Peacefully, after a long illness, our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Edgar Kehler passed away on February 17, 2006 at Bethesda Hospital.He leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife Helen; children, Terry (Jacqueline), Tim and Chris (Charis); and grandchildren, Cassandra, Julian, Hunter and Ty. He is also survived by his sisters, Mary (Ike) Giesbrecht of Winnipeg, Betty (Gus) Dueck of Mitchell and Helen Hildebrandt of Steinbach; his brothers, Stan (Mary) of Mitchell, Ben (Martha) of Steinbach, Pete (Eva) of Steinbach, and Ernie of Calgary as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents, Dave and Helen Kehler, his brothers Dave, Henry and Jake, his sister-in-law Helen and his brother-in-law Bill Hildebrandt. Dad was born on June 7, 1935 in the Steinbach area and grew up on the family farm. Many memories and stories were created there. Dad was a dreamer and in 1959, after working construction in Dryden, ON and saving a bit of money, he decided to start his own restaurant. He and Helen were married in 1963. They both attended Steinbach Mennonite Church and were baptized there. Dad loved the church and ushered there for about 20 years. They worked together with their sons in the restaurant for 40 years and made many friends. Dad and Mom loved to watch the beautiful sunrises in the mornings before they started their day. Together, they marveled at God’s handiwork in nature. As the kids were growing up they purchased a cabin at Falcon Lake and enjoyed their little piece of heaven every summer. As the children got older and grandchildren started to appear, Dad showed other skills besides cooking. With time and a nurturing touch, he was able to turn his backyard into a child’s paradise. There was a handcrafted wooden walkway leading through an enchanted forest, over a bridge, past some very life-like bears and at the very end stood a magical tree house just for you. The many types of flowers and the fish pond were a nice touch, too! When Dad retired in 1999, we all remembered the many wonderful years spent in his restaurant and how he could go out of his way to make a complete stranger feel right at home. Dad spent his retirement spending time with his wife, visiting with family and friends and enjoying life through his grandchildren. Dad’s health started to fail over the last few years. He was diagnosed with Picks’ Disease (The Long Goodbye) in fall 2004. He enjoyed all the many visits to him at home and in the hospital and despite the illness, tried to make little pieces of his personality shine through. Mom and the amazing staff at Bethesda Hospital always tried to give Dad the very best quality of life he could have. Thank you. The family would like to thank Dr. Thiessen for his excellent care, very kind attention and the respect he showed Dad and the family during this difficult time. Special thanks to all those who came often, for your support and encouragement and especially to those who helped walk Dad; Aunt Tina, Helga Froese, Tony and Eva Unger, Eric and Anne Froese, Stan and Mary Kehler and Henry and Erna Dueck. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, February 22 at 2:00 p.m. at the Steinbach Mennonite Church, with viewing Tuesday, February 21, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Steinbach Mennonite Church. Interment will take place at Heritage Cemetery.
