Kathryn McNeill is survived by her children, Eugene (Erika) McNeill, Irene (Keith) Brayton, and Annette (Ron) McGinley; her three grandchildren, Thomas (Michele) Brayton, Daniel (Brooke) Brayton, and Caitlyn McNeill; and her three great-grandchildren, Benjamin Brayton, Korissa Brayton, and Elaina Brayton. She was predeceased by her beloved, Larry McNeill.
Mom was born Kathryn Frances Reimer, in Steinbach, MB, Canada, the fourth child of Peter D. and Maria Reimer. She loved to relate her memories of childhood, especially the times that she helped her dad with his deliveries of produce to Winnipeg and subsequent purchases for his thrift store in Steinbach. Always outgoing, and very much a tomboy, Mom enjoyed many adventures with a varied group of friends, cousins, and siblings. She loved school and, graduating early, the Manitoba government offered her a job teaching in a one-room schoolhouse up north, with students of all ages including near her own age of 18 years. Thus began her career as an educator. Mom went on to graduate from Steinbach Bible College, one of an early group of women to do so. She had a lifelong love of words, languages, literature, poetry, and scripture.
Mom entered missionary candidate school with Gospel Missionary Union, with an eye toward working in West Africa. She often relayed that she had been ready to leave winter for perpetual summer. During this time she met co-candidate Larry McNeill and they began corresponding, first in Europe as they each studied French language in separate countries, and then on the field in French West Africa where they were stationed apart in far flung areas. After three years of pursuit by Larry, our independent and strong-willed mother gave in and married the love of her life.
She birthed three children, lived mostly in the bush without electricity, survived many diseases, predators, a coup d’etat, drought, and at times deep loneliness due to Larry traveling and her children in boarding school. She said that it was all worth it to her for the work of translating and teaching the Gospel, teaching French and Bambara to expats, and teaching reading and writing in a country with minimal literacy. Mom treasured her time with the women and children of the Bambara tribe and she spoke the language like a native, even down to each expression and proverb. Malians would say that when they closed their eyes and listened to conversation, they thought that Mom was one of them.
One of the most difficult times of her life was packing up and saying a permanent goodbye to the village of Warsala, Mali. However, retirement in North America brought her the deep joy of being able to spend time once again with her own mother and the rest of her family in Canada, whom she had dearly missed. She made many trips north of the border from her home in Chicagoland, while her mom and siblings also traveled down to the USA for visits.
The heartbreak of her life came in 2017 when Dad died, and Mom began to fail from then onward. She is now at peace after a long, adventurous life of service. Her last few months she beamed with absolute joy at spending time with her youngest great-grandchild, born in March. As she slipped from us, she was surrounded by family reading psalms and singing hymns until her last breath.
She stopped speaking two days before she died, and that evening as we sang Great is Thy Faithfulness at her bedside, she uttered “Amina”, speaking Bambara to the end, saying “Amen” in the language of her heart. We leave you with Mom’s favourite Bambara benediction, which in English is “may God bless you”.
Ala ka duba i ye.
No services are planned. Flowers should be sent to Jerry McNeill, 503 W Lincoln Wheaton, IL, 60187. in lieu of flowers a gift may be given to Steinbach Evangelical Mennonite Church"
In lieu of flowers a gift may be given to Steinbach Evangelical Mennonite Church: https://semconline.com/give/
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