It is with deep gratitude to our loving Heavenly Father, Who, in His great mercy gently took my wife and our mother, Agatha (Elias) Friesen home to her eternal reward. March 29th, 2009 was a great day for Mom as she stepped through those pearly gates into the Glorious Light of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Her husband Peter and family were gathered around her as we ushered Mom into Heaven with singing and prayers. Mom was a resident of the Grunthal Menno Home for the past four years where she received the most loving care we as a family could ask for. Her husband was a daily visitor who rarely missed a day of sitting with Mom and helping her with her activities of daily living. We as a family believe it is due to Dad’s complete devotion and diligence that Mom lived to the age of 82 years and 15 days. (Mom just had a birthday on March 14th which we celebrated together as a family in Dad’s apartment at Fernwood on March 22nd.) Mom was a devoted wife and mother who never had a harsh word or quarrel with anyone; she was a peacekeeper, which turned out to be a full time job with a family of 8 children. Mom and Dad did everything together, some of which were running a greenhouse and market garden, farming and traveling. Mom and Dad started their married life on August 5th, 1945 and shared almost 64 years together. Together they shared the joy of each child born into our family, and together they mourned the passing of daughter Elizabeth (Betty) in 2004. Mom is survived by her dear and loving husband Peter P. Friesen; her children, Peter (Kathy), Abe (Linda), Jake (Marge), Neil (Becky), Martha (Willy) Giesbrecht, Dan (Judy), Lois (John ) Wieler, son-in-law Klaas and Mica Giesbrecht, 26 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren. Mom was predeceased by her parents Abram and Anna (Froese) Elias, four brothers and six sisters. She is survived by one sister Elizabeth Elias, and one sister-in-law Agatha Elias and many nieces and nephews. Mom had a very strong quiet faith in God to the very end and was a living testimony of God’s goodness, to all who were fortunate enough to have known her. “The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21 Viewing will be held at Birchwood Funeral Chapel in Steinbach on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. with a devotional at 7:45 p.m. The funeral service will be held Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at the Chortitzer Mennonite Church, 479 Hanover St, Steinbach, MB with interment at the Mitchell CMC Cemetery. If friends so desire donations may be made to Menno Home Building Fund, Box 280; Grunthal, MB R0A 0R0