Obituary of Annie Kroeker

A dear woman who so warmly welcomed people with her nurturing, gentle and caring nature, is now at rest with her Creator. Our mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, Annie Reimer Kroeker passed away following a short illness on July 10, 2024. She was able to stay in her home in Rosenort, Manitoba with her daughters caring for her at the end of her earthly life of 84 years. She is survived by her four daughters, Jennifer, Elaine, Lavonne and Stephanie and son-in-law Nathaniel Klassen, and treasured grandchildren, Jonas, Meg and Tobin. She is also mourned by her sisters Minnie, Alma and Paulina (Les) and brothers Leo (Eva), John (Connie) and Lorne (Dolores), the Kroeker family and many nieces and nephews. Annie was predeceased by her husband Ed Kroeker and stillborn son, Kevin Kroeker, her parents, Jacob P.D. and Elizabeth Reimer, brothers, Menno, Pete, Allen and Jake and sisters Mary and Betty. On a rainy day on April 27, 1940, Annie arrived twenty minutes after her twin sister Alma on the Reimer family farm in the hamlet of Pleasant Valley, Manitoba. The many adventures that awaited this shy and gentle little girl growing up in a family of 13 children, were sometimes buffered by the more confident twin sister. Often inseparable, they played, fought, learned to work, sang and confused their grandparents with their similar looks and identical dresses. Annie’s commitment to following Christ began in her teen years and was signified by her baptism at 17 years old. Her lifelong trust in God motivated her to faithfully give to her church community. She and her husband served as a deacon couple for many years. Volunteering on the food committee, as a Sunday School teacher, singing in the choir, in the church library and at the Morris MCC Thrift Store, also brought her joy. Her grace-filled heart reached out to those who had lost a child or were experiencinganxiousness,as she had. She enjoyed welcoming new people to their increasingly more diverse church community. A hug, listening ear or giving a freshly baked loaf of bread were some of her beautiful ways of caring. She was delighted when the guy she had been eyeing in the church balcony took her home from choir practice one evening. After a season of dating, she married Ed Kroeker on August 13, 1961. They settled into a life of farming just south of Rosenort, and lived there till 2017 when they moved into Rosenort. Annie loved the domestic life of being a homemaker and raising her four creative daughters. She quietly showed us how to cook, sew, plant and harvest the garden and delivered hot, home cooked meals to Dad and others working on the fields out west. After long hours of work, she also enjoyed leisure activities such as quilting, chatting with family and friends, flower gardening and traveling. She was a keen Scrabble player and loved quiet evenings of reading. Especially after Dad passed away, she was so thankful to live at Riverstone Suites, and looked forward to coffee time with her friends and programming just down the hall. Her family made sure she could still get out and spend carefree times with her much-loved grandkids, celebrating family events and traveling. When diagnosed with cancer in November 2023, her simple trust in God continued to be her constant companion and comfort for the sunset season of her life. Even during this difficult journey, she was an inspiration to all of us who knew her. We would like to thank Dr. Evans, Dr. Woelke and nurses Marni, Debbie, Val and Morgan and many other health care professionals who cared for Mom these last months. The funeral service for Annie Kroeker will be held Thursday, July 18, 2024 at 10:30 am at Rosenort Evangelical Mennonite Church, 509 River Rd S, Rosenort, Manitoba. Lunch reception to follow at Westfield Arena Park. The service will be livestreamed. Donations are gratefully accepted in Annie’s memory by: Recovery of Hope, Eden Foundation. To watch a livestream of the funeral click the link below.