Tribute

In Loving Memory of
Ruth Meta Buckendahl:

Ruth was born on April 24th, 1921 in Königsberg, East Prussia. There she lived and grew up as the middle child of Meta and Erwin Hoffmann. Shortly after her mother died of illness in 1944, the circumstances of war forced Ruth to flee from her homeland to western Germany with her father and sister, Waltraud. Her younger brother was a soldier and had encouraged that move.
As a refugee in Tating, she met and married Joachim (Jochen) Buckendahl and started a lifelong journey with him. Their three children, Hartmut, Heidi and Hannelore were all born in Germany before she had to struggle with yet another move from her homeland to follow Jochen”s footsteps to Canada.
In 1956 she arrived in Beaverdell and created the nest that Hartmut and Heidi now look back on with such love and fond memories. The family moved to Oliver in 1963 so that their three children could attend high school without having to be boarded out. In 1965 Ruth and Jochen bought an orchard by which they fulfilled their big dream: owning a piece of land!
Always a child of God, Ruth raised her children in the Christian faith and never faltering in her prayers, she was overjoyed when her Jochen accepted Christ into his life in 1975 and henceforth sat beside her in the pew, here, in St. John”s.
Ruth”s life was always plagued with battles against illness: her unhealthy legs, her severe migraines, her ordeal with MS, later her frustrations with dementia and, in the end, the pain and discomfort that cancer brought. Nevertheless she seemed to be a ”Jack in the box” and did not let any of these ailments deter her from being a happy, loving and very giving wife, mother, grandmother and friend.
Ruth was pre-deceased by her husband Jochen, by her youngest daughter, Hannelore and by her siblings. She leaves to mourn: her children Hartmut and Heidi; also her grandchildren Carl, Penny, Yvonne, Heidi, Stefan and Todd, her great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and all her wonderful friends here and in Germany.

Into Paradise may the angels lead you, Mama.
May a choir of angels welcome you!
May you have everlasting rest.