Helen Goerzen
Obituary
It is with deep love and sadness that the family of Helen Grace Goerzen announce her sudden passing on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at the age of 76 years.
Helen was born on June 22, 1949, in Lethbridge, Alberta, to parents Henry and Tena Jean Lepp minutes before her identical twin sister, Susan. Although Helen and her family primarily lived and attended school in Lethbridge, much of the family’s time was spent at the family farm in Skiff, Alberta, along with her four siblings. Helen left Alberta after grade 10 to attend Rosthern Junior College, a Mennonite high school in Saskatchewan until grade 12. After graduation Helen came to Manitoba to attend Canadian Mennonite Bible College for two years. Here she met the love of her life, Ric Goerzen.
They began a 56 year marriage together on August 16, 1969. At the wedding she received her favourite casserole dish, a baby blue Le Creuset dutch oven from the Braun family as a wedding present.
After attending the University of Manitoba, where she received her teaching certificate, Helen and Ric moved out to Prawda, Manitoba for their first teaching positions at Reynolds Elementary School. During her three years in Prawda she established many lifelong friendships.
In 1973 Helen and Ric moved to Steinbach where she began teaching at Southwood Elementary School. On February 24, 1976, Brian, her first child, came along. She paused her teaching career to begin raising her family. Jodi, her daughter, followed two years later. Helen continued her teaching career as a substitute teacher for many years.
Helen’s Christian faith was very important to her. Grace Mennonite Church also became an important part of Helen’s life for 52 years, from the moment she moved to Steinbach. Helen served in the church as Church Chair, Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday morning worship leader, and Women in Mission, along with many other areas. She was always willing to help with whatever needed to be done.
In 1998, Helen was diagnosed with Scleroderma. Hard word. Harder Disease. It changed her life. Through her tenacity she found Dr. Robinson, a rheumatologist specializing in Scleroderma, and he took her on as his patient, and was her doctor until the end.
She went back to teaching full-time in 2000 at age 50. In February of 2007 her doctor put her on permanent medical leave. She was given one day to say goodbye to her students and coworkers.
Scleroderma may have impacted her life, but she never let it define her. Helen would go on to advocate for Scleroderma, serving on the National Scleroderma Society board as secretary for over fifteen years, and later on the Manitoba Scleroderma Society board in the same capacity.
In the fall of 2007, Helen began annual trips south for the winter on the advice of her physicians to alleviate some of the complications from Scleroderma. First Texas for two winters and then Arizona for sixteen winters, where she lived side by side with her identical twin sister, Susan, who also had Scleroderma. They did everything together including coordinating outfits – their bond as twins was exceptional. Helen made many lifelong friends there. Her Arizona orange marmalade will be missed by many.
Helen passed away only 20 days after her twin sister Susan’s death. She is lovingly remembered by her husband Ric; her son Brian (Paige), and her daughter Jodi (Jon). She is also survived by her sister Margaret (Jack) Humphrey, brother Ed Lepp and brother-in-law Bob Peters (Charlotte). She was predeceased by her sisters Susan Dyck and Lydia Peters as well as her parents, Henry and Tena Jean Lepp. On Ric’s side of the family, she is survived by her sisters-in-law Carolyn (Bruno) Braun and Rosalea (Don) Minosky. She was also predeceased by Ric’s parents, Rudy and Kay Goerzen. Helen will be deeply missed by her family, friends, nieces & nephews and all of those whose lives she has touched.
The memorial service will be held on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., at Grace Mennonite Church, Steinbach, MB.
