Bertha Emilie Janzen (nee Seeman), passed away in Medicine Hat, Alberta on Thursday, February 2nd, 2017 at the age of 90 years. Born to Adolf and Emilie (Grams) Seeman in a prairie farmhouse in Sandy Point, Alberta on February 23rd, 1926, she enjoyed the farming life with her family even while living through the Great Depression and World War II. In 1942, Bertha left home to attend the Christian Training Institute in Edmonton, Alberta. There she met a wonderful young man, Eldon Lowell Janzen of Morris, Manitoba. They planned a farming life together, until Eldon felt called to pastoral ministry. Bertha agreed to the change in plans, and they married at the Gnadenfeldt Baptist Church in Sandy Point, Alberta on July 16th, 1946. They soon after traveled to seminary in Rochester, New York and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Bertha was a dedicated pastor’s wife and served at her husband’s side in Valleyview, Alberta; Fenwood, Saskatchewan; Arnprior, Ontario; and the Chicago and New York City areas. Four children were born to them along the way. Bertha’s life revolved around her family and her strong faith and service to the Lord. In her quiet and unassuming way she taught Sunday School, led women’s groups and mentored young mothers, played piano, and sang solos in the choir, affecting many lives along the way. Her example helped pass on a legacy of spiritual faith in Christ to her children, who are all thankful. Bertha was a homemaker until her oldest child started college. Then a notable aptitude in math landed her a bookkeeping job at Graybar Electric, where she worked until retirement. Bertha and Eldon spent several retirement years in Kelowna, British Columbia before moving to South Country Village in Medicine Hat in the 1990’s, where she very much enjoyed reconnecting with people from her youth.
Bertha loved singing and many kinds of crafting. She could sew anything from Barbie clothes to wedding dresses, and could take the simplest things and create beautiful decorations. She had little time for television or movies – she was productive.
Bertha is predeceased by her husband, parents, and brothers, Ernest (Linda) Wuerfel, Gustav (Elsie) Wuerfel, and Walter (Bertha) Wuerfel. She is survived by her loving children; Sharon (Timothy) Hawes, Dale (Coni) Janzen, Douglas (Zarah) Janzen, and Evangeline (Victor) Kovach; nine grandchildren (plus one more on the way), and six great grandchildren.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Bertha Emilie Janzen (Seeman), please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.