On Saturday Jan 28th, 2012 Katherine Penner went home to be with Jesus. She had celebrated her 94th birthday last summer. Katherine was born August 17th, 1917 on the family farm in the Otterbourne, Manitoba area, just southeast of the 13 mile corner. (That is the corner of highway 59 and 52). She spent her childhood on the farm with her parents, Cornelius B and Anna (Friesen) Kliewer. She was the eighth of twelve children. As a late teen she went to work as a domestic in Steinbach. On June 17, 1940 she married Joseph T Penner and they had four children; Loreena, Gary, Michael and Randall. Katherine was a devoted mother to her children and a loving wife to Joe. She accepted Christ as her savior in the mid 1950’s and was a faithful member of the Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church until her death. When she was 42 she suffered a stroke which seriously affected all aspects of her life. She struggled hard to regain her physical and mental capabilities and was quite successful. It was her speech however that seemed to suffer the most. In 1979 she was widowed when her husband Joe died suddenly of a heart attack. After a few years she sold her house and moved into an apartment where she could be closer to other family members, shed the responsibilities of a yard and house and make new friends. She spent 19 happy years in Hanover Terrace apartments. When she needed more help she moved to Fernwood Place where she lived until she was admitted to the Bethesda Hospital in October 2011. On Jan 28th the Lord called her home to be with him. Katherine was predeceased by her husband Joseph T Penner in 1979, her parents, brothers Aaron, George, Peter, Cornelius, Jacob, Henry and Allan and sisters Anne and Helen. She is survived by one daughter, Loreena (Bernie Wiebe), sons, Gary (Margaret), Michael, Randal (Debbie), 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; one brother Albert Kliewer, one sister Agnes Friesen as well as in-laws Elsie Kliewer, Lydia Kliewer, Henry & Doris (Penner) Ketler and Evelyn Penner. A celebration of Katherine's life will take place Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 11:00 a.m., at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, 150 Penfeld Drive, Steinbach, with viewing prior to service. Donations in memory of Katherine may be made to the Gideon's Memorial Bible Plan, Box 3619 Stn. Main, Guelph, ON N1H 9Z9.