Donna Mae Penner Gerbrandt

Donna Mae Gerbrandt passed away peacefully on September 12, 2013, at the age of 69 years, with loved ones at her side. She will be greatly missed by her daughters Fay (John) and Denise, her grandchildren, Jonathan and Jamie-Lee (Heather), and her great grandchildren. She will also be missed by her brother Reginald (Shirley) and her sister-in-law, Beverley, along with many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her father Jacob, mother Esther, her brother James, her sister Darlene Ann, and sister-in-law Marjorie.

Donna was born in Rosthern, SK, on January 14, 1944 and moved to Steinbach, MB with her family in 1946 where she spent her childhood years. She married Gilbert Gerbrandt in April of 1962. For the last 22 years she has lived in residential care at the Dr. Hogg Pavilion – Peach Arch Hospital, in White Rock BC, as she struggled with Multiple Sclerosis.

Never a complainer, Donna frequently expressed thanks for the many blessings God had given her, particularly her family and friends. With what she had, she blessed others including several Mission organizations. She liked to keep her money in the refrigerator, calling it her “cold, hard, cash.” Her determination to memorize long passages of Scripture helped her in her daily life and she was usually ready with an appropriate verse to offer in any situation, always remembering the exact reference.

Donna was also a gifted pianist and poet. In 2004, she won an award for a limerick she’d written called “A Word to the Wise or Otherwise.”

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the staff at the Dr. Hogg Pavilion who cared for her over the years.