Maria Bartel

The family of Maria Bartel of Saskatoon announces that Maria has completed her earthly journey in the early hours of May 31^st, 2023. She is now realizing the hope and truth of her Christian faith and is spending eternity with God.

Born on June 22, 1928 in Osler, Saskatchewan, Maria went by many different names: Mother, Grandma, Great Grandma, Great Great Grandma, Sister, Aunt, Great Aunt, Friend, and Prayer Warrior. Her Father, Dave Friesen, worked on the railroad, her Mother, Maria Friesen was a homemaker. Maria was initiated into nursing care at an early age, caring for her Mother and sisters who contracted tuberculosis, going to the Sanatorium. Watching her Mother have a life-long struggle with TB, taught her perseverance, strength, and dogged determination which she used to fight for her high school and post-secondary education. She completed studies at Canadian Bible College, Regina and the Registered Nursing program at Grace Hospital, Winnipeg, a remarkable accomplishment for a woman at that time. She started her career in Osler in hospitals, working her way up from housekeeping to becoming a public health nurse. Maria went to Irian Jaya, Indonesia to work as an RN and midwife with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, Canada. She told fascinating stories of the weeks long trek through the jungles with the medical and missionary team with all their supplies because there were no airplane landing strips in the remote jungle destination, setting up a field hospital, clinic, and chapel. She told of the warm welcome by the Papua people, with their interesting diet of bugs, grubs, snakes, and jungle plants, teaching Sunday School to the children, and the many nursing challenges. Her health was affected during this time as she contracted malaria. After leaving the mission field, Maria still had many from her mission family that stayed in contact with her. Upon her return to Canada, Maria worked as a Registered Nurse at Saskatoon City Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital and Porteous Lodge. During this time, she met a wonderful, helpful farmer, Henry Bartel. With this marriage she became not only a wife but also a Mother and Grandma. Maria used her strength and Christian faith to lovingly accept, support and care for Henry’s three intellectually disabled sons, not an easy challenge but one she accomplished with grace and love she had learned over the years. Maria and Henry also worked with the Mayfair Mennonite Church Refugee Committee to help Laotian refugees immigrating to Canada adjust to Canadian life, while also assisting with legal documentation and health issues. Maria’s grandchildren remember Grandma and Grandpa coming to sports events, band concerts, graduations, living with them while attending Saskatoon band camps, nursing them back to health at their condo in their university years and Christmas visits to Alberta.

Maria and Henry were among the first condo owners at Bethany Manor, participating in the community. It was a blessing for her when her youngest sister Betty and husband John moved to Bethany Manor. Maria and Betty were not only sisters but also good friends, supporting, caring for each other right until Maria’s last days. Their Friesen family circle grew when her brother Jake and Dave’s wife, Nettie also moved into Bethany Manor. Maria had a very close, caring relationship with her Friesen/Redekop/Funk nieces, nephews, and their extended families. Maria valued their love and support.

Maria used her faith in God, her strength, and determination to battle major health diagnosis right up to the end of her life. Maria’s trust and confidence in God was her foundation and the source of her strength and perseverance.

Maria is survived by her step children: Frieda Unger, Mary Johnston (Don), Henry Bartel, Kathy Watson (George), grandchildren: Daryl (fiancé – Nicole), Nadine, Christa, Tony, great grandchildren: Christine, Tyler, Taylor, Ethan, Masyn, Anita, David, Hope, Brayden, Mikayla (Mitch), Andrew, great great grandchild, Nikita, sister, Elizabeth, sister-in-law, Nettie, many loved nieces, nephews and their families, the Bartel family in Canada and Germany, many cousins.  She was predeceased by her parents, Dave and Maria, husband Henry Bartel, step sons Peter and Jack, son-in-law Ben Unger, brothers Abe, Dave and Jake, sister Anna, brother-in-law John Funk.

Special thanks to Stensrud Lodge staff for the excellent care for Maria, to Dr. Viden and Dr. Khayyam for their medical services, to Pastor Len Bashiu and Austin Christianson for their pastoral care, the Bethany Manor community, and to Martens Warman Funeral Home for their comforting support and service at this important time.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2^ndTimothy 4:7-8. Maria Bartel encourages everyone to “fight the good fight, to keep the faith and to finish the race”.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Maria, our faithful Mother, Sister, Aunt, Friend, and Prayer Warrior, on Monday, June 5^th at 11 am at the Bethany Manor Fellowship Hall, 110 La Ronge Road, Saskatoon, SK. Lunch will be served immediately after, and interment will follow at the Aberdeen Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, due to family allergies, donations may be made to Cosmopolitan Industries, Saskatoon, website: cosmoindustries.com.

Martens Warman Funeral Home is honoured to be entrusted with the arrangements for Maria Bartel and will be live streaming the service at 11 am CST at: https://funeraweb.tv/en/diffusions/75146

We praise and thank God for the blessings of Maria Bartel’s life.