Alma Irene Kaiser (Braun)
December 26, 1933 - October 15, 2024
Tribute
Feisty; Tenacious; Hospitable; Witty; Smart; Strong-Willed; Loyal; Beautiful.
Many more words describe our mom, but these were the most common. She was loyal
to a fault, and loved deeply. She found the humour in most things, loved to needle dad
by cheating at cards, and was not afraid to try new things… except swimming. She
often chose the unconventional over the expected. She was unique, sometimes earning
eyerolls and sighs from her family. She’d simply smile and carry on.
Growing up with 4 sisters and 7 brothers, her best friend was sister Helena. They
double-dated and left home together at 16 and 15 years old to move to Medicine Hat,
Alberta.
It was in Medicine Hat while working at the Greyhound Bus Depot that mom met the
love of her life, John Kaiser. They married in a double wedding ceremony with Helena
and George, then lived and worked on both the Braun and Kaiser farms during the
summers while dad attended Hillcrest Christian College.
With Dad in the ministry, money was in short supply. Since mom handled the finances,
she knew what they had, and what was needed. She sewed most of our clothes,
planted big gardens, canned fruit, and shopped for sales. In those years she sold
Tupperware, World Book Encyclopedia, Avon, Watkins, some kind of pots and pans and
worked at the Medicine Hat Kresge’s.
With no experience but loads of confidence, she was hired as the Director of Medicine
Hat’s first publicly funded Day Care Centre.
Years later in Saskatoon, she managed a fabric store, and started the Welcome Wagon
program; in Calgary she worked at the Hudson’s Bay Company sold Fifth Avenue
Jewelry and Melaleuca.
Mom and dad pastored at several churches. It is agreed that while it was dad was on
the payroll, mom did pretty much everything except for the music and preaching. Dad
was quick to point out that that preaching was way more work than running the Sunday
school, planning the programs, organizing kids’ clubs, leading Bible studies and visiting
congregants several evenings a week.
After retiring from the ministry, they moved to Surrey where dad entered into full time
counselling. Although she had no formal training, mom’s natural gift of wisdom made
her input valuable when she was asked to sit in.
While living out of their 5 th wheel, they’d park in front of our homes and get busy: dad
would do yard work and mom would overwater plants and re-organize kitchens. They
loved to entertain and did it regardless of whose home they were visiting, inviting
multitudes of their friends to visit them while they stayed with us.
After they settled in Abbotsford, mom coordinated tours to the Holy Land and Russia,
local outings through Garden Park Towers, sat on the board of Cedar Springs, sewed
hundreds of name bars on hockey jerseys for a charity hockey tournament, hosted
senior’s events at Northview Church and coordinated seniors retreats at Charis Camp.
For those of you that experienced mom’s unrelenting, fix-it personality, please know that
her words and actions were solely out of concern for you, or your loved one. We don’t
remember a time when she said or did something to intentionally hurt or offend. She
loved her extended family the same as her immediate family: unconditionally.
Mom loved the Lord, and did not miss an opportunity to tell others. She was bold,
matter-of-fact and unapologetic when talking about Jesus. She started Bible studies
wherever she went. She volunteered dad to preach and teach, then proceeded to
organize, set up and implement. She never put out feelers to see if it was feasible. She
lived in faith that if they started it, some would come. And some always did.
She loved her 5 children (Bev, Brenda, Donalyn, Leanne and Caralee) and their
spouses, but made no bones that the next generation were a tad more special. She
adored her 11 grandchildren and the young men and women they chose to marry. But
again, there was no doubt that her 28 great-grandchildren were the ones that always
made her smile. Stories are told of her jumping over couches in a game of tag,
swaddling babies so tight new mothers feared overheating, and playing dress up.
Even in dementia, mom loved to make us laugh. She’d mumble a sentence that only
she could understand, then look sideways at whoever was there. That was our cue that
she told a joke, so we’d laugh and she’d crinkle her face up and laugh along with us.
She perfected the slow, deliberate wink, and was often giving those out to aides and
other residents at Tabor Home. She loved the singing, and would tap her foot in time to
the livelier hymns being sung. And when she wanted attention, she’d slip off her shoe
and flip it with her foot at unsuspecting individuals.
Mom leaves a legacy of a servant’s heart: inviting new-comers at church over for
Sunday lunch; reaching out to hurting people; opening her home to foster kids; inviting
numerous nieces and nephews to live with us when they needed a place to land; and
helping out at functions, even when she was attending as a guest.
Throughout the years, she taught us by example to watch for opportunities. When she
heard about or saw a need, she’d jump in to lend a hand. While it was not always
received the way she intended, it was always done with a genuine desire to help.
Mom’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are continuing her legacy. She
raised a family that serves the Lord by serving others.
We’ve prayed for several years that God would take mom Home so she could shed her
earthly body and mind, and receive her crown and mansion. He answered that prayer in
His timing. We suspect He delayed because He knew when she got there, she would
start reorganizing, planning and probably give Him advice on how to manage the world.
But in her words spoken several years ago… “the longer it takes me to get there, the
more friends and family there are to plan my welcome Home party.”
On October 15, 2024 at 6:56 pm at the age of 90, mom stepped into the arms of Jesus,
and was welcomed Home by dad and grandson Justin. There are also parents,
brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces, nephews and many friends to throw the party she was
expecting.
Grief and gratitude collide in our family. We’ve said a thousand good-byes to mom over
the last 4 years, and today we are grateful beyond words that her mind, body and teeth
have been restored in Heaven.
We are grateful to all those who shared a friendship with Mom, especially those who
took the time to sit with her at Tabor Home. We know she was loved widely by the
number of you who have shared your grief and joy with us. We’d also like to thank the
staff at Oxford Senior Care Home and Tabor Home for their patience and kindness to
mom while she lived out her final years.
Condolences
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From: Wiebe and Jeske Funeral Home
Wiebe and Jeske Funeral Home Staff send our condolences to family and friends.
From: Marilyn Hahn
Relation: She is my aunt.
Auntie Alma and I took an 8-hour (altogether) drive together a few years back – and I was mortified in the days before thinking, “What on earth are we going to talk about for all that time?!” Well, we gabbed from the second I popped the car into “Drive” to the second the car went onto “Park”. I found her refreshingly honest-but-kind in each breath of love released. She was safe. She was empathetic. She could laugh out loud in agreement … then mutter under her breath at something she didn’t agree with – and then smile. She shared her wisdom as a friend; she shed a tear as a confidante. Auntie Alma felt like Home to me, and that made me ugly-cry, but she reached out and hugged me – and that made me hopeful. She was small in stature but ginormous in spirit; she sat tiny in the passenger’s seat but filled the entire car with Faith and Understanding, and a Genuineness and Authenticity so hard to find these days. She was someone who could hear the pain but could also hold any necessary mercies. She was indeed filled with Holy Spirit. A truly spiritual person. There wasn’t a smack of religiosity or insufferableness in her, and the world surely found that life-giving. She is a Woman of God indeed… I love You. I miss You… There’s a huge space in the world where your body once loved…
Service Schedule
Celebration of Life
Date & Time:
November 15, 2024
Beginning at 1:00pm
Location:
Mission Springs Church of God
3705 Mission Springs Drive
Kelowna, BC Canada
This is a joint Celebration of Life for sisters Alma Kaiser and Helena Smith.
Information regarding livestream will come soon.
3705 Mission Springs Drive
Kelowna, BC Canada
Memorial Gifts
The family has not designated a preferred charity at this time.
Thank You Notice
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V2T 6K8
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