Ben Wiebe

Obituary

Ben Wiebe passed away peacefully at the age of 84, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, following a valiant battle with cancer, at Bethesda Regional Health Centre, Steinbach. MB.

He is survived by his loving wife Martha, his daughter Shelley Schmidt (Merle), his grandchildren Allan Schmidt, Samantha Doell (Barak), Anna Neufeld (Sawyer), and Andrew Schmidt, two great grandchildren David Doell and Peter Neufeld, as well as one brother Neil.

He was predeceased by his son Jeff and two daughters in infancy, as well as most of his immediate family.

Dad was born in Steinbach on October 2, 1941, to Jacob and Helena Wiebe, growing up on a farm near Niverville. Dad loved farming but when at age 27 he had a farming accident in which he lost both feet, he had to seek alternative employment. He never let that slow him down. Having a wife and child and not having even a high school diploma, he went back to school upgrading and obtaining his Grade 12 GED. He even attempted University but found all the walking in winter conditions too hard. After numerous low paying jobs he wasn’t afraid to pursue new adventures by starting his own businesses. He was never afraid to take chances but he found his niche in life, working at the WCB, helping injured workers find employment. He found great satisfaction in this career. As someone who disliked being idle and was a man of few hobbies, he began his 44 year side business of bookkeeping, which he finally retired from in May 2025. He never wallowed in self-pity and always said, “if I can work, so can anyone else with whatever their handicap allows them to do”. He faced many challenges in his life even after losing his feet. He lost two infant daughters and his only son at the young age of 25. He was diagnosed with a challenging brain tumor which took months to recover from. This never stopped dad from getting up and starting again.

He was a man of integrity, honesty, generosity, and love for his family. This showed in how often and how far he would drive to watch his grandchildren and nieces & nephews play in whatever sport they were involved in. He didn’t miss many volleyball games, soccer, Track & Field, or Special Olympics! In the last few years he was also an avid supporter of his beloved Niverville Nighthawks! He was so proud of them. Hockey was one of his favorite sports. After his accident (after he tried skating) he accepted the fact that he couldn’t play anymore and so took up coaching. In his earlier years he coached the Shakespear Seals and later was involved with the Niverville Clippers. He came home many nights with frozen stumps, but that didn’t stop him!

When he wasn’t working you could find Ben at the camper in Warren, or at the golf course. It wasn’t unusual for Ben to golf 54 holes in a day! And much to their dismay, he beat his friends and brother-in-law many times, in spite of his handicap. He was so proud of that!

The family would like to thank all the wonderful staff at Cancer Care, as well as Bethesda Regional Health Centre, for the wonderful, compassionate care you gave.

Ben, dad, grandpa, you fought a good fight and finished well! We cannot even express how much you have inspired us. We will miss you beyond what we can express!

Rest in Peace…

The memorial service will be held on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB.