Daniel Hildebrand
April 08, 1922 – October 09, 2018
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Daniel Hildebrand was born on April 8, 1922 in the village of Romanovka, part of the Mennonite colony of Ignatiev in what is now Ukraine. He was the second of 12 children born to Daniel J. and Anna (Dyck) Hildebrand.
In the fall of 1926 his parents, with by then five children, fled the turmoil of the Russian Revolution, arriving in Manitoba a few months later.
His formal schooling at Kingswood School ended after Grade 8, when his meager wages as a farm hand in the Niverville area began to help feed their growing family. In late 1943, he learned of the possibility of joining the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in Restricted Enlistment. With pride in his country, he thus assumed a direct role in Canada’s contribution to the Allied Forces during WWII.
At the end of the war he remained in Europe in the Canadian Army of Occupation, returning to civilian life in 1946. As was the case for many others of his generation, the war had a profound impact on him.
He met his future wife, Hilda Wiebe, at Winkler Bible School. Following their wedding in May 1949, they settled on a farm a few miles north of New Bothwell. They were members of the Niverville M.B. Church for 56 years, where he taught Sunday school, did some preaching, and enjoyed serving in other areas.
On the farm, his approach was not to be the first or the biggest, but rather to do his best with what he had. Though he was a progressive farmer, he didn’t consider expansion as an end in itself and never felt he had anything to prove to the neighbours or anyone else. In 36 years, it never occurred to him that God wanted him anywhere other than on the farm and considered that it was the Lord that had prospered a lifetime of effort.
After retirement to Winnipeg in 1985, he pursued a range of volunteer activities. These took him as far afield as Guatemala, to the island of St. Croix, and included many hours visiting an inmate at the Stoney Mountain correctional facility. Grandchildren provided the impetus for Dan and Hilda’s many retirement travels, and more generally were the source of much joy and satisfaction.
Ultimately, declining health reduced his sphere of activity in an irrevocable fashion, as per the circle of life, which closed on October 9, at the age of 96. He considered that his wife, their children, and other offspring were the most precious gifts of all from a God who never ceases to give without measure.
The family wishes to thank chaplain David Holland and his wife Darlene, and all the nurses and other staff at Meadowood Manor for their capable and dedicated care and assistance over the years, and especially in recent months. They often referred to Dan’s spirit of optimism and strong faith, and described him as a kind, gentle, always appreciative man.
He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years in October 2011, and by three brothers and two sisters.
He will be fondly remembered and surely missed by his five children, their spouses, nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, one brother, five sisters, and other family and friends.
Visitation with family will be on Saturday, October 13, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB.
The funeral will be held on Sunday, October 14 at 2:00 p.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB. Interment will be at Hespeler Cemetery, Niverville at 12:00 noon on Sunday, prior to the service. Friends and family are welcome.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Daniel Hildebrand April 08 1922 October 09 2018..
Décès pour la Ville: Steinbach, Province: Manitoba
