff at Westview Care Community, including her nieces there, for the tender loving care she received.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Clara
Reimer 1924 2018.source
Décès pour la Ville: Linden, Province: Alberta
