VANDER BEEK, Johanna

“In Christ alone, my hope is found.
He is my light, my strength, my comforter, my all in all, my song.
Here in the dead of Christ I live!!”

VANDER BEEK

DR. JOHANNA “ANN” CORNELIA VANDER BEEK, beloved wife of Anton Vander Beek of Lethbridge, passed away at the Chinook Regional Hospital on Friday, November 17, 2017 at the age of 83 years.

Besides her husband Anton, she is lovingly remembered by her brother, Leen (Mies) Kayen, sister Corrie Hartenberg and brother Kees (Nel) Kayen, all of the Netherlands; sister-in-law, Frances Vander Beek and Nolda Smeding of Lethbridge, AB, Joan (John) Antonides of Penticton, BC and Nettie (Lloyd) Westra of Edmonton, AB.

Ann was predeceased by her parents, Gerrit and Johanna Kayen-VanHam, brother-in-law, Wim Hartenberg and Bert and Joe Vander Beek.

Ann was born on August 3, 1952 in Dubbeldam, Netherlands. She immigrated to Canada in 1952 to be with the love of her life, Anton “Tony” Vander Beek. They were married on April 22, 1953 and settled in Lethbridge.

Ann initially worked in office administration for a time but found her true calling as a teacher at LCI. She was a keen student in her studies at the Universities of Lethbridge and Calgary then took a leave of absence to complete her Doctorate Degree in Linguistics at the University of Nancy, France; she received her Degree and an Honorable Mention from the Jury on October 23, 1980 – a major accomplishment! Ann started at LCI as a senior high school French teacher and eventually became the head of the Modern Languages Department. She was active in the Provincial Department of Education and the Language Council.

Ann was also a devoted member of Maranatha Christian Reformed Church and spent many hours in the Prison Ministry. She took every chance she had to tell and show her love for Jesus.

Tony and Ann were quite the globe-trotters; they loved to travel and their passport stamps included Africa, Australia, America, South America as well as most countries in Europe, but their trips to Israel were the most precious to both of them.

Ann made many dear friends, leaving a positive impact on everyone she met. Nothing was more important to her than her Christian faith! She will be dearly missed.

A Visitation will be held at CORNERSTONE FUNERAL HOME, 2800 Mayor Magrath Drive South Lethbridge, AB on Thursday, November 23, 2017 from 7:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.

A Service of Remembrance will be held at MARANATHA CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH, 260 McGill Blvd West, Lethbridge, AB on Friday, November 24, 2017 at 11:00 A.M. with Pastor Jim Zondervan officiating.

Johanna will be laid to rest, prior to her service, at Mountain View Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Ann’s memory to the Gideon’s International in Canada, P.O. Box 3619, Guelph, Ontario N1H 7A2, or email info@gideons.ca, or phone (519) 823-1140.

To send a condolence, please visit www.cornerstonefuneralhome.com