Rudy Pauls
Obituary
Rudolf (Rudy) Pauls was born at Concordia Hospital in Winnipeg on Sunday, October 12, 1930, the second child of Jacob and Anna (Dueckman) Pauls. Along with other Mennonites, Jacob and Anna both fled the war and famine in the Ukraine in the mid-1920’s, looking for a new home and fresh start in Canada. While betrothed to each other, Jacob purchased a section of land in Manitoba’s Red River valley near Osborne which included a two-story, three-bedroom clapboard farm house. Heavy rains in 1928 which prevented a harvest, together with the Great Depression that followed in the 1930’s, forced Jacob to revert from owner to renter of this property until the 1950’s, when he was able to finally complete the purchase.
In this tiny farm house, Rudy, along with his parents, sisters Elly, Irma, and Helga, brothers Irwin and John, paternal grandmother, and a single uncle – 10 in all – made the best of their situation. Their faith in God, supportive community, hard work and stoic outlook helped them through. One winter, clothes sent from relatives in Kansas afforded Rudy a ‘new’ coat, leaving him grateful, but a little embarrassed that it buttoned on the wrong side – it was a girl’s coat. Several years later, there was finally money enough to insulate the bottom storey of the home, a welcomed improvement. Recounting his childhood, Rudy never spoke negatively nor complained about the harsh conditions, something that marked his reaction to other difficult circumstances throughout his life.
Rudy’s lifelong love of learning began in the one-room Osborne school house and led to his aspirations to pursue a teaching career. After a year of studies at Winkler Bible Institute, he completed his High School education at Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute in Winnipeg and then attended Normal School. While teaching, he continued to pursue his own education, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1967 and his Bachelor of Education in 1972. He would teach, mostly in the River East School Division, until his retirement in 1988. In his early years, he earned the nickname ‘Sneaky Pierre’ for his knack for catching students misbehaving unawares. However, his preferred focus was to make a positive and lasting impact on his students lives. A prime example of this dedication was his work at Polson School, where, as principal, he helped implement a landmark program for special needs children.
At a gathering of the local Mennonite community at his Uncle John’s farm, Rudy, the teenager, mentioned to his friend Hal Enns of an interest in his sister, Mary. Rudy would have much contact with Mary through church and community events and they would eventually marry on June 26, 1954, a union that continued for 66 years until Mary’s passing in 2020. Between 1955 and 1964, they were blessed with a daughter and three sons; Valorie Goossen (Paul); David (Jane); Waldemar (Nancy); Frederic (Roxanne). Subsequent years saw the addition of a son in-law and daughters in-law, seven grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Family and friends were always of high importance to both of them. Their children remember many large family gatherings, and open spots on the calendar being enough reason to invite someone over for coffee, faspa, or a game of scrabble.
With Rudy’s teaching career offering the perk of free time in summers, great family memories were created with trips in the ’64 Chevy Impala pulling the Silverliner pop up trailer to the east and west Canadian coasts and the U.S. Badlands and Yellowstone National Park.
Wanting a more ‘country’ upbringing for their children, the family moved to ‘the acreage’ on highway 207, East of Winnipeg in the summer of 1972. With help from their siblings and children, land was cleared and a home built. While still teaching, Rudy began raising bees and producing honey as well as growing acres of vegetables and raspberries for u-picking, and at one point establishing a small business called HoneyBerry Farms with one of his sons.
Mission – the outward expression of their faith – was always important to Rudy and Mary. Responding to an opportunity to help with a new church plant, the family moved to Thompson, Manitoba in 1961. Besides teaching, Rudy helped build the church building and conducted the choir while Mary taught Sunday school and DVBS. In the Fall of 1964, the family moved to Brandon where Rudy taught for one year, and in 1965 returned to Winnipeg. Here they both remained active in their local church, with Rudy leading in the music ministry and Sunday School while Mary served in hospitality. Retirement afforded them many more opportunities to serve including short term stints with MCC and the Gleaners. Especially cherished by them were their multiple deployments in the 90’s and ’00’s to the Haggai Institute in Hawaii, where they were able to meet and serve a variety of believers from many parts of the world.
Rudy had a number of health issues in his later years. Unable to live on his own after Mary’s passing, he moved into Bethania long term care home in 2022 where he received the personal care he needed. The family is extremely grateful for the kindness the Bethania staff showed toward Rudy during his four-year stay. With their support, the aid of modern medicine and the grace of God, he was able to enjoy a meaningful life to the end.
To those who knew Rudy, he will be remembered as a quiet, unassuming man, one who could care for and serve you without drawing attention to himself. He passed away as he lived, peacefully and without complaint, trusting in his Saviour to welcome him home.
Since holding a service for Mary was not possible after her passing in 2020 due to covid restrictions, a public service of remembrance and thanksgiving for both Rudy and Mary will take place at 2:00 pm on Friday, October 16, 2026 at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, 162 PTH 52 West, Steinbach, MB. A time of refreshments and visiting will follow.
Rudy will be interred alongside his wife, Mary, at the La Salle Mennonite Cemetery in a private family ceremony.
