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Family
Marriage: Children:
  1. Michael BECKER: Birth: 26 NOV 1954 in Berlin, Germany. Death: 16 JAN 2011 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

  2. Person Not Viewable


Sources
1. Title:   Canadian Phone and Address Directories, 1995-2002
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005;

Notes
a. Note:   BISCHOF, Renate May 29, 1932 - May 10, 2011 Reni passed away peacefully at the Southwood Hospice in Calgary, Alberta on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at the age of 78 from cancer. She was born May 29, 1932 in Berlin, Germany to Max and Hertha Bischof. She was the oldest of four children: Renate, Gundela, Jürgen, and Joanie. She married Klaus Becker in 1954 and came to Canada in 1962, where she lived in Kitchener, Guelph, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and most recently Edmonton. She is survived by her daughter Katrin (Becker) and son-in-law Jim (Parker) of Cochrane, grandchildren: Adam, Bailey, Max, Ava, and Sara, her daughter-in-law Barbara (Becker), sisters Gundela, Joan, and brother Jürgen. She was predeceased by her husband Klaus Becker (1971), son Michael Becker (2011), and parents: Max (1940), and Hertha (1982). There will be a memorial for family and friends in Calgary on Sunday, May 29 to celebrate her life. Please contact Katrin Becker 403-932-6322 ([email protected]) or visit www.minkhollow.ca/renibischof for more information. Arrangements in care of COCHRANE COUNTRY FUNERAL HOME of Cochrane. Telephone: 403-932-1039, www.cochranecountry funeralhome.com Mom was diagnosed with stage-4 breast cancer last July. There were tumours in her bones and she was started on palliative treatment. The treatments were going well and her condition seemed quite stable. She did not have any pain. She truly enjoyed seeing so much of her family at Sara's wedding in August, which was especially nice because Michael seemed to be on his way to recovery after his major surgery in March. Shortly after that Michael's condition took a bad turn. She had a very hard time with Michael's passing - I'm sure that no-one can know what it's like to loose a child unless they have been through it. I am grateful to Adam and Vic for being there for Oma while Michael was ill and after he passed. I know you made a huge difference in one of the hardest times of her life. I am also grateful to her neighbours MaryEllen and Kevin for all their kindness and help for my mom while she was living in Edmonton. Your friendship was very important to her I know. As Easter approached it became clear that Mom was not doing well and was getting rapidly weaker. Mom went for a blood transfusion on Thursday April 28, and they found problems with her liver and kidney function. She was told on Friday (April 29) that the cancer had spread to her liver and that she had maybe 2-3 months left. After that she went downhill very quickly. She was admitted to hospital on that Thursday (April 28), and moved to the palliative care unit at the Grey Nuns in Edmonton a week later (May 5). We arranged for her to be moved to Calgary because that was where she wanted to be. She was moved to the Southwood Hospice Monday morning May 9). She made it home. They told me that when she arrived she was comfortable, but unresponsive. The hospice is very nice and it's literally 3 blocks from the townhouse on 84th Ave. where we lived when we first came to Calgary. I think that may have been one of the happiest times in her life, so it was a fitting place for her part of our story to end. Jim and I went down to see her in the evening on that Monday. She spent her last day in very good hands. When we got to the room last night, they had unpacked her stuff and laid it out in the room - which looks more like a hotel room than a hospital (no carpets though...). They had her flowers on her table. They had laid out her books and even put her cigarettes out on her table. Her slippers were by her bed and her robe hanging in the closet. They really seem to care about making things nice for everyone. The rooms are all private and it's very quiet. She had both a TV and a radio, AND a window that was open so she could get fresh air. We sat with her for a while, played some music from the 30's (mostly jazz) and though she could no longer move, she did respond when I talked to her. She knew we were there and I know she heard me. We went to get some dinner and by the time we got back, they had put new pillow cases on her pillows (the others didn't need to be changed as they weren't dirty), shifted her position and put some lip balm on her lips. The mattress is much softer than the one she had at the hospital. We sat with her for a while longer before going home. She had a very peaceful night and slipped away early the next morning. Knowing how strong-willed my mom always was, and how unbearably hard it was for her to watch her son suffer and leave, it is quite likely that once she realized it was her time to go, she was not going to dilly-dally about. She had a peaceful passing and did not appear to have suffered any physical pain. I wish her a safe journey to where ever she is going. May it be a place filled with glamour and dancing. We are sorry to hear of the passing of our good friend, Reni Bischof. We will miss our many visits in person and by email. Reni was a good person with a good heart. I first met Reni when I was dating J. Collins Meek, who was residing at her boarding house in Edmonton, Alberta and we became instant close friends. We had much in common. We both loved gardening, decorating and cooking. Writing was more an admired skill of her on my part, but we enjoyed many of the same books, films and music. Reni was a great cook and loved to entertain. Collins and I had great fun reminiscing and laughing as we gathered around her dinner table both in Calgary and in Edmonton, or when we went out for dinner together. We will never forget the stories told of her life in Germany. It is amazing the courage and fortitude of her and her family. That courage and fortitude brought Reni through many difficult circumstances and helped her have empathy for the underprivileged in our society. As such, her homes became a refuge for the highly dysfunctional, "at-risk", forgotten foster-children in our society and many a life was blessed because she cared. Reni successfully changed lives as she showed these kids that even though they were write-offs by society's standard, she had great hopes that they could change and have a good life. She was able to rule with an iron-hand while showing forth great love at the same time...something these kids had never before experienced. This was not an easy task yet several of these "forgotten children" were actually saved from a life worse than death because Reni would not give up on them, even when it would have been easier to have done so. We became even closer friends when I became her Real Estate Agent when she moved to Calgary. We had such fun finding "just the right house for her kids" as she called all the young people she helped to become "more" because she gave them hope. She had an uncanny ability of turning an ordinary house into and extra-ordinary home where everyone felt welcome, safe and comfortable. Of course, her greatest love was her own family. So even though she loved Calgary, she made the decision to move back to Edmonton a few years ago, because she loved her family more than Calgary and wanted to be near them again. She was very proud of the achievements of all her children, and her Grandchildren. She has left a legacy of love and caring; of endurance and fortitude. Reni will be greatly missed. Sincerely, Jeannette & Collins Meek


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