Tribute

Our Mom, Irma Brauer, was born on August 24, 1929, in Franzfeld, Ukraine. She was the eldest daughter of Maria and Jacob Wiebe and had 2 younger brothers, Ernie and Jake. Her father was taken away in 1937 by the Soviet Union Secret Police, who were rounding up German speaking citizens. He was sent to Siberia as a forced labourer and was never heard from again. Because of World War 2 her family was forced to flee the Ukraine in 1942, by way of Germany. They endured many hardships but finally arrived in Canada in December 1947. They moved to BC from Manitoba in 1948.  Her family settled in Aldergrove, but Mom moved to Vancouver to earn money as a house cleaner and nanny. Because she could earn more money picking berries, she spent her summers in Aldergrove.

In 1950, Mom met our Dad, Nick Brauer, at a wedding. They were married on July 27, 1952. Their after-wedding, where many circle games were played, was the talk of the town. They settled in Vancouver and became members of First United Mennonite Church (now know as Peace Church on 52nd). Mom has been a member of this congregation for 73 years! For many of these years she was very active in the Wohltaetigskeit Verein, a ladies service group where she was mostly involved in kitchen activities. She loved being a part of this service and had many wonderful friends in this group. Over the years the loving support of their church family helped them through some difficult times, especially the death of their daughter, Hilda, in 1975. Hilda was the middle of their five children.

Some things Mom loved included baking, cooking, pickling, knitting, reading and spending time with family and friends. She always encouraged us to bring our friends over and somehow found extra food to feed whoever was there. For decades, she went for an early morning walk with our wonderful neighbour, Mary Neufeld. The two of them would meet outside at about 6:30 to go for a strenuous walk around Langara Golf Course, rain or shine.

Mom loved having the family over for dinners. Sometimes she’d forget to invite everyone, so we called them “ESP dinners.” Whoever was home would have to frantically call the rest of the siblings to let them know they were expected to be here. Of course this was well before the advent of cell phones! There was always fresh baking in the cupboard and lots of zwieback in the freezer. She didn’t like to be the center of attention, but she loved to serve and loved to host. She also loved her coffee! She and Dad, and whoever was around, would take a break in the afternoon to have a piece of Platz and a cup of coffee. It was a nice way to reset for the rest of the day. The staff at Point Grey Hospital, where she ended her days, joked about how much coffee she drank!

In 1996, after 44 years of marriage, she lost her beloved Nick. Within the next two years she lost her grandson, Jack Benson (age 1), and also her mother, Maria Wiebe (age 92). She showed incredible strength and courage, relying on her deep faith during these challenging times.

In 2000, Mom moved into a basement suite built for her in her daughter Louise’s home. She was excited to see grandkids getting married and to welcome great grandchildren into the family. Her face lit up whenever family would come to visit, especially the youngest ones. In 2007 Mom took her entire family on a cruise to Alaska.  That was a great trip, where we got to celebrate her 78th birthday.

After 18 years of living with Louise and Doug, she moved into Independent Living at Shannon Oaks in Vancouver. Here she made new friends and had some old friends from FUMC join her as well. She enjoyed the Bible studies and having meals with friends. During Covid we were very fortunate that she was still active, and we could meet her outside Shannon Oaks to go for walks with her.

After about 6 years she needed more support, and she was able to move into Point Grey Private Hospital. She received exemplary care there. Her short-term memory was failing her, but she always appreciated visits. Mom was such a good example to us, always seeing the positive in things even though she had endured so many challenges in her life. At the end of every visit, she would pat our hands and say “Don’t worry about coming to see me right away. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Mom is survived by her four children and their spouses – Louise and Doug Tennant, Fred and Bonnie Brauer, Erika and Steve West, and Doris Benson; nine grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. She is also survived by her two brothers, Ernie and his wife Greta Wiebe, and Jake Wiebe, her sister-in-law Lena Dyck, and many more family members and friends.