Obituary for Trudy Stemkens
Stemkens, Trudy:
Born in the Netherlands on January 10, 1926 and passed away in Kitchener on Saturday, January 2, 2021 at the age of 94. Trinity Village was her home for the past 5 years where she loved participating in activities and the family thanks the staff for their devoted care and support.
Beloved wife of 47 years to Peter Stemkens.
Loving mother of Yvonne (Manuel Fernandes), Caroline (Carla) ter Maat, Alida (John Coelho) and Robert ter Maat.
She will be fondly remembered by her grandchildren; Joshua (Jaime), Ashley (Braeden), Jordan (Kate), Lauren (Chris), Max, Stefan (Emma), Trevor (Kelly), Dallon, Alex, Jesse and Ryan and her great grandchildren, Joshua, Stone and Celine.
Dear sister of Ton Hendrix of Holland.
Predeceased by her parents Anthonius and Alida Hendrix and her 2 brothers and 3 sisters.
Trudy and Peter enjoyed travelling widely over many years. She was a faithful member of St. Anthony Daniel Church where her love of music translated her to be in the Church Choir. She was on the executive board of the Heritage Lawn Bowling Club.
A Private Funeral Mass will be held at St. Anthony Daniel RC Church, Kitchener. Relatives and friends may join via https://www.henrywalser.com/live-streaming on Friday, January 8, 2021 at 11am . Cremation to follow.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to St. Anthony Daniel RC Church, the Parkinson Society - Southwestern Ontario or Diabetes Canada would be appreciated by the family and cards are available through the Henry Walser Funeral Home 519-749-8467.
Visit www.henrywalser.com for Trudy's memorial.
__________________________
Dedicated to my beautiful Oma. By Max Curzon Price
Attic Space
Nations rendered to mounds of ash and soot,
And your spunky generation births from the blackened piles,
Dusts off your wool coat and states:
"adventure sounds nice”.
A pocketful of trinkets and dreams,
Family in tow,
Some ocean reached infinitely before you,
That arrogant fool - you’re going places.
Brazenly blazing your own path,
mouths beseeching for food,
gawking for answers.
Penny for your thought,
with a penny to your name,
It is time to build your home, Trudy.
Foundations laid on shoulders of stone,
That unbearable lightness of love for ones own,
This house rose,
Beams structured in fortitude, dry shelter within warm bones
And a resilience that made that war you left,
Seem precious and faint.
You brought in an architect too,
Lines sketched in support and compassion,
Peter painted this house.
Broad brushstrokes,
that magnificent shade of every colour imaginable.
See the fabric he put on the couch?
That’s husband material.
Together, you hung life on these walls,
Rolled out carpets like blueprints and
dressed us each with your morals,
Family first,
Honesty, empathy,
and authenticity is art.
English, Dutch, Dutch, English,
These walls don’t discern those sounds.
The wrinkles of the cornice - convincingly deep,
You can’t fake ninety five years of laughter.
A cellar spilling with ice wine,
“this 1926 vintage is phenomenal”
You’ve never known anything like it.
Yet our greatest gratitude,
Is that in this home - you built storage.
(Desirable in the market)
Deep roots in the basement,
Mirrored closets, lofty ceilings
And silent reprieve in the recess of the attic.
So now, we can fill it with you.
This quiet space you left upstairs,
Empty and open, where I sit.
In reverie,
Clutching at your shadow,
I realise: in this familial fortress you built us,
You could never die.
Love you for ever, Max, Stefan and Lauren xxx
Born in the Netherlands on January 10, 1926 and passed away in Kitchener on Saturday, January 2, 2021 at the age of 94. Trinity Village was her home for the past 5 years where she loved participating in activities and the family thanks the staff for their devoted care and support.
Beloved wife of 47 years to Peter Stemkens.
Loving mother of Yvonne (Manuel Fernandes), Caroline (Carla) ter Maat, Alida (John Coelho) and Robert ter Maat.
She will be fondly remembered by her grandchildren; Joshua (Jaime), Ashley (Braeden), Jordan (Kate), Lauren (Chris), Max, Stefan (Emma), Trevor (Kelly), Dallon, Alex, Jesse and Ryan and her great grandchildren, Joshua, Stone and Celine.
Dear sister of Ton Hendrix of Holland.
Predeceased by her parents Anthonius and Alida Hendrix and her 2 brothers and 3 sisters.
Trudy and Peter enjoyed travelling widely over many years. She was a faithful member of St. Anthony Daniel Church where her love of music translated her to be in the Church Choir. She was on the executive board of the Heritage Lawn Bowling Club.
A Private Funeral Mass will be held at St. Anthony Daniel RC Church, Kitchener. Relatives and friends may join via https://www.henrywalser.com/live-streaming on Friday, January 8, 2021 at 11am . Cremation to follow.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to St. Anthony Daniel RC Church, the Parkinson Society - Southwestern Ontario or Diabetes Canada would be appreciated by the family and cards are available through the Henry Walser Funeral Home 519-749-8467.
Visit www.henrywalser.com for Trudy's memorial.
__________________________
Dedicated to my beautiful Oma. By Max Curzon Price
Attic Space
Nations rendered to mounds of ash and soot,
And your spunky generation births from the blackened piles,
Dusts off your wool coat and states:
"adventure sounds nice”.
A pocketful of trinkets and dreams,
Family in tow,
Some ocean reached infinitely before you,
That arrogant fool - you’re going places.
Brazenly blazing your own path,
mouths beseeching for food,
gawking for answers.
Penny for your thought,
with a penny to your name,
It is time to build your home, Trudy.
Foundations laid on shoulders of stone,
That unbearable lightness of love for ones own,
This house rose,
Beams structured in fortitude, dry shelter within warm bones
And a resilience that made that war you left,
Seem precious and faint.
You brought in an architect too,
Lines sketched in support and compassion,
Peter painted this house.
Broad brushstrokes,
that magnificent shade of every colour imaginable.
See the fabric he put on the couch?
That’s husband material.
Together, you hung life on these walls,
Rolled out carpets like blueprints and
dressed us each with your morals,
Family first,
Honesty, empathy,
and authenticity is art.
English, Dutch, Dutch, English,
These walls don’t discern those sounds.
The wrinkles of the cornice - convincingly deep,
You can’t fake ninety five years of laughter.
A cellar spilling with ice wine,
“this 1926 vintage is phenomenal”
You’ve never known anything like it.
Yet our greatest gratitude,
Is that in this home - you built storage.
(Desirable in the market)
Deep roots in the basement,
Mirrored closets, lofty ceilings
And silent reprieve in the recess of the attic.
So now, we can fill it with you.
This quiet space you left upstairs,
Empty and open, where I sit.
In reverie,
Clutching at your shadow,
I realise: in this familial fortress you built us,
You could never die.
Love you for ever, Max, Stefan and Lauren xxx