Catherine (Lammers) Schenkels
Catherine Schenkels departed in the embrace of her loving family at home on June 10, 2022. She will be deeply missed and leaves a lasting legacy of love, kindness and compassion.
Catherine was born in Budel, the Netherlands on September 17, 1935 to Wilhelmus and Hendrika (Winters) Lammers. On April 29, 1959, she married the love of her life, Joseph Schenkels, and they began their life together in Canada. We are blessed for what they created together. They loved deeply. They worked hard. They supported each other. Always. Her final years would not have been as enriched without his love and companionship. From golf cart drives to ice cream outings and family dinners, Joe was always at her side. He not only offered strength and confidence to embrace the many challenges, but he also offered loving support and humor to fully embrace their journey together.
Catherine’s priorities were very fundamental and foundational: her energy was fully dedicated to her family so that they were equipped to fully support their families and their communities. She will be deeply missed by her children: Henrietta (Francois) Haché, Annette (Grant) Hendry, Frank (Luanne) Schenkels, Cathy (David) Caswell, Wilma (Ed MacMillan), John (Tamara) Schenkels, Jane (Joe) Nastasiuk, and Bill Schenkels. She was a very special Oma to her grandchildren: Etienne, Catherine, Rachelle, Martine, Nicholas (Tricia), Erica (Brendan), Alex, Aiden, Jared, Marika, Adriana, Signe, Alicia, Luke, Eric, Jonathan, Jordan, Gabrielle, Hans, Payton, Anika, Willem, Kassia, Hendrik. She was also a Great-Oma to her great grandchildren: Annabelle, Myra, Artie, Theo, Aaliyah, Dominik, Aryana and Dakota.
Catherine was the youngest of 15 children. She loved her siblings dearly. Despite being an ocean apart from her family, she had a deep bond with her family. In the early years, she relied on letters to keep in touch. She cherished her visits home and their visits to Canada. She was predeceased by Lena, Anna, Toon, Tinus, Nel, Ceel, Miet, Wim, Harrie, Gonda, Jaan and Frans. She is survived by Net and Jan in the Netherlands. She had a special bond her family in Canada, including the families of Bill and Marie Lammers and Frank and Tonia Schenkels.
Catherine’s communities were important to her: the community of Red Bank; the parish of St. Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church along with the CWL; the Dutch community both on the Miramichi and across the province; and the dairy farming community across Atlantic Canada.
Alzheimer’s Disease is not easy and yet she embraced this as she did with all challenges. She showed us what was possible with the support of family and the community along the way. In many ways, this journey has brought the family closer together and taught us deep and lasting life lessons. She continued doing the many things she loved: large family dinners; walking in the woods; going for drives along the river and watching Jeopardy with whoever dropped in. A special thank you to Jane & Joe & Anika and Annette & Grant, for their always-there care and many adventures living next door. The family would like to thank her team of caregivers: Lisa, Susan, Pauline, Stephanie. They, along with the other caregivers over the past several years, offered a sense of love, caring, kindness and strength for Catherine and the entire family, allowing her to stay at home with her family. Thank you to the Extra-Mural Program for the compassionate nursing support. Thank you to Dr. Nina Zigante for her trusting guidance and care in this journey.
Visitation will be held at the Meadows Funeral Home, Sunny Corner on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 from 6:00 – 9:00 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated from St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Red Bank on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at 11:00 AM with Father Dan Melanson officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Thomas the Apostle Cemetery Fund. Messages of condolence for the family can be sent through the funeral home website at www.bellsmeadows.com
Funeral arrangements are under the care of Bell’s Funeral Home, 651 King George Highway, Miramichi, NB E1V 1N9 Telephone: 622-3600
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Catherine Lammers Schenkels 2022..
bell’s & meadows funeral homes
Death notice for the town of: Miramichi, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick
So very sorry for your loss. Your mother was a lovely lady with a warm smile.
Dennis and Lisa (Taylor) Baisley