Elmer Loewen

Elmer Loewen was born on a farmstead one mile north of Burwalde, Manitoba, on September 14th, 1930 to Henry and Katherine Loewen. The Loewen family lived in a two-room house that would receive a two-room addition in 1937 to make space for the growing family. Like other boys in those difficult “dirty thirty” years, Elmer soon learned that life had its share of work. Those were tough years.

Elmer attended the Herald Church situated four miles west of Burwalde. Later he attended the Winkler Bergthaler Church and then joined the Morden Bergthaler Church in 1951. He was baptized under a bridge near Kane, Manitoba.

Elmer married Ruby Laura Wiebe on June 13, 1954. With courage, they began a life of farming. They had three children. To provide for their family Ruby and Elmer moved to Sidney, Manitoba in 1964. They took possession of a three-bedroom home, three quarters of hilly land, and a mortgage.

Elmer also worked at seasonal jobs such as potato harvest and Carnation Foods to pay the bills. For a number of years he worked for Bill Graham at Melbourne, Manitoba. Later, he began a long time job of delivering fuel to farmers for Gulf Servico in Austin.

After selling the Sidney farm to eldest son Russell in 1978, they moved to Austin, where they would eventually make their home on Memory Lane on an acreage. Ruby worked at and later managed the Memory Lane Café. Elmer would take up a trucking venture with his brother, Peter, for a brief period.

Ruby died of pancreatic cancer on Saturday night, November 29, 2003. Soon after Elmer moved to MacGregor and rented at several places, most recently at the Rest Haven. During this time, he cultivated a deep and meaningful friendship with Anne Neudorf.

Since moving to Sidney in 1964, Elmer participated in the MacGregor Mennonite Bergthaler Church, now Westend Community Church.

Elmer entered the Portage la Prairie hospital on September 12, 2022 under the care of Dr. Omischinski. He was later moved to Rock Lake Hospital in Crystal City and then to Carberry Plains Health Center. We are grateful for the staff who cared for him in these facilities. He was in a continual fight with pain and his desire for moving home to be with Jesus grew. On Friday evening, December 23, 2022 Elmer was delivered to experience the promise of Revelation 21:4. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Now he is free to serve Jesus without the hindrance of pain.

Elmer is predeceased by his parents, his wife Ruby, his siblings (Henry, Neta, Joe, Peter, Myrtle, Anne, John), his good friend Anne Neudorf, uncles, aunts, nephews Ron Brown, Norman Loewen and Roger Wiebe.

There are many who already miss him:

Children and grandchildren;

Russell and wife Patti (Sidney, MB) and their children:  Matthew, Jason and Brenda, Nathan and Heather.
Glenn and wife Vera (Three Hills, AB) and their children:  Jewel and Tanner Johnson, Christal and Justin Vink, Micah and Hannah
Vivian and husband Dan Funk (Sidney, MB)

Great grandchildren Jordy, Tristen, Lane, Audrey, Clara
Sister-in-Laws Esther Peters and Ruth Wiebe
Church friends
Community friends

Thank you, Elmer, for serving us. You have changed our lives. We love you and we will miss you.

The funeral service will be held at the Austin EMMC church at 11:00am on January 3, 2023. A viewing begins at 10:00am at the church. A committal service will immediately follow the funeral service at the Austin cemetery. Lunch will be served immediately following the funeral service.

This service is being video recorded, and will be viewable on Wednesday January 4, 2023.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Elmer Loewen, please visit our floral store.