Obituary of Gertrud DeWIEL

Gertrud was born and went to school in Celle, Germany. After graduating from a teacher's college, she was able to pursue her lifelong passion, caring for and educating children. In 1951, she met and married her husband, Fredrik DeWiel. Their first child, daughter Andrea, was also born in Celle, and then the young family decided to immigrate to Canada. In 1953, they settled in Calgary, where Gertrud soon became part-owner of a daycare centre, the North Hill Nursery School. The birth of her other children, Erik, Boris and Sylvia, interrupted her teaching career until 1971, when she opened another daycare centre, the 1A Day Nursery on Highway 1A in Bearspaw. Until 1993, many dozens of children from homes between Calgary and Cochrane enjoyed Mrs. DeWiel's loving, cheerful care. In 1987, Gertrud became President of the Day Care Society of Alberta and then served the Society for another seven years. Gertrud was not only an excellent teacher; she was the wonderful mother of her own four children, and she also loved to tutor her grandchildren. Her husband will be forever grateful for the perfect, courageous and patient companionship she gave him for 63 years. Gertrud was predeceased in November 2013 by her daughter Sylvia. Besides her grieving children, Andrea (Michael Havinga), Erik (Christina Seger) and Boris, she leaves behind her grandchildren Nicholas and Brynne Havinga, and Sean and Joel DeWiel. For her last 17 months, Gertrud was in the outstanding care of the Mayfair Care Centre. A Celebration of Gertrud's life will be held in a private family ceremony. Please forward condolences through www.hffs.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Alzheimer Society of Calgary and/or the Mayfair Care Centre.