OBITUARIES
Willi Kreis
1925 – 2021
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of Willi Kreis, Sr. at 95 years of age in Winnipeg on March 8, 2021
Dad was born on June 28, 1925 in the Ukraine in the German village of Rosenfeld. He was predeceased by his infant daughter, Hilde, his first wife, Ida (Stumpp), his parents Theodore and Emma (Schmidt) and brother, Robert. He leaves to mourn his death his loving wife Helga (Grother); son, Willi Jr.; daughter, Erika; four grandsons, Norman, Darren, T.J. and Matthew (Lowe); five great grandsons (Ricky, Daniel, Aidenn, Kaleb, Dallas); brother Theodore and wife Clara (Drigola) and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Dad faced many obstacles and traumas in his life. At 17, dad and other young men in the village were “drafted” by the Germans in March 1943, to fight in a war for a country their families had not lived in for generations. They were listed as “volunteers” even though they were forced to enlist. They were sent to Holland and Poland to be trained. Dad was then deployed to the Russian front in Poland. In April 1944, he was seriously wounded by a grenade and left with other gravely wounded or dead soldiers for three days. Some of the wounded died but dad wasn’t one of them.
Dad was sent to Germany for treatment. His injuries included losing his right arm, the hearing in his right ear and the sight in his right eye. Once he was well enough to travel, dad spent every weekend taking the train all over Germany to try and find his parents, brother and school sweetheart, Ida, our mother. The entire village of Rosenfeld had also fled the Ukraine for Germany…. a country they did not know. Because of his persistence, he found them.
Our mother and father married and our oldest sister, Hilde, was born in 1945 when dad was 19 years old. Tragically, she died of an infection eight months later. Willi Jr. was born a few weeks after Hilde’s death and Erika was born 13 months after Willi.
With the help of, and love from, his family, dad immigrated to Canada to join his parents and brother. They bought a home on Lipton Street and all got jobs except dad. He volunteered with a German builder to learn how to build houses. The family worked hard to help him establish a small construction company in Winnipeg. The family spent weekends helping him build his first house. His wife, Ida, died in 1959 and dad with the help of his parents, cared for two children eleven and twelve years of age.
His construction company did well and he was able to make a good living building houses with one arm. He was a marvel to watch. He used a special hammer that he put under his right arm and placed a nail in the claw. He would then deftly hit the nail into the wood of what he was building. When he didn’t use the hammer, he used the calloused palm of his hand to deliver that nail into the wood. His father and then his son worked with him until he retired when he was 50.
He was an active member of the German Club and the German Choir. He was also the Honorary President of the German Choir. This is where he met his second wife, Helga, whom he married in 1973. The day he married Helga, he blossomed into a happy man. Our father and stepmother always felt lucky to have found each other and shared a happy marriage which lasted 47 years. They never stopped cherishing each other.
Dad loved children, had a special smile just for them and couldn’t resist saying something cheerful to them wherever they were. Dad also loved animals, especially his dog, Sparky. He raised special breeds of rabbits and pigeons and spent hours making sure they were well taken care of. Dad spent many hours every year tending to his garden, fruit trees and his favourite flower, roses.
Dad taught us the values of never giving up, working hard and always loving your family. After he retired, he enjoyed walking many kilometers every day around his home in East St. Paul where he happily greeted neighbours on the streets. With a mischievous smile on his face, he once told a neighbour to fix his wife’s broken bicycle seat or to ride it himself!
Dad spent the last few years at Concordia Personal Care Home. During the COVID lockdowns, face-to-face visits were rare, but FaceTime on his iPad was a regular event. Even though he had dementia, he often shared pearls of wisdom with us. His most memorable pearl of wisdom was his statement was made several weeks before his unexpected death: that “the best two things in life are love and jokes.”
He died a sudden and peaceful death. A happy man to the end.
Special thanks to the staff at Concordia Place Personal Care Home for their gentle and caring ways. He truly enjoyed the staff who looked after him. He always called the female staff “lady.”
We love you, dad, and will miss your love and jokes.
Cremation has taken place. Bardal Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements. Due to COVID restrictions, the funeral will only be attended by family members. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, March 17th. Dad’s remains will be interred at Brookside Cemetery.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Willi Kreis 1925 2021..
Bardal Funeral Home and Crematorium
Décès pour la Ville: Winnipeg, Province: Manitoba