Arnold Abrahams

Obituary

Passed on December 7, 2019

December 14, 1929 – December 7, 2019 Peacefully one week before his 90th birthday Dad passed away, rejoining his many loved ones in heaven. Dad was the sixth of ten children of David & Katherina Abrahams. His parents were Mennonite immigrants and Dad’s childhood was spent on the family farm in Pigeon Lake, Manitoba. As a young man, Dad had an adventurous spirit working in gold mines & logging camps in northwest Ontario before becoming a lifelong farmer. In his youth, Dad was swept off his feet by Alvina Bergen and they were married April 27, 1957. They moved to Stonewall and together built a successful farm and raised a loving family. We have wonderful childhood memories of Dad’s sense of humour, chocolate that was shared but kept in his sock drawer for safe keeping and going to St. Ambroise beach on summer Sundays. Christmas and Easter were important and joyful occasions. A great deal of imagination went into hiding our Easter baskets; screwdrivers were sometimes required. Garth, Marina, Vicki and Heather shared an idyllic life until Mom died at the age of 41 of breast cancer on August 15, 1976. During Mom’s illness, Dad cared for Mom with love and tenderness showing us children the truest meaning of love. After Mom’s death we were Dad’s world and through his strength and love, we remained a united family. Dad wanted to maintain stability in our lives and even mastered the skill of homemade bread. Dad’s bread was extra delicious, attributed to his large farmer’s hands kneading the dough. Dad was blessed to find love again and married Mary Latta on February 17, 1979. They shared forty years together, hosting many gatherings for their large blended family, travelling extensively and becoming avid golfers. Their adventures included many golfing trips to destinations all over the world, most notably golfing at St. Andrews, Scotland. Dad was still golfing this past summer and, as usual, insisted on walking all eighteen holes. One of Dad’s proudest achievements was scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia when in his sixties. During the winter months Dad enjoyed curling in Stonewall and Argyle. He curled throughout his last winter and was very proud of his sweeping prowess. Dad always encountered new friends wherever he went and enjoyed conversing with people of all ages and walks of life. Dad’s grandchildren Matthew, Amanda, Jared and Chris were a constant source of pride and love. He enjoyed entertaining them with poems, songs, endless stories, and imparting many words of wisdom, always with theatrical flair. Dad also had an archive of strange and unusual artifacts; a visit to Opa’s was invariably a game of show-and-tell. Dad was happiest when surrounded by all who loved him. This November Dad was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of leukemia. Mary was always at his side and lovingly took care of him, keeping him comfortable and tending to his needs. Dad will be missed by all whose lives he touched. Mary his wife, his children Garth (Irmie), Marina (Jim), Vicki (Glen) and Heather (Ron), his grandchildren Matthew, Amanda (Brandon), Jared (Bethany) and Christopher. Dad will also be missed by Mary’s family, his extended family, and many friends. A funeral service will be held on Friday, December 13, 2019 at 2:00pm at Schoenfelder Mennonite Church, 2256 Hwy 26, St. Francois Xavier, MB. A special thank you to Dr. Weebedda, the Palliative Care Team, and all the staff of Stonewall Hospital who cared for Dad in his final hours. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Arnold may be made to South West District Palliative Care, Inc. P.O. Box 1282 Stonewall MB. R0C 2Z0.

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