Obituary
On September 28, 2021, Martin Witten of Edmonton passed away at the age of 94 years. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 66 years, Clara; children, Alice (Arthur), Rita (Hans), John, Ralph (Grenda), Stan (Karina); grandchildren, Mark (Robyn), Lisa (Rene), Kara (Arnold), Steven (Sarah), Amy (Eric), Cherie (Doug), Jon, Brent (Amy), Darrell (Alison), Marlow, Jeremy, Graham (Beth), Karley (Bennett), Katie; and brother, Johannes. He was predeceased by his daughter, Marlene; and brothers Dirk, Egbert, and Egbert Jan.
Martin was born in Nieuwleusen, the Netherlands on May 9, 1927. The second youngest in a family of five boys, he grew up on a small farm outside of the town of Balkbrug, Overijssel. He was a child during the depression and a teenager during World War II, and years later he would often recount stories from these difficult times to his children and grandchildren. In 1950, at the age of 22, he immigrated to Canada on his own and made Edmonton his home.
In 1953, Martin met Clara Smit, who also came from the town of Balkbrug, and whom he knew from their childhood years at grade school and church. They began dating shortly after her arrival in Canada and were married within six months. They raised five children in Beverly in the east end of Edmonton.
Martin had diverse interests and passions. He loved to play chess, anywhere, anytime, and he taught all his kids how to play. He was an avid reader throughout his years, choosing books on medicine and psychology as well as suspense and war novels.
Martin will be remembered by many as a kind and humble man. He was thoughtful and intelligent, and he loved to tell a good story or a joke. He made his way through life with a quiet but firm faith, which led to his care and compassion for others.
The family wishes to extend a heartfelt thank-you to the Homecare staff at the Emmanuel Home for their compassionate care.
A Memorial Service will be held at Trinity Christian Reformed Church on Thursday, October 7 at 1:00 pm. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a maximum of 50 people is permitted to attend.
The service will also be live-streamed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0UikzDwNY
To view the Funeral Service LIVE - click here
