1927 – 2024

After a long life filled with many varied journeys and adventures, much happiness and sadness, our mother, Gertrude Welsch, passed away on July 3, 2024.

She was welcomed into the world on Sept. 3, 1927, by her parents, Johanne and Anna Muller, in Ormesheim, West Germany. She was the little sister for Hildegard and Beta. She grew into a beautiful blonde, curly haired girl with blue eyes.

Life was not easy for the family during the 1930s and her dad died when she was only 10 years old. Her mother worked hard on their small farm. Then the war came. They were evacuated, and when they returned there was nothing left of their former life.

After the war, and again with hard work and much effort, they started anew. Dad (Fred) had already been in Canada since 1929, and he returned to Germany in December 1947 for the wedding of his brother Robert to mom’s sister Beta. On that occasion, Mom and Dad met. They were married in March 1948. Dad returned to Canada soon after, and Mom joined him in November of that year.

From then on, the Canadian adventure began for the newly married couple. Mom was very much focused on learning English, being accepted into her new community and meaningfully contributing to that community. To that end, she joined the Hillsview Ladies Club and continued to be a member for many years. Mom also had a strong Catholic faith and the family attended St. Michael’s Church on a regular basis. She also belonged to the Catholic Women’s League, in which she participated in many ways.

Mom always had a huge garden. She loved to cook and bake. She raised chickens and sold eggs, separated milk and sold cream, and raised turkeys and broiler chickens as well. She often churned butter with any extra cream. She could knit and crochet. Mom and Dad worked very hard on the farm, and all the while, raised five children.

Mom was truly a farmer’s wife and adapted very well to her Canadian lifestyle. In her later years, she cooked at the Community Auction Sales. Her good roast beef meals and delicious pies are still talked about today.

In 1999, Betty died and that brought great grief to Mom and Dad. Mom helped out her son-in-law Ron and her three grandsons as much as she could, taking on whole new roles in their lives. In 2009, Dad died. She had taken such good care of him, and they had a long and successful married life. Mom missed Betty and Dad very, very much.

For the last several years, Mom lived at Vista Village in Pincher Creek.

She will be missed by her children, Reno (wife Corinne and children Nick, Jen and Anna), Harry (wife Marilyn and children Mark, Teresa, Paul and Frank), Lorraine (husband Alvin Robbins and children Carolyn, Jessica, Steven and David), son-in-law Ron Mensaghi (children Adam, Chris and Greg), and Jim (wife Kathy and children Laura and Tom). She had 16 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Over the years, there were many large family gatherings. Mom was often heard to say, “Fred, look what we started!” She was very proud of her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids with their vast array of accomplishments and successes.

Relatives in Germany include nephews Herbert, Leo and Thomas Welsch, Hubert and Gerhard Stumpf, nieces Maria Vermeulen (Welsch) and Gertrude Gebhard (Welsch). All with their extended families.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Windy Slopes Health Foundation, in Mom’s name, would be gratefully accepted.

Prayers was held at St. Michael’s Church in Pincher Creek on Thursday, July 11, at 7 p.m. Funeral service was at St. Michael’s Church on Friday, July 12, at 2:30 p.m., followed by a burial service at Fairview Cemetery.

Arrangements entrusted to Snodgrass Funeral Home

The obituary for Gertrude Welsch appeared in the July 10, 2024, issue of Shootin’ the Breeze. Condolences are extended to family and friends.