Nettie (Wiebe) Dyck

Nettie Dyck passed away on Sunday, July 31st, 2022 surrounded by her family.

Nettie was born to immigrant parents.  When Mennonite farmers were invited to religious freedom and free farm land they moved to Ukraine Russia.  In May 1927 they immigrated to Canada.  Nettie was born September 30th, 1927 in Plum Coulee, MB, six weeks after her parents arrived in Canada from Russia.  Nettie was the only daughter of Cornelius and Maria Wiebe.  She had two brothers, Jake and John.  The family later lived in La Riviere and finally settled in Bicton Heath area north of Fork River in 1932.  Nettie and her two brothers attended Fork River and Nordheim School, and the Mossey River was their playground.  The family moved once more in 1940 to the South Bay District and lived there until 1981. 

Nettie left school at fifteen.  Her first job was working as a nanny for a wealthy Jewish family in Winnipeg.  She loved little children.  After leaving Winnipeg she worked as a housekeeper for Laurie Rowe in the Fork River area.  Nettie also did child care for a RCMP family, and the Grenon family in Winnipegosis.  By this time Henry Dyck started showing an interest in her and he came to visit her on his bike.

Henry and Nettie were married August 5, 1949.  Their honeymoon was spent on a tractor and binder bringing in the crop.  Their house had no plumbing, nor electricity, and they used coal oil lamps.  Henry spent many of their first years of marriage working away from home.  Nettie would travel with Henry when the first three children were little, even though she hated crossing the lake up to Shannon Island where she cooked for the men in the logging camp, and home schooled Gordon.  In January 1959 she had the surprise of her life when she gave birth to twin boys.  After this Nettie stayed home to look after the children.  The following April the youngest son was born and the family was complete.  She now dedicated herself to her role as a mother of six sons.  The family moved to a small house in the South Bay area along the #20 highway where they all worked hard to make a living.  Nettie milked a jersey cow from which she sold the cream.  Nettie kept busy with gardening, mending and making sure her boys were always well dressed.  Henry and his six sons went into family business, ranching and expanding into construction, however, Nettie always remained a homebody.  She had a natural talent for music and taught herself to play the piano, violin and mandolin.  She was also an avid bird watcher and especially loved her hummingbirds.

In 1981 Henry and Nettie moved to Winnipegosis.  Mom enjoyed town life.  She spent time playing her piano, but never to an audience.  She learned to enjoy puzzles and spending time with the church group ladies.  She still kept herself busy doing all the mending for her expanding family.  She continued to garden and make her annual twenty jars of dills.  Nettie loved to cook and bake.  When she got in front of a stove it was magic!  Nettie was known for her homemade donuts and treated camp kids and counselors until her 80th year with this delicious tradition.  She always appeared on each birthday with her son's favorite dish.  We all have a special cookbook; Family Favorites from Grandma Dyck, where Nettie shared her recipes.

Henry passed away May 19, 2012, mom remained in the family home until a slight stroke made this unsafe.  She moved to the Winnipegosis Personal Care Home in October 2017 where she received kind and compassionate care.

Nettie was predeceased by her parents Cornelius & Maria Wiebe, her in-laws Abram and Lena Dyck, her brothers Jake & John Wiebe, her infant grandson Warren Dyck, her husband of 63 years Henry Dyck, and her son Richard.

Nettie is survived by her five sons; Gordon (Loretta), Randy (Diana), Harvey (Elma), Ron (Kathy), and Bernie.  Nine grandchildren; Allison (Van De Kerckhove), Angie (Koodoo), Clinton, Kendra (Lang), Stewart, Ashley (Warkentin), Vanessa, Tori, Zachary and their extended families.

A Funeral Service  was held for Nettie on Monday, August 15, 2022 at 1:00 pm from the Nordheim Mennonite Church in Winnipegosis with Pastor Andrew Wiens officiating.   

Interment followed in the Nordheim Mennonite Cemetery.

Flowers are gratefully declined, should friends so desire, donations may be made in memory of Nettie to the Nordheim Mennonite Church, Winnipegosis .

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