Helen Trapp

Helen Trapp

1925 - 2023

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Helen

Obituary of Helen Trapp

Come and Go Viewing will take place on Sunday, March 19, 2023, from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB.

 

The funeral service will be held on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB. Pastor Terry Kaufman will officiate.  A private family interment will take place.

Helen Trapp nee Roeske was born November 2, 1925, as the third child of a Christian family with twelve children. Her parents were Mr. Emil Roeske, an aviation technician, and Mrs. Hermine Martha Roeske nee Paethke. Her hometown was the City of Stolp in Pomerania, Germany.

 

She visited public school for eight years from age six and studied at the local business school for three years finishing with a diploma. Following this she served in the RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst) for 10 months after which she was released home.

 

On her 14th birthday she received Jesus Christ as her Saviour and Lord. She was baptized in the Stolp Baptist Church January 1st, 1943. She served in that church as a treasurer for the young people’s group until the family’s flight from town.

 

In March 1945 she had to leave her hometown with her family, ahead of the advancing Russian Army. After a difficult and adventurous flight across the Baltic Sea from Gedingen (Gdynia) to Stralsund under attack of Russian fighter planes the family ended up unharmed in Osterholz/Scharmbeck in the district of Oldenburg in the state of Lower Saxony in Germany.

 

There the family lost their little brother Manfred, three years and two months old, and five weeks later their dear mother on May 30, 1945, at age 45 years.

 

Since Helen was the oldest child at home at that time, her mother asked Helen to take care of the family of seven children before she died, which Helen did faithfully with all her love until she immigrated with her husband to Canada.

 

Three brothers and her dad were drafted into the Wehrmacht and returned later from prison of war camps. Her oldest sister reported home after a while and went working at the Spa of Bad Wildungen. In October 1949, Helen met her dear husband Werner Trapp. The couple married April 12, 1952. Pastor Oswald Lange officiating.

 

The couple immigrated to Canada August 6th, 1952. They landed in Halifax August 14th. They worked on a farm at Taber, AB, until end of December of that year. Then they moved to Medicine Hat. Helen worked for a time at the Redcliff Glass Factory and after that together with her husband at Canada’s largest Greenhouse company of that time, The Medicine Hat Greenhouses Ltd.

 

In Medicine Hat, their two sons were born. Eberhardt on July 14th, 1953, and Harold August 3rd, 1956.

 

In September 1965, the family moved to Edmonton where her husband visited the Northwest Bible College. After his graduation in 1968 the family began 50 years of church ministries including New Sarepta, AB, Thorsby, AB, Moosehorn, MB, and Steinbach, MB.

 

Since her middle age she had to suffer several serious illnesses from which God always delivered her graciously and victoriously.

 

Helen loved to give joy to people all her life. In our family she really was the Sunshine, as her name is interpreted. Helen was a lovingly devoted wife and mother serving her family sacrificially. As a cook she was often complimented by our guests. Beside that she had many gifts like counselling, poetry, story writing, and needle work. She celebrated her 70th anniversary with her dear husband in 2022.

 

Helen served in churches as a Women’s Ministries Director. She had a vision for missions and through the WM groups sent many parcels and quilts to missionaries. In Bethel Christian Centre she served also as a Church Treasurer, Sunday School Superintendent and Teacher.

 

Helen was predeceased by her parents, and her brothers Manfred, Kurt, Egon, Gerhard, Alfred and Günter and sisters Edith and Else. She is survived by one brother Siegfried (Christel) Roeske, two sisters Christel and Edelgard Roeske, one brother-in-law Georg (Birthe) Trapp, one sister-in-law  Elske (Neil) Trapp Evans, numerous nieces and nephews plus many more friends who loved her dearly. Helen was called “Mom” and “Oma” by many. In the Bethesda Place some staff who loved her nick named her the “Queen.”

 

Helen was sure of her salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ whom she loved all her life. She now entered His dear presence. She will be greatly missed by her dear husband, family, relatives and friends. She will not be forgotten, and we will see her again together with the Lord Jesus someday.

 

She leaves to mourn her husband Werner, son Eberhardt and son Harold and Marge (nee Hiebert) and grandchildren Kelly and Nathaniel.

 

Come and Go Viewing will take place on Sunday, March 19, 2023, from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB.

 

The funeral service will be held on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB. Pastor Terry Kaufman will officiate.  A private family interment will take place. 

 

Thank you goes to Bethesda Emergency, Hospital and Rehab staff. Thank you also goes to Vita Hospital where Helen spent about a week. Then thank you goes to all the love and care given to Helen at Bethesda Place. Helen said everyone treated her well and she said, “I love you all”.

 

The last words she said were: “I love my Honey. I love you all,” meaning her family. She passed to glory on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 5:20 pm. Even some of the staff wept.

 

Donations in memory of Helen may be made to Home Of The Good Shepherd Ministries Inc, PO Box 34127, RPO Fort Richmond, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 5T5.

Sunday
19
March

Viewing

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Birchwood Funeral Chapel
162 PTH 52 W
Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada
(204) 346-1030
Monday
20
March

Funeral Service

1:00 pm
Monday, March 20, 2023
Birchwood Funeral Chapel
162 PTH 52 W
Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada
(204) 346-1030

Interment

Heritage Cemetery
395 Loewen Blvd
Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada