Mary Froese, nee Reimer, entered peacefully into a well-deserved rest with her family at her side on August 24, 2012 at Cedarwood Supportive Housing in Steinbach, Manitoba. Mother was born in Clearsprings, MB and spent nearly a century in the Steinbach area, offering unconditional love and support to her large family and to all her friends and acquaintances. Her life was characterised by hard work, profound patience and a gentle, yet fierce loyalty to her clan. Mother witnessed amazing changes in the world during her lifetime, starting with the Great War and including the Dirty Thirties, the Second World War, and the advent of the information age; not to mention electrification of the countryside, refrigeration, running water, telephones, automobiles, paved roads, penicillin, computers, and a host of labour-saving devices. She adapted, persevered and overcame more obstacles in her life than most of us can even imagine, and through it all kept baking bread, planting flowers, sewing clothes and serving faspa with a sense of purpose that made the simple things in life important and meaningful to all of us. In her last years she beat the odds countless times, surviving cancer, cataract surgery and debilitating arthritis. Whatever a century could throw at her she outlived and out-loved, continuing to rise to the challenge and remain unerringly true to herself and the love she had for her family and friends. She taught the world around her many lessons in patience, forbearance, acceptance and hope. Mom leaves a living legacy and will be deeply missed by all who knew her. The family would like to especially thank the health care providers who treated her with such professional and personal care. Special thanks go to Dr. Kaethler and other health care workers who went far beyond the call of duty, to all the home care workers who took the time to engage Mary for who she was and especially to the staff of Cedarwood Supportive Housing who made mother one of their family for the last few years. Left to cherish her memory are her children: Jean (John), Dennis (Ruth), Robert, Melvin (Bev), Norma (Peter), Ron (Lucille), Larry (Phyllis), Gerald (Patsy), Brent (Karen) and Dale (Sharon); 30 grandchildren, 40 great grandchildren, 3 great great grandchildren, her siblings Dan, Jessie, and Gladys; and many other relatives, in-laws and friends of all ages. Mary was predeceased by her husband Frank in 1969, her eldest son Lewis, her son Franklin, daughters-in-law Ida and Kathy, foster daughter Laurette Delorme, grand-daughter Charmayne, great grand-daughter Ranelle, her brother Elmer, sisters Nettie and Edna, and many other relatives and friends. A viewing will be held at Birchwood Funeral Chapel in Steinbach from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 29th. Mary will be laid to rest next to her husband Frank in the old Steinbach Memorial Cemetery on McKenzie Ave. at 6:00 p.m., prior to the service at Birchwood Funeral Chapel at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 30th. Everyone is invited to attend all of the services. If friends so desire donations may be made to South Eastman Mental Health, P.O. Box 470, La Broquerie, MB R0A 0W0 or to a charity of one’s choice.