Obituary of Margaret D. Tiessen
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Margaret D. Tiessen (nee Froese)
Our beloved mother and Oma, Margaret “Maggie” Tiessen, passed away peacefully at the Leamington Mennonite Home Saturday afternoon, October 23rd , 2021.
Mom was a creative, generous, intelligent woman of integrity who overcame many obstacles as a child with limited eyesight to excel in her studies, train and teach as an instructor for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, raise four children, and along the way teach, write, speak, perform, volunteer, help, and entertain at every opportunity. Mom self-published four books of short stories, plays, and poems. Mom loved the underdog-from the Cleveland baseball team to the lonely child on the playground to the shy stranger in the pew. We cherish her example.
Mom was born near Omsk, Siberia, on December 6th, 1924, to the late Diedrich and Maria (Penner) Froese. After arriving in Canada as a toddler, she grew up in Alberta and Leamington. She married Arthur Tiessen on April 27th, 1957, and they lived 33 happy years together in Toronto, Pickering, Ajax, Wheatley, Leamington, Palmerston, and then Leamington again until Art’s death in 1990. She loved geography, history, and numbers!
Mom will be missed and lovingly remembered by her daughter Laura in Toronto, her son Phil and his wife Annette Poechman in Hamilton, her daughter Marianne and her husband David Bell in Perth-Andover, New Brunswick, her daughter Lisa and her husband Lou Cabral in Cambridge; and by her grandchildren Victoria Bell Varro (Adam Varro) in Toronto, Owen Bell in Port Elgin, and Emmalene, Eugenie Rose, and Dominic Cabral in Cambridge. She will be fondly remembered by her sisters and brother, Mary Klassen, Sally Dyck, Elsa Dick, Harry (Mary) Friesen, and many nieces, nephews, and friends. Mom is predeceased by her brothers Dick Froese and Henry Froese, her sister Susie Woelk, and her stepbrother Peter Mantler.
The family wishes to thank the staff and volunteers at the Leamington Mennonite Home for their kind care of our mother for the last 11 years.
Visitation will take place Friday, Oct 29th, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., at Reid Funeral Home, 14 Russell Street, Leamington (519-326-2631). A celebration of Mom’s life will take place Saturday, October 30th, at 2:00 p.m. at Leamington United Mennonite Church, 78 Oak Street East. Rev. Cathrin van Sintern-Dick will officiate. Due to COVID restrictions, visitation is limited to a specific number of visitors. Only those with an appointment will be allowed in. Please book an appointment at www.reidfuneralhome.ca. Everyone must wear a mask.
In lieu of a reception with opportunity to share tales about Mom, friends and family with stories are warmly encouraged to use the “Tribute Wall” feature at www.reidfuneralhome.ca.
Memorial donations to the Leamington Mennonite Home, Hope and Healing International (formerly known as Christian Blind Mission Canada), or a charity of the donor’s choice would be appreciated by the family.
www.mennonitehome.ca/donations
www.hopeandhealing.org
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Margaret
D
Tiessen 1924 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Leamington, Province: Ontario