Luana Penner

Our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Luana Goossen Penner was born to Jacob and Maria Goossen on March 31, 1931. She passed away peacefully at Maplewood Manor on January 26, 2022, reaching the age of 90 years, 10 months and 26 days with children and grandchildren at her bedside.

Mom gave her heart to God at a young age. She was baptized into the Church of God in Christ Mennonite on December 1,1943.

Mom grew up in a family with four brothers and four sisters. They remember many good times. Mom enjoyed her times with her sisters where there was much laughter. She spent some time in Winnipeg working at the St. Elizabeth Hospital and a highlight of her youth was working at the peach cannery in Ontario.

On October 18, 1952, she married our father, Marvin W Penner. They made their home in Greenland MB, until October 1979 when they moved to Elma MB. In November 2017, they moved to the Maplewood Suites in Steinbach MB.

Mom enjoyed being a homemaker, working in her garden and with her flowers. We have many fond memories of Mom; sitting around her table eating fresh buns and bread. Mom always had a heart for the less fortunate and she loved to share her baking with others. When they were still involved in farming, she would bring full course meals to the field when we would have been happy with sandwiches. She loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and spent lots of time entertaining them. That was obvious, even in her last two weeks. Two days before her passing a couple of her young great-grandchildren came in and she waved at them and blew kisses at them.

Dad and Mom were married for 68 years until Dad’s passing in December 2020. This left mother very lonely. She often spoke of how she missed Dad.

Left to cherish precious memories are Brad, La Broquerie MB; Kim and Rachel, Elma, MB; Lorilyn and Tom Wiebe, Fullarton ON; Robert and Lucy, Pipestone MN; daughter in law Shirley Penner, Whitemouth MB; foster son Ernie Bullock, Medicine Hat AB; 18 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren; her siblings Victor Goossen, Percy Goossen, Ella and Gladwin Penner Steinbach MB; Anne and Jake Dueck, Ste. Anne MB; in-laws Ed Penner, Marlena Goossen and Martin and Grace Penner, Steinbach MB.

Between April 2020 and August 2021, she lost her husband Marvin , son Earl and daughter-in-law Helena. These losses brought her much sadness. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, son, daughter-in law, her parents, 2 sisters and 2 brothers.

A viewing will be held on Sunday, January 30, 2022 from 7 to 9 PM at the Whitemouth Church of God in Christ Mennonite in Elma MB. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, January 31, 2022 at the Whitemouth Church of God in Christ Mennonite followed by the interment and luncheon. For those who would like to listen to the funeral service, use the audio stream link: listentochurch.com/listen/whitemouth or Phone 1-(515)724-0004.

The family is deeply grateful to the Maplewood Manor staff for the excellent care shown to our Mom.