Friederike (Friedl) Stenger
Our beloved wife and mother passed away with her usual quiet grace on the morning of November 2nd, 2020, after struggling with Alzheimer’s for many years. In spite of her illness she was the rock that supported her husband Walter through sixty-eight years of marriage, and carried her children Christine (Hy Elmas), Peter (Janet Brown) and Dorothy (Steve Ardley) through life’s happy and sad moments. She will be missed by her grandchildren, Aisha Stenger-Elmas, Maia and Calli Stenger, and Erik, Kristian and Sonya Ardley who all brought her much happiness.
Friedl Stenger was born in 1927 in Gibau, in what was then Germany. She and her mother survived the war working as farm labourers and then settled in Volkersbrunn, W.Germany where she met her husband Walter Stenger. In difficult times she supported her mother and worked at a bank as they started a family. Walter was determined to create a new life for them in Canada so Friedl lived with her in-laws together with her mother and young daughter while Walter was building the foundation for a family life overseas. Even though she was reluctant to move to a foreign land and learn a new language Friedl came to Canada from Germany in 1956 to join her husband Walter. By 1960, they had created the foundations for their business, Uniform Builders, that after a number of transformations still exists today. Friedl was the exacting and detail-oriented bookkeeper and Walter brought in and organized the construction jobs. Friedl loved music and poetry and could sing songs and recite poems for hours. She never forgot her homeland and raised her family in German while teaching them music, song and poetry. Once the business was established there was more time to enjoy their love of travel, both on their own and with their family. Vacations included coast-to-coast explorations of Canada as well as hiking in the Dolomite mountains and regular visits to family in Germany. As an avid skier and nature lover Friedl equally loved her yearly ski trips to Aspen and the time she spent on the beach in Florida. Her most beloved retreat in Canada was their family cottage where her gardening skills created extraordinarily beautiful beds and plantings for everyone to enjoy. If Oma was missing, she was likely to be found up on the hill weeding her garden.
Friedl was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1993 and started treatment on an unproven medical program. Fortunately, this delayed the more severe stages and she was able to enjoy many good years while fighting the disease. The loving care of her dedicated caregivers, Melinda, Christine, Lory Jane, Fe, Maybelline and many more, allowed Friedl to have many happy times in her later years.

Although she is now gone, her energetic and loving spirit will continue to be seen in the seeds she has planted in both her family and in nature.