Born Thursday, September 10, 1914 Entered Eternal Rest Friday, November 30, 2001

In his homily at her funeral, Reverend Father David Meadows of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church referred her to, as a       “A strong, courageous & faithful woman from Banat” Teresia Leeb  “And while she lies in peaceful sleep, Her Memory we shall always keep.”      I want to share with you what a very special person Teresia Leeb was. I know she would not want a fuss made about her, because that was just the person she was. She would always put others before herself.

Tribute to Teresia Leeb

    Born on September 10, 1914 in Knees, Banat, Romania, the fourth daughter of Johann and Anna Lay, a family of German descent from the Trier district in Germany. She stood 4’-11” tall. She had a total of five sisters, of whom two are still alive and living in Germany and one brother John, resides in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Teresa’s schooling was very limit, it was at home where she learned how to cook, bake, and work in the field. Her husband Anselm was born in Bessarabia, Romania the only child of Eduard and Salomea Leeb. Due to poverty he left his family and home at the age twelve and went out into the world to seek employment. He ended up in the village of Knees and worked as a hired man. This is where he met mom. They were married January 9, 1933, in the Roman Catholic Church. (St. Theresia of Avila). They had a happy and satisfying life for the first ten years. Two sons were born; John on October 1, 1933 and Alex on February 19, 1936. In 1943, Dad was conscripted into the German Army leaving behind his wife and two sons. In September 1944, the Russians entered the village of Knees. They acted like barbarians and wild animals for the first two weeks. Children witnessed their mothers being raped by the Russian soldiers.

On January 14, 1945, all women from the ages 18-30 which included our mother, were taken away. She was parted from her children and forced to Russia to work 285 meters underground in a coalmine. They were transported in the freezing temperature in a cattle train, where close to 60-80 people shared one cattle car. Every day their meals were the same; a pail of water with cabbage leaves and a loaf of hard bread. Their strength was getting weaker day by day. The time came when they were searching for dead horses, cats or dogs, buried in the fields.

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     After two years she became so weak she could no longer work – so on December 10^th, 1946, she was stripped of her clothing, shaved bald, given a blanked put onto a freight train and was sent to East Germany by the Russians. During this time my father was in West Germany. Through correspondence with mom’s family he was able to find out where she was – so taking a chance, dad went to East Germany and they successfully escaped back into West Germany. For three years they had been apart not known if they would ever see one another again.

     During this ordeal my brothers John and Alex, were with our Maternal Grandparents in Romania. Mom and Dad wanted their boys to join them in Germany at once; however, the authorities would not allow them to leave Romania. Mom and Dad stayed in Germany for two more years until 1948. It was there that their third child was born, a daughter, Ann.        

     In October of 1948, the three; Mom, Dad and my sister Ann, immigrated to Canada. They landed in Quebec City and from there headed out West by train to Lancer, Saskatchewan where mom’s Aunt lived. That was their first home in Canada. At once, with the help of the community members, paper work began to have my two brothers join them in Canada. It was a long ordeal but with God’s help the boys arrived in Canada on August 19, 1950. After seven years, Mom, Dad brothers, and sister were together.

     In April of 1951, they moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta, where Dad was employed with IXL Industries. At this time mom also was very busy and working hard around the home. Mom had nine boarders that she cooked and cared for along with her own family. In April of 1957, mom and dad had their fourth child, me. Mary, the baby of the family and to this day I am still referred to as that.           

     The years went by and it was once again nice to feel happy, safe, and content. Mom and Dad worked hard through the years to see their savings grow. In 1962, Mom and Dad visited their homeland after being away for 19 years. It was nice to be reunited with family and friends, but also sad to see what had happened to the home village. What was once a free land was no more.           

     After 25 years at IXL Industries, Dad retired in 1976, allowing mom and dad to enjoy more gardening, traveling, visiting and playing cards with their friends. Some of their travels took them to Europe, Las Vegas, and Hawaii in the winter. I also remember Mom and Dad always having one of the nicest gardens and I must add, one of the largest gardens in Medicine Hat. I do remember helping mom and dad planting, weeding, and working in the garden….it seemed humongous. Mom spent hours and hours in the garden and also hours canning and pickling. Everyone will remember mom’s delicious fresh vegetable soups, her pickled peppers, and her dill pickles. They were amazing. Mom was also known for her great hospitality. Anytime, anyone would go to moms they were sure to be treated royally. She would also make sure that there was plenty for everyone and gave whatever she had. Mom was a true domestic Queen. She always had an apron on and ready to spin into action. She had no problem weeding the garden, staying on top of the laundry, whipping up a batch of “Dampfnudeln” (dumplings) and kept an immaculate house, and she was also one of those persons who very, very, seldom ever used a recipe or pattern for anything. Mom also loved to crochet, knit, and sew. We all have many projects she has made for us all which we will remember her by.           

     On January 9, 1983, was a big occasion for mom and dad. They renewed their nuptial vows at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.  They celebrated their 50th Anniversary with family, relatives, and friends. It was a happy event. However, tragedy struck a week later. Dad died suddenly. Mom and Dad had been a very close couple. They had shared so much together – hard times and good times. Mom found it very hard to cope without dad. Mom continued to do her own gardening and yard work in the summers. In the winter she would still crochet, knit and to also help pass the time, Mom went to play bingo. She met some new and dear friends through bingo, which helped pass the time. Mom enjoyed being with people.

     In approximately 1991 we noticed that mom wasn’t mom. She was forgetting things, getting confused and looking sad and lost. This was the start of the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease. In 1993, we needed to move mom into Central Park Lodge to receive the proper care she needed. It was very hard to see mom taken from her home.

At the beginning mom was still capable of helping the staff fold towels, peel apples for apple pies, or dust the railings. They said that the railings inside were never that clean until mom came along. She became everyone’s sweetheart and grandma at the Lodge.           

     Surrounded by the love of her family and the warmth and kindness of Central Park Lodge staff, the life of our precious mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and mother in-law, Teresia ended on November 30^th, 2001 at 87 years.         

     Our thanks and deepest gratitude are extended to friends, family, co-workers, for your support, care, love, laughter shared with Mom and our families throughout her life and in her final journey. We give thanks for Mom’s legacy – a life spent caring for and serving others.

“Schlafe in Ruhe, liebe Mutter

Bis wir uns wiedersehen!“ 

(Rest in peace, dear mother

Until we see you again.)

by Mary Matthiessen (nee Leeb)