Margaret Werner was born Sara Letkeman to Jacob and Katharina Letkeman on August 13, 1921 in the village of Osterwick, Ukraine. She died in Bethesda Hospital, Steinbach, Manitoba on October 4th, 2010 at the age of 89 years. Margaret lived through the most turbulent years of the 20th Century. She was born during the 1921 famine in the Soviet Union and experienced collectivization and the 1933 famine. During the German occupation in 1941 she had to change her name from the Jewish sounding Sara to Margaret. She was baptized on May 24, 1942 by Gerhard Dueck. In October 1943 the German Army evacuated Margaret and her family to occupied Poland. Here she married and gave birth to a daughter named Katie. Her brother Jacob and husband were drafted into the German Army and she never saw either of them again. When the Red Army renewed its attack in January 1945 Margaret and her family became refugees. They eventually arrived in the Harz Mountain area of what would be West Germany. After the war ended they narrowly missed being sent back to the Soviet Union and experienced hunger again in a devastated Germany. Her daughter Katie died of tuberculosis in 1946; she was two years old. Margaret and her family came in contact with MCC and began the process of emigration. Margaret’s elderly parents were unable to meet Canada’s strict health requirements and she stayed with them even though she had been approved to emigrate. Her half sister Tina, whose husband had been sent east when the German’s attacked, emigrated with her two children in 1947 and Margaret’s elderly parents were finally able to emigrate in April, 1952. By this time Margaret had met John Werner and they were married in Germany in 1951. John and Margaret left Germany in June 1952 to settle in Drake, Saskatchewan. The beginnings in Canada were difficult and were soon compounded by the premature death of Tina. Even while struggling to get a start for their own family John and Margaret took Erwin and Marie, and her parents into their care. John and Margaret moved to Steinbach in 1954 where he worked as an automobile mechanic and she canned, baked and fixed clothes to make ends meet. Once her children were in school Margaret had the opportunity to work outside the home at the Bethesda Personal Care Home. For many years she was involved in the ladies groups at the Steinbach Mennonite Church. Margaret was a person of integrity and as children we have learned much from her about what it means to be a person of your word. She cared deeply for family and made many sacrifices for what became family for her. She lost much and many people gained much from knowing her. During the last six or seven months she began to lose her strength. She entered hospital for the last time after celebrating her birthday with family on August 13th. Her passing was an answer to her fervent prayers to be taken away to meet her Lord. She is survived by her children Hans (Diana) Werner, Willie (Bev) Werner, Gerhard Werner, Alvina (Clarence) Wiebe, Sieglinde (Randy) Hiebert, Alvin (Lise) Werner, fourteen grandchildren, three great grand children and Erwin (Edna) Vogt, Marie (George) Rempel and their families. She was predeceased by her husband John and her daughter Katie. Viewing will be held at Birchwood Funeral Chapel in Steinbach on Friday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m. with a devotional at 7:30 p.m. and at the church prior to the service. The funeral service will be held Saturday, October 9 at 11:00 a.m. at the Steinbach Mennonite Church, with interment at Heritage Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), 134 Plaza Drive; Winnipeg, MB R3T 5K9