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Anna (Annie) Doerksen DUECK

September 18, 2005

Anna was the fifth of nine children born to David and Susanna Doerksen on December 6, 1919 on the farm at Rush Lake, Saskatchewan. Her father passed away when she was only eight years old, leaving the family rather poor. The children had to go out at a very young age to find work in order to bring in a few much-needed dollars. In February 1943 Anna’s mother remarried after being a widow for 16 years. Anna then met her stepfamily and soon singled out one of her stepbrothers and fell in love with Henry Dueck, whom she married on July 13, 1943.

During the first nine years the family moved wherever there was work, in Saskatchewan; raising three daughters. In 1952 they moved to beautiful British Columbia, and arrived in Burns Lake where they were taken in by friends just days before Christmas. Jobs were easy to get and so they set out to find a place to live. This was winter, and it was cold. They started out in a small two-room house and an airtight heater, and not much for belongings, but things got better. In the summer of 1954 another daughter was born. So far there were only girls, but in the spring of 1956 a son joined the family, which was now complete. They continued to live in Burns Lake, except for a year in Vanderhoof, which didn’t feel like home, so they moved back to Burns Lake.

Anna was devoted to her family. Her other interests included gardening, fishing, camping and sewing. She was hospitalized off and on, in the fall of 1999. She came home for Christmas, but on December 26 she went back into hospital and remained there until May 23, 2000, at which time she was transferred to the Pines nursing home, where she resided until she passed away. As a family we are very grateful for the wonderful care the staff at the Pines provided for her, especially during her last days.

Anna is predeceased by her parents, as well as two brothers and two sisters. She will be sadly missed by her loving husband Henry, her family, namely Doreen (Jake) Giesbrecht, Shirley Fehr (Jack Lacerte), Leona (Mike) Symons, Lesley (Gerry) Thiessen, and Gerald, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, two brothers and two sisters; yet we know that God has prepared a far better place for her in glory.



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