Otto Ernst Goetzke died peacefully at MSA Hospital, January 31, 2007. He will be missed by his family and the church community he loved and that accepted him. His family includes Marianne, his wife of 56 years, his five children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren: Reimar Goetzke and Bev Short (Lyris ShortGoetzke and Eric Stutzman; Seth Goetzke), Ute Regier (Jen and Mark GoerzenGabriel, Gus and Piper; Rena Regier), Bodo and Sharon Goetzke (Larissa Goetzke, Vanessa Goetzke, Natasha Goetzke), Lissa and Bill Decker (Brad Decker, Jonathan Decker, Ashley and Jayeson Wall), Helga Goetzke. He was born November 22, 1920 in Johannsdorf, East Prussia and baptized in 1935 in the Mennoniten Gemeinde Memelniederung. He and Marianne married in 1950 and with their first two children emigrated to Canada in 1952. The wildlife around Westwold made the walk to school Âprecarious for the children so Otto left his mill job for a little farm in Aldergrove, 1954. In 1961 they moved onto a larger farm where they raised strawÂberries and laying hens. Otto was a long-standing board member of the Otter Co-op. He expressed the importance of faith and church community through his contributions as Sunday School teacher, Sunday School superintendent, preaching German sermons, Church Council (secretary) and articles written for Der Bote.
The celebration of Otto's life will be held at Bethel Mennonite Church, 24687-56 Ave, Aldergrove, 11:00 am, February 7, 2007. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to MCC BC.
"Be faithful unto death and
I will give you the crown of life."
Wiebe and Jeske Funeral Services
(604) 859-5885