10/15/2025
BOEHR, ANNE
January 9, 1932 - October 15, 2025
Anne (Kornelsen) Boehr passed away on October 15, 2025, at the age of 93, at the Manitou Lodge in Watrous, Saskatchewan.
Anne was born on January 9, 1932 to Johann Jakob and Katharina (Janzen) Kornelsen near Watrous, SK, the first of her siblings to be born in Canada. Life was not easy during the depression: hauling water and wood, daily chores, gardening, harvesting and feeding livestock on, first the “Stone Farm” 1.5 miles southeast of Manitou Lake; and then later on the ”Brick House” site (known to most as the Ed Kornelsen farm).
She attended Plymouth school through grade 9, which was an accomplishment in that day. After, she was able to go to Rosthern Bible School for a year (1949-50), where she met Fred Ernest Boehr, drawn to him for his strong faith and sense of humour. They were married on Sept. 16, 1951 at Bethany Mennonite Church in Watrous, which was the first wedding ceremony to be held in the new building. They lived in the Saskatoon area for the next nine years, both in the city and the country.
Then came the children: seven! The first were born in Saskatoon: David Richard, Daniel Arthur, Bruce Edgar, and Brian Irwin. The rest came once they moved to their farm northeast of Watrous in 1960: Randolph Fred, Ruby Anne and Laura Dianne.
Raising seven children was a full time job and Anne worked tirelessly to clothe and feed the family from the fruits of her labour. In those earlier years of marriage and child rearing, she planted and harvested an enormous garden each year (with seemingly endless rows of potatoes), and stocked a large cold room full of canned goods and root vegetables. She butchered chickens. She sewed clothes for the children and herself, knitted and quilted. She became an amazing cook—with a household of nine, she got a lot of practise! Even with all the work she accomplished daily, she somehow made time for the beautiful things in life, making sure that her garden had flowers as well as vegetables. She took pride in a straight and even stitch, a tidy house, and followed recipes to the letter to ensure a successful result. Guests were greeted with a well-set table (hand decorated tablecloths and the fancy dishes), clean sheets and matching towels.
There was not a wealth of extra time or money in this family, but they found ways to enjoy life where they could and ways to stretch what they did have. Sunday mornings were for church, followed by hosting “company” for lunch or faspa, going for walks in the fields or driving around the country—honouring it as a day of rest. Sunday dinner was often a roast chicken, but as the family grew, that expanded to two chickens. In spite of limited finances, there was always food on the table, rabbit and venison included, and all the fresh milk they could drink. Fred and the boys hunted and fished—once, on a Mother’s Day they were able to “convince” mom that they should go fishing while she stayed at home! They had great family times that were less costly: Saturday and Sunday night TV shows (Bonanza, The Ed Sullivan Show, High Chaparral, Walt Disney, Hockey Night in Canada), and Anne would knit or make popcorn on these evenings. They chose camping trips and extended family gatherings over expensive vacations. And, with Anne’s sister in India as a missionary, they still managed to collect their dimes to send her way.
While outdoor cats and dogs were standard on the farm, they often became more in the hearts of Anne and the family: Gypsy and Nicky (dogs), Penny (tabby cat), Mitzy (poodle) and Rusty (the tomcat who was never supposed to be in the house, but somehow often was).
Anne was a person of great faith—both in her personal life and in the life of her faith community. She was baptised on June 18, 1950; and later, when a mother, she taught Sunday School, served on committees, sang in the choir, cooked at summer Bible camp, went to women’s retreats, and was a part of the “Ladies Aid” which made soap and quilts for Mennonite Central Committee (an organization that provided aid and relief world-wide). Later in life, when the Bethany Church had closed its doors, she continued to attend other churches and Bible study groups.
There came a time when raising her own children was winding down and becoming a grandmother was picking up. She loved her grandkids dearly and spent a lot of time with them; but also deliberately chose to pursue some of her own interests. She loved to read, and enrolled in night classes like reflexology, Chinese cooking and furniture upholstery. She volunteered at the Lanigan Mennonite Thrift Store, delivered Meals on Wheels, joined the Watrous Horticultural Society, and belonged to the local TOPS group for years. She made baby blankets for each grandchild, knitted afghans as high school graduation gifts, and quilted blankets as their wedding gifts. There were many road trips to visit children and grandchildren in those years.
After Fred died (Nov. 1989 at the age of 60), she spent a year on the farm before moving into town in 1990. She continued to have a large garden and more time for her interests and hobbies. Family often gathered in her home. She travelled with Kornelsen relatives to Germany, and with Boehr siblings to a extended Boehr family reunion, a bus tour in the US, and even a trip to Hawaii.
She moved into her condo in 2009 where, while she didn’t have a garden, she managed to have home-grown tomatoes and flowers on her patio. She enjoyed the company of good neighbors and friends, puzzles in the common room and a weekly canasta night with the ladies.
Due to the onset of dementia, she was admitted to the care home in Nokomis in the fall of 2017, and then the Manitou Lodge in the spring of 2018. Family continued to visit her as they were able, trying to instill moments of joy into her life. The staff there adopted her into their family and provided the care she needed until the end, calling her their “Annie”.
An incident on Oct. 12, 2025 left her unresponsive and mere days later; she was able to move onto yet another phase of her life in the company of her Savior and the fellowship of those who had gone before.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Fred, her daughter Ruby Janzen, and all of her seven brothers and five sisters and their spouses, save her sister-in-law Lena Kornelsen.
Left to mourn Anne are her remaining children, grandchildren and great grandchildren: Dave (Sherry Ford) Boehr with 3 children and 2 grandchildren: Dan (Connie Enns) Boehr with 4 children and 8 grandchildren; Bruce (Diane Dyck) Boehr with 3 children and 4 grandchildren; Brian (Joyce Dahl) Boehr and 2 children; Randy Boehr with 2 children 3 grandchildren; son-in-law Arnold Janzen (Ruby) with 2 children and 3 grandchildren; Laura (Greg) Wiebe with 3 children.
Anne really was welcomed into Fred’s family, and will be grieved by Fred’s remaining siblings, as well as the nieces and nephews of both the Boehr and Kornelsen families, and those that she had lifelong friendships with.
With heartfelt appreciation, we acknowledge the many expressions of sympathy that the family has already received from those who loved Anne in this life, and extend our own condolences to those who will miss her.
A private family service will take place on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025 at the Fotheringham Funeral Chapel. For those who wish to watch, it will be livestreamed on the Fotheringham-McDougall page.
For online condolences, tributes or to make a donation to the MCC Thrift Store in Lanigan or Manitou Lodge Activity Department in Anne Boehr's memory, please visit: https://fotheringham-mcdougall.com/.../Boehr-Anne/index.php
