Martha was born on January 5th, 1929, in Arciechow, Poland. Unfortunately, she lost both parents at the age of three and joined the Sprengel family which lived close by in Nowinki (Neudorf. The Sprengel family loved and cared for her very much and she spent her childhood and adolescent years with them.
Towards the end of the second world war, she endured incredible hardship in making her way to the border dividing East and West Germany and with the help of a guide escaped East Germany on foot to the other side in late 1945. She managed to reach a refugee camp in Uelzen, from there to Hanover, in then West Germany before being accepted for immigration to Canada in 1949 which took her on a ship's voyage to Eastern Canada and then by train to Edmonton. In Edmonton she was hired into a family household with young children, which she enjoyed very much.
Soon after her arrival she met her future husband William (Bill) Foth, and they were married in 1952.
Three children were born, Edgar, Monica and Robert before they moved in 1959 to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia where Richard was born. The parents established a successful livelihood providing security, love, and care for their children to assure their progress into adulthood.
Much to her sorrow Martha lost her husband William (Bill) in 1991 and Monica her daughter in 2006. The loss brought her great distress and emotional discomfort. Relying on her extraordinary strength she carried on comforted by family and friends. She eventually found her second love in marrying a friend of the family, lan Rice Whitaker, and spent 20 years with him in a loving and caring relationship. Regretfully, lan passed away in 2016 and Martha again had to muster all her strength to overcome her third tragedy.
In everything Martha did, being a devout follower of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, she was generous to a fault in her love and caring for family and friends, welcoming and making them feel at home. She excelled in making large family dinners to the enjoyment of guests and family and being passionate in her efforts, received full credit for making a success out of every event, especially during the holiday season.
Martha in her married life cared for a large property which allowed her to bring the fruits of her garden activities to the dinner table much to the delight of family and guests. She was not afraid of hard manual work, which was one of the hallmarks of her life.
She is survived by her three sons, Edgar, Robert and Richard Foth, numerous grandchildren, and great grandchildren she adored, extended family and friends.
Martha's funeral will be held at Victory Memorial Park & Funeral Centre, 14831 28 Ave. Surrey, BC on November 26, at 10:30 AM. A graveside service will follow at Surrey Center Cemetery, 16671 McLellan Rd. Surrey, BC at 12:30 PM.
Our most sincere thanks to the staff of West Shore Laylum who provided utmost and generous care and comfort to Martha during her stay.
"When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure"
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