ROSELIS WARD

Roselis Ward passed away on April 25 in Unity at the age of 90 years

Private family service to be held with a formal service to follow at a later date

If desired donations may be directed to:
Saskatchewan Alzheimers Society, Unity United Church or the charity of choice

WARD: R e v. R o s e l i s Elisabeth Ward (“Rose”). Rose was born January 22, 1930 in Herne, Westphalia, Germany. Her father Max Wa c h h o l z , wa s a p o l i c e officer. Her mother Auguste (nee Fuchs) was a registered nurse. By 1938 Rose’s dad had become a Germany Army officer, as a series of rapid m o ve s a c ro s s G e r m a n y followed. Dad was almost always away on duty. After 1943, air raids became a continual reality. At mid-year 1943, the family was bombed out. Eventually Rose and her mom sought shelter with her mom’s windowed mother in Halle Germany, a city which was occupied by the Russian Army soon after WWII ended in May 1945. The Russian occupation was brutal. Rose’s little family stood at the brink of starvation. When both her mom and grandmother died, Rose managed alone to escape to West Germany. She arrived at a refugee Centre in Stuttgart, where social service agencies placed her as a live-in ‘nanny’ in a large, loving Christian family in nearby Schorndorf. Her employer had, before the Nazi era (1993-1945) worked as a Christian educator. Rose was determined to follow in her footsteps. Rose attended a Lutheran normal school (teacher’s college), then served ten years as a parish assistant in Stuttgart. In 1965, Rose sought and won a World Council of Churches scholarship to study theology in North America. She was sent to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. There a year later she met a younger ministry student, George Ward. After their marriage and graduation together, they immigrated to Ontario, where George served two congregations and Rose occasionally supplied a German-speaking congregation in nearby Hamilton. After further study at McMaster University, George joined the Canadian Armed Forces Chaplain Service. Over the next 13 years of military postings it took the whole familythrough most provinces. George left the army in 1987, the family moved through four more prairie communities, including eight years service in Unity (1987-1995) Rose (ordained by the United Church of Canada in May 1987), served alongside George in this area’s sprawling Unity - Meridian Pastoral Charge. Rose was always a more interesting preacher than I, George admits! Rose followed George through three more pastoral charges from 1995-2009, Rose filled in for up to a year in vacant pulpits, in areans George was servicing. Finally the two returned to Unity at the urging of son Chris and daughter-in-law Tammy. In January 2016, her health failing, Rose moved to Unity Long Term Care. She died there in her sleep early Saturday, April 25, 2020. Rose was predeceased by her parents in Germany, Max and Auguste Wachholz, unofficial foster parents, Kurt and Lore Volz of Stuttgart, son Richard (Ricky) who died in Calgary in 2002. Left to mourn her is her husband George of Unity, son Chris Ward (Tammy) of Unity and her grandchildren Andrew Ward (Saskatoon), Eva Ward (Edmonton) and Thomas Ward (Windsor, Ontario); also her “foster siblings” in Germany Peter Volz, Ursula Frank, Dorothy Seitz and Hans-Martin Volz. Interment will take place April 30 at Pleasantview Cemetery with a private family service due to Covid 19 restrictions. A memorial service for Rose will be scheduled at a later date in Unity United Church once the restrictions have been lifted. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society of Saskatchewan, Unity United Church or to charities of your choice. Family contact is Rev. George Ward, Box 2112, Unity, Saskatchewan S0K 4L0 or Chris Ward at Box 1225, Unity, Saskatchewan S0K 4L0. 

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