HELEN (EGERT) KANZ

Helen Kanz

Helen was born July 22, 1931 to Olga and Carl Egert.  She was the oldest of 8 children and grew up on a farm near Cando.  After finishing her education in Salter, Helen moved to Cando where she worked in the Red & White Store.  She later took a position teaching grades 1 through 7 at Salter School.

In 1950, Helen married Henry Kanz and moved to a farm 13 miles north of Biggar where Henry had built a home for them.  They worked hard to establish their farm, milking 7 cows, raising beef cattle and a few chickens, and harvesting wheat, barley, and oats.  Henry and Helen had 3 daughters, Jacquelyn, Cindy and Lori.  Helen enjoyed being a wife and mother, cooking, sewing, cleaning, and helping Henry on the farm.  She especially loved hauling grain in harvest time.  Helen kept a huge garden.  She was very talented and creative.  She learned to sew, crochet, knit and embroider, and she put these skills to use decorating her home and making her children’s clothes.  She was a great cook and loved to entertain.  Helen and Henry spent many winter hours at the kitchen table sharing meals, stories and a game of Kaiser with family and friends.  Helen loved to dance, and she and Henry regularly attended the community dances at Monarch, Lizard Lake and Cando.  In the summer, she and Henry and the girls would go to soft ball tournaments, wiener roasts, and church picnics.  Helen was always very active in the Lutheran church.  She taught Sunday School, sang in the church choir and took her turns directing the annual Christmas Concert.      

When their children were old enough to look after themselves, Helen sold Tupperware in the evenings and went to work at the Diamond Lodge Long Term Care Home as a Nurse’s aide and later, as a Kitchen Assistant.  In 1985 Helen and Henry left the farm and moved to Biggar.  The highlight of their days became playing with their two granddaughters.   

In the spring of 2000, Henry passed away.  Helen kept busy with family, friends and church.  She played Kaiser every week at New Horizons, joined the Monday afternoon stitching club, and continued to attend the local dances of Biggar and Landis.  Helen moved to Diamond Lodge in March of 2018 and lived there until she passed. 

The details of Helen’s life are so important, but they can never sum up the story of who Helen really was.  A witty, wise, intelligent, loving, humble, gracious, fun-loving, and forgiving woman.  A woman whose family and community focus touched so many lives deeply and forever.  A courageous woman who boldly faced pain and sorrow—gladly if it meant another day of beautiful sunsets and birds singing in the morning.  An adventurous woman who followed her husband, children, and grandchildren through fields, cities, ideas, and mountain trails.  A great spirit that will accompany all of us who loved her on adventures of our own until we meet again.

Left to cherish:  Jacquelyn (Greg Moore) Kanz, Cindy Kanz, Lori (Murray) McNally; Brittany (Kean Steeves) McNally, Marilyn (Dylan Ramsay) McNally, Abram Moore, Celia (Brandon Baader) Brownlee-Moore; Ed (Ann) Egert, Emil (Bonnie) Egert, Bill Egert; Evelyn (Carson) Ramsay, June (Ed) Shlakat; Gloria Egert, Fran Egert. 

Predeceased:  Henry Kanz (2000); Rudy Egert, Eric Egert; Carl and Olga Egert.

Donations in Helen's memory may  be made to: The Redeemer Lutheran Church, Biggar, SK, S0K 0M0

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