Violet Margaretha Sawatsky (nee Hiebert)
December 7, 2024
Messages of Condolence
I send my sincere condolences during this time of deep sorrow. The Bible gives the comforting hope that your loved one will come to life again on a peaceful paradise earth when death will be no more in John 5:28, 29 and Acts 24:15. ~ Gail Floyd
Our condolences go out to Aunt Vi’s family. Your mom was one of my favourites. She was always kind and had a love for people. I can still hear her voice. Going to Abbotsford to see the relatives was a highlight in my life. ~ Henry & Lois Fehr
Vi was a special lady. She always treated me kindly and had great stories. She will be greatly missed! ~ Jennifer
A tribute to my aunt Vi Elaine and I had the good fortune to see aunt Vi one last time three years ago on our way to see Dave and Erin on the island. She was in the care home by then with either dementia or alzheimers-never have figured out what the difference is. In spite of her illness the old aunt Vi I knew and loved shone through. She was still her cheerful, animated self. She still recognized me and every ten minutes exclaimed in that dramatic way she had "Leonard, is it actually you?" followed by the familiar "Houston, we have a problem". It brought back memories of how she and uncle Bill welcomed us into their home on our family visits to BC. Years later when I was travelling on my own the welcome mat was still out. The summer I turned fifteen I stayed in Surrey for three weeks while Rick and I picked strawberries for pocket money. I never left the table hungry. In my late teens and early twenties hitchhiking days she and my other Sawatsky aunts always gave me bed and board when I came through and dropped in unannounced. I sometimes wonder what they thought of their vagabond nephew who looked more like something that just fell off a freight train than a respectable Mennonite lad. Dear uncle Garry succinctly put it this way " The only charity I support is the Sally Ann because the look after bums like you" Alan Jackson's song "working class heroes" honours ordinary every day people like our parents and aunts and uncle who never achieved fame in the eyes of the world but who lived solid, honest, hard working lives, supporting their families and contributing to their community leaving us with a legacy no amount of money can match. Aunt Vi was a working class hero. Thanks, auntie. Nephew Len ~ Len Friesen