Nettie (Aganeta) Loewen
Obituary
On November 13, 2025, Nettie or, as we knew her Tante Neta, passed on to join her family. She was the last one of her generation, and also lived the longest by reaching the age of 96 years and one month.
Nettie (Aganetha) Loewen was born in a small village Islutchista in the Ukraine (at the time it was part of the former Soviet Union) on Oct. 14, 1929.
She was the second youngest of 10 siblings. She escaped the Soviet Union as a teenager through Wartegau Poland with her parents, eldest sister (Lena) and younger brother (Peter) and then spent four years in Germany before immigrating to Canada. Two of her siblings were not able to escape the Soviet Union and five others had passed away, four from childhood diseases and (Wein) from a lung disease as a young man.
Nettie was a hard worker, and she initially worked as household help for a doctor and his family but eventually worked in various factories packaging cookies, making Eatons boxes and then many years at Vita Health in the warehouse. She got her drivers licence at around 40 years old and then drove until she was 93 when she voluntarily decided to relinquish it.
Nettie always valued family and she and Lena were very active in the lives of Peters’ children. They regularly helped to babysit and made special family meals at Christmas and Easter. As their nieces and nephews grew up and had their own families she also babysat and visited with her great nieces and nephews. She and Tante Lena were always included in family gatherings.
Nettie’s hobbies were needlework, and she stitched many beautiful pictures, crocheting and baking, canning and gardening.
She and her sister Lena lived with and took care of their parents until the end of their lives in a house on Edison Ave. where her nieces and nephews would stop by after school or after Sunday school. Eventually Nettie and Lena bought a house on Hathway Ave., and then, after Lena’s passing, Nettie moved into a condo on Henderson Hwy. After 5 years she moved to Kingsford House where she enjoyed the close community for many years. She was a member of the adjacent Mennonite church Springfield Heights Mennonite where she was a founding member in 1963.
The final year and a half was spent in Bethania she was active in the various activities and her favourite activity is folding. She had a fiercely independent spirit and was cooking borscht for her family until the age of 94. Her borscht is undoubtedly – THE BEST!
She leaves behind her sister-in-law Susanne Loewen (her brother Peter’s widow) with her husband Nick Peters, nephew Reinhold Loewen (Bev) and their four children Jenni w/ children Ashton and Makayla, Andrew (Jen)with children Isaiah, Daniella, Nixon, Becky (Ryan) and Stephanie (Jeremy) with children James and Logan. Niece Ingrid Klassen (Neil) and their two children Rachel (Mike) with daughter Isla, Adrian (Jen) Niece Monika Loewen Wall (Alex) and their two children Daniel (Kaylee) and Nikolai (Zahara) Niece Heidi Nazar (Barry) with their two children Hayley (Cory) their son Cooper and Liam In Germany there the children of her brother Abram Loewen (Helene and Peter) and her sister Maria Pries (Jacob and ) with their children and grandchildren with whom Nettie stayed in touch until the end of her life.
She was always an integral part of our family and we will miss her fruit salad and zwieback at family gatherings but even more her gentle touch and her constant love.
Funeral service will be held on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Springfield Heights Church, 570 Sharron Bay S, Winnipeg, MB.
