Anna Gattinger

Anna (Anne) Gattinger was born to Matilda and Johann Lang in Bateman, Saskatchewan on March 14, 1925. She was the youngest of nine children; 7 sisters and 1 brother. Anna was baptized, confirmed and married at Peace Lutheran Church, Bateman. Anna attended a one-room country school until grade 10. She loved school and was heart-broken when she was no longer able to attend due to the economic hardships which many families experienced during the Great Depression and World War II.

Anna married Frank Gattinger, a family friend and neighbor, on a rainy Sunday after church on June 13, 1943. They were blessed with 2 children, Grant Gerald and Corinne Valda. In 1941, Frank bought a half section of land with a little 3-room house which was to be their home until they moved into town when Grant started school. The family, along with Anna’s mother, moved to Calgary in 1961 where Anna looked after her mother until her passing in 1970.

Anna worked part time in a small general store in Bateman and when the family moved to Calgary, she began working at Woodward’s Department Store in the men’s wear department. In the mid-70’s, she began a very successful career in Tupperware where she and Frank were a closely-knit team for over 20 years. Anna was the salesperson and Frank was the business and the public relations manager! Anna became a unit manager and earned several cruises and her own company car for repeatedly achieving top sales. Anna was a hard worker; her capable hands were always busy, she did her best at any task and she never left things until the last minute. She was never late.

Anna was very particular with her appearance and she looked after herself. She loved beautiful clothes and jewelry and she always looked her best. She was also a meticulous homemaker and she was an excellent cook. Members of her church community can probably remember some of her specialties such as her apple pies.

Other than having an appendectomy when she was 7 months pregnant with Grant, Anna enjoyed excellent health all of her life. Sadly, in her later years without Frank, she began to lose her eyesight and succumbed to the debilitating stages of dementia. She lived in her own home until 2017 when she entered long term care at Chinook Care Centre and then at Providence Care Centre. The family is very grateful for the loving care she received at both care centres and for the compassionate Christian values so evident at Providence. We are also very grateful for the faithful prayers and visits from her church family.

Anna’s faith in her Lord and Savior was the foundation of her life. From the little one room church in Bateman to Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Calgary, she served her Lord in many areas of the ministry including playing the organ, teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, attending Bible class, singing in the choir, cleaning, providing and serving food for various church events and supporting the congregation wherever she was needed. Anna read her Bible daily during personal devotion time. When she was no longer able to read, Anna’s dear friend, Elsie Gow, did daily devotion in German with Anna on the telephone. Grant and Corinne carried this forward by reading scripture to her during every visit at the care centre. Anna tried to live her life as Jesus taught her.

Anna was predeceased by her parents, her husband Frank and all of her siblings. She is survived by her son Grant (Pam) Gattinger and Pam’s children Sara Vickruck and Steven (Kim) Vickruck and her daughter Corinne (Curtis) Feeg and her grandsons Matthew (Samantha), Nathan (Yasin) and Jordan Feeg. Relationships were very important to Anna and she faithfully kept in contact with numerous nieces and nephews, friends and neighbors through phone calls and letters as long as she was able. Anna’s remains will be interred with her husband, Frank, and her mother, Matilda, at Mountain View Memorial Gardens. Well done thou good and faithful servant.