“Peggy” Lauretta Margaret Smith Goertzen passed away at Hillside Village, May 2, 2016 at 95 years.
She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, April 22, 1921, to Fredric Charles Bell and Lauretta Ross Bell, and married in 1942. In 1947 she moved to Vancouver, then: Surrey, New Westminister & Langley. In 1958 she moved to Grandview Flats, (Armstrong) for 10 years, where she and her 4 children were involved in Agriculture for local farmers.
In 1969, she and her 2 youngest daughters moved to La Sierra University in Riverside, California, where she earned a degree in “Institutional Cooking – Vegetarian.” She then cooked at a boarding Academy in Escondido, California and later in Los Angeles at the White Memorial Hospital.
She returned to Victoria, Canada in 1975 to live with her ageing mother, and cooked in a nursing home. She later became a Care Aide and worked in Rest Haven Lodge Nursing Home until retirement in 1986. She loved both jobs.
At that time, she moved near to family in Silver Creek (Salmon Arm), and shortly after, married her long-time widowed friend: John Goertzen. She had been a hard working single mother for 31 years.
They enjoyed 13 years together, and were gracious hosts to many friends, relatives and neighbours in Silver Creek and later in Macintosh Grove, Salmon Arm. That condo was the first time either of them had lived in a brand new home, and they loved it. Sadly, John died in 2000.
Later, Peggy developed Vascular Dementia and went into care in 2005 at Mt. View Manor and Harmony Haven, transferring to Good Samaritan Hillside Village in 2008. She was blessed by the excellent care she received in all of them. They did for her what her family could not do! Thank You!
In 1956, Peggy became a devout Seventh-day Adventist Christian. Her Bible became her comfort and guide and she took God as her husband (Isaiah 54:5). She is now sleeping in her grave until Jesus comes.
She was the last of her siblings to pass away (she was the first born) and was predeceased by: her parents; Fred and Lauretta Bell, brothers: Lloyd, David and Earl, son: Tommy in 1949; her husband John Goertzen in 2000; daughter Carrie Jewell in 2013, and son Ross Smith in 2013.
She is survived by: daughter Edna (Robert) Crombie of Silver Creek, daughter Peggy (Ralph) McBryan of Tappen, daughter-in-law Iris Smith of Princeton; 6 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and John’s special family.
Memorial Service for Peggy will be Friday, June 10, 2016 at 3:30 p.m. in Silver Creek SDA Church, a reception to follow.
On line condolences may be sent to Peggy’s obituary at www.bowersfuneralservice.com