Obituary of MARTHA BOLBECHER (Krowina) (nee Zoellner)

         MARTHA BOLBECHER

Following a brief illness, Martha Bolbecher (née Zoellner), previously Martha Krowina, passed away at home on June 5, 2023, at the age of 95 years.

She will be greatly missed by her children Peter, Christine (Rainer), Martin (Doris) and John (Jody); granddaughter Lori (Brian) and great-grandchildren Tanner, Andrew and Carter; as well as step-daughters Karin, Ingrid, and Anita (Brad); step-grandchildren Mike (Alexis), Christine (Rob), Adam and Lindsay; and step-great-grandchildren Rose, Aoife, Duncan, Adelaide, Gordie and Eddie; her nephew Thomas Zoellner and several cousins, notably Werner Zoellner and his daughter Swenja.

She was predeceased by her second husband, Carl Bolbecher, in 2006 and by her first husband, Paul Krowina, in 1971, as well as by her parents, Alois and Martha Zoellner and brother Alois (Helene).

Martha was born in Hliwitz, a small village in the former Czechoslovakia, on March 5, 1928. She, along with the rest of the German population, was forced to move to West Germany in 1946. Despite this, she stayed positive and spent happy times in Oberammergau and Offenhausen in Bavaria before eventually settling with her family near Frankfurt am Main. She married Paul in West Germany in 1950 and came to Canada to start a new life in 1957. In those early years Paul worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker while Martha worked at home. After Paul’s passing Martha took up employment at Family Services of Winnipeg where she worked until her retirement. In 1987 she married and spent many happy years with Carl Bolbecher.

Martha was a member of the German Society of Winnipeg and the German Choir for over 50 years. She was a member of the Kolping Society at St. Joseph’s. She travelled widely. Until age 92 she enjoyed spending summers at Camp Neustadt on Lake Winnipeg. One of her favourite pastimes was walking along the beach in search of rocks with faces on them. She was a kind, modest, cheerful, hard-working and enthusiastic person. She loved reading, music, swimming, gardening, walking and nature.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main Street. Livestreaming available: https://cropo.com/230/Home.html.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Winnipeg Humane Society or to the Canadian Cancer Society.