Dorothy Aarhus (nee Wiebe)
Obituary
With many mixed emotions the Aarhus family announces the passing of their Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother Dorothy Hilda (Wiebe) Aarhus on Sunday, February 24, 2019.
Mom is survived by her five children Wes (Marie Gregorchuk) Aarhus; Audrey (Jac) Siemens; Dale (Karyn Dranez) Aarhus, Edward Aarhus, Lars (Sara Gregerson) Aarhus; grandchildren Darcy (Darrell), Angela, Colin, Brett (Natalie), Britta (Aaron), Jennifer (Lorne), Jessica (Kyle), Kaitlyn (Greg), Karalee, Joshua (Mariah), Tristan, Liesl and Sam along with 7 great-grandchildren.
Mom leaves to mourn her sisters Sophie Krahn, Delores (Stan) Plett, Ruth McIntyre, brothers Ben (Nettie) Wiebe, David (Delores) Wiebe, sister-in-law Doris Wiebe and brother-in-law David Constinak. Mom was predeceased by her husband Ewald, sisters Irene DeJager, Leona Costinak and brother Henry Wiebe.
Like most of her siblings Mom was born in the hayloft of the barn on the homestead in Meath School District close to Winkler, Manitoba on September 25, 1930. She was the first child born to Marie and David Wiebe. Being the oldest child mom learnt the meaning of hard work, helping out with raising her siblings and farm work in the barn and in the fields. Mom was her father’s right hand “man” working on the farm, as her father had a leaking valve in his heart. As a young girl she learnt to work with the horses. At the age of around 15 years the team she was driving had a run-a-way while she was trailing a hay rake home. With no way to control the horses she fell into the hay rake and was dragged over 1/2 a mile. The good lord took care of her and she had few injuries.
Her growing up years were filled with helping with the family needs, teaching Sunday School with her Taunte Annia (Aunt Annie), like her parents she learnt to love the Lord; a love that she shared willingly, Mom’s faith in God was unwavering. She was a prayer warrior that will be missed as she prayed for her family by name daily. Her prayer journals show the love she had for family and how she prayed for us.
In 1949, the then 19-year-old Dorothy, meet a handsome young man (Ewald) who was visiting his sister Myrtle who had recently married the local school teacher, John Giesbrecht. It was love at first sight and they married October 18, 1952 in Winkler, Manitoba. The newly married couple settled with Ewald’s parents on the homestead in Menisino, MB, located roughly half way between Piney and Woodridge in southeastern Manitoba. Mom and Dad then brought five children into the world; including Wesley, Audrey, Dale, Edward and Lars. With bills needing to be paid dad went to work on road construction the next 30 plus years being gone most summers and mom began a career of driving school bus along with much of the farming, raising a large garden, managing the household. Mom was never afraid of hard work. Mom’s knees gave her problems from an early age, twice she had them replaced. We often wondered if they needed replacement due to hard work or that she was such a strong prayer warrior.
Mom loved her huge garden and different flower beds. Each year during harvest she would employee her children to harvest the garden product putting up the potatoes, carrots, corn while making her famous pickles that some of us try to duplicate.
Mom had an open-door policy, nobody was a stranger anyone coming to the door got a meal and if needed a bed for the night or even a jar of her famous pickles to take home. On many Christmas family dinners neighbors that had no one to celebrate with ended up at the Aarhus home. Many times, we wondered how she fed so many people as the food just kept showing up.
The family would like to thank the staff at Cedarwood Supportive Housing for compassionate loving care the last number of years and Dr. Gray and staff at Bethesda Regional Hospital.
Donations in memory of Dorothy may be made to Norwegian Cemetery Fund (care of Arnold Giesbrecht) Box 4232 Steinbach, MB R5G 1R2.
Viewing will be held Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 7:00 pm., with a devotional at 7:30 pm., at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB.
Funeral service will be held Friday, March 1, 2019 at 11:00 am., at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB. Mom’s final resting place will be beside her husband Ewald in the family plot in the Norwegian Cemetery in Menisino, MB.
Mom we love you and we’ll miss you, you can now rest!
