Bertha Froese

It is with deep sorrow and sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend Bertha Froese, on Saturday June 1, 2024. Bertha was surrounded by her family as she entered the loving arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Bertha will be deeply missed by her husband George of 32 years; her children Joseph (Robyn) Froese and their children Ezekiel and Zebedee; Naomi (Simeli) Naivalu; and Rebekah. Her parents David and Margaret Reimer; brother Andrew (Mary) Reimer; sisters Margaret (Wilfred) Unrau, Martha (Norman) Braun, Barbara (Tim) Nickel and their families. Also left to mourn are George’s brothers, sisters and their families, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Bertha was born on March 1, 1970, to David and Margaret Reimer in Steinbach MB. She lived in Niverville until her parents moved to the farm in Roseau River. She enjoyed life in the country. She loved to hear stories of Jesus and accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Saviour at a young age. Bertha was a very bright girl and loved learning. She especially loved learning about God and all that He did for us.

Bertha went through some challenges in her early teens, struggling with an eating disorder until her son Joseph was born. She spent some time at Eden and HSC during this time. Even amid this, she held tight to her Saviour Jesus Christ. At age 17, she was baptized upon the confession of her faith in Him.

Bertha met her George in the summer of ‘89. They dated for two years and married on September 7, 1991. Their married life started in Steinbach; she worked as a waitress. In 1993, they moved to Pansy, raising their family. Bertha did bookwork and wanted to do the financials for George if he ever had his own business. When George started driving truck, she got her CDLs and they drove together (she only drove on the open road, George drove in all the cities). Eventually, George bought a truck, together they started a business. In 2002, George and Bertha started Access Framing, where Bertha was able to fulfill her dream, doing the bookwork.

From Pansy they moved closer to Grunthal into a bigger house to accommodate their growing family. Bertha took great delight in making their house a home. When she wanted a garden, George got busy and tilled her a spot. She had great joy in planting it full of produce and flowers.

Bertha was a home body, focusing on raising her family. She led multiple women’s Bible studies and was involved with the Prayer Sisters group. She strongly supported her husband in church ministry. When George became a pastor, she assisted him whenever he did any counselling. She enjoyed going with George as he preached in different Conference churches. She loved connecting with people.

Bertha loved being a mom, an important calling in her life. Her greatest desire was to teach her children about the love of God. When she became a grandmother, her grandchildren brought her immense joy. Bertha was diligent in writing down daily aspects of her life in journals and calendars. She also kept prayer journals where she prayed for many different people and personal life struggles. Her prayers will be deeply missed as an avid prayer warrior.

In April 2023, Bertha was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. From the moment of diagnosis, she reminded her family to never stop looking to and trusting Jesus. The verse that Bertha and George clung to throughout this journey was Lamentations 3:21-23. “But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, Great is Your faithfulness.”

She was greatly blessed by the prayers and support from friends and family in this last year. Bertha radiated joy, she was often laughing and smiling. In the months leading up to her passing, Bertha searched the scriptures for all the passages talking about Heaven. She knew that soon she would get to meet her Savior and she was excited about that. Her family will miss her deeply but have peace knowing that she is no longer suffering or in pain.

The family would like to thank the staff at Bethesda Regional Health Centre for all the care and compassion they showed in Bertha’s last few days.

One of Bertha’s favorite passages of scripture was Philippians 4:4-9. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.   And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the Steinbach CMC Church, 479 Hanover Street, Steinbach, MB. Viewing will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will take place at Grunthal Cemetery. For those unable to attend in person, the family invites you to join them via livestream.