Obituary of Rosemarie Penner

Rosemarie Penner, nee Unger

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our dear mother, grandmother, great-grandmother Rosemarie Penner at age 88.  She died peacefully on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at Maplewood Manor in Steinbach, with family at her side.

She was born to Abe & Elizabeth Unger on March 18, 1933, the oldest of eight children. Rose sometimes said that since Mom was only 19 when Rose was born, they kind of grew up together!  Even when she started going to school, she would often do a pile of dishes when she came home from school, since Mom was rather overwhelmed by the growing family and all the work that went with it.

Rose attended Landmark School. She quit school after Grade 8 to help her mom full-time or, as her Dad liked to say, “learn Domestic Science”; which she did and very well, too.  She became proficient at baking, especially wonderful pies, as well as all the household arts even though electricity did not come to the farm until several years later.

Her dream was to finish high school and then go into teaching.  She worked hard at taking high school correspondence courses and with one year at Steinbach Bible Academy High School, was ready for teaching.  In the 1950s there was a severe teacher shortage in Manitoba, so anyone with Grade 12 could get a permit to teach for a year.  She actually did two years of this, with the second year being labeled “Substitute”.

Rose then completed the year at Manitoba Teachers’ College where she received a permanent teaching certificate.  She taught, with only a few years off, for the next 30 plus years, with the majority of years at the Landmark School.  She gave her heart and soul to her calling and had a positive impact on many children’s lives. She retired in 1991.

Rose met her husband, Stanford Penner in her teen years and was happy to marry him on July 21, 1956.  When Stan passed away in 2018, she was very lonely and tried to adjust to being without her soulmate, but it was very difficult.  However, she was strong and her faith in her Lord carried her and gave her courage to go on. 

Their early married years were spent in north-western Manitoba at a pulp cutting operation in National Mills.  These were interesting years, and Rose loved to live surrounded by trees.  Their two sons were born here: David in 1957 and Mark in 1962. Rose was good at doing many things at once; she raised their two sons, taught at the local school, cooked wonderful meals for their crew of pulp cutters, and had time to relax in the evening with her mother-in-law with a game of Scrabble.

They moved back to Landmark in 1969 where she taught school in Landmark, in addition to reaching out to many needy people.  Both Rose and Stan had a heart for the marginalized, but never considered themselves to be better than any of the ones they worked with.  They were just thankful that they had something to share. They were known for their generous hospitality.

Rose and Stan loved doing everything together and would regularly head out to the “Shack” on their bush land in La Broquerie, their cottage at Falcon Lake and their house in National Mills. Rose loved to travel and her and Stan went on many domestic and international trips over the course of their lives together including visiting Australia, South Korea, Europe, Mexico, Alaska and many more. Rose had a specific love for their trip to Newfoundland.

Rose was baptized upon her confession of faith in the Prairie Rose EMC in her teen years, and faithfully followed the Lord’s call to “love your neighbour as yourself.”  In their retirement years they volunteered at Winnipeg Harvest and MCC, enriching many people’s lives through their caring and kindness, which was always seasoned with a good dash of common sense.

Rose is survived by her two sons, David & MaryAnn and Mark Penner; grandchildren: Lindsay & Jason Maltby, Kyle & Tina Penner, Janessa Penner & David Atkins, Carson & Renee Penner, Kelly & Ryan O’Donnell, Lisa & Ian Osodo; as well as ten great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings: Lillian & Edwin Plett, Betty & Glen Koop, Grace & Ken Reimer, Gerald & Phyllis Unger; in laws, Wilma Unger, Agnes Unger, Ray & Jo-Ann Plett. She was predeceased by her parents, Abe & Elizabeth Unger, siblings John Unger, Peter Unger, Julia Plett.

Donations in Rose’s memory may be made to Harvest Manitoba at www.harvestmanitoba.ca.

Funeral service will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach MB, with viewing at 1:00 p.m. prior to the service. There will be a lunch after the service. Private family burial will take place at Prairie Rose E.MC. following the lunch.