VONKEMAN, Trudy
Posted: December 31st, 2019
Trudy Vonkeman
1934 – 2019
Our inspiring, tenacious, quick-witted and fun-loving mom Trudy Vonkeman (aka Geertruida Anke, née van Bruggen) left us on Friday, December 27 for new adventures. You may know her from her daily 5km coulee walks (until what turned out to be cancer stopped her in October), attendance at cultural happenings, or volunteer work with the Galt Museum & Archives and Dutch Canadian Club of Lethbridge.
Born June 25, 1934 to Hendrik van Bruggen (1900-1978) and Ankje (née Spoelstra, 1899-1980) in The Netherlands, Trudy survived WWII and the infamous hunger winter of 1944, as well as a near-drowning in Mallorca, Spain from laughing too hard, to live a life filled with family and great friends (including fellow Scout leaders); work as a stenographer, banking and book publisher assistant; travels by foot, bike, Solex, trains, planes, boats, sea kayaks… her most challenging adventure was emigrating to Canada in 1981 with husband Wim and three children to join his family on the prairies.
Left to mourn in Canada and recall great memories are daughter Anine (Chris, Mason & Lauren), sons Alwin (Vicky, Sebastian, Maxwell) and Herwin (Terriann, Christopher, Jeremy); in-laws John and Jo, Gerda, Elly, Ina and Cor Brouwer, Mary and Fred Venhuis, Pete Schuld, Louis Tolsma, and their families. In Papua New Guinea, Trudy’s oldest brother Johan and his extended family. In The Netherlands, Trudy’s youngest brother Henk van Bruggen (Ada, Maurice), her elder sister Elly’s children Anneke, Erik, Iris, Olaf, Yanthe and their families, Ditty Verburgh (Cor, Cor Jr., Marleen), Arnold van de Berg.
Trudy was predeceased by her parents, husband Wim Vonkeman (1929-2004), sister Elly (van Maanen), niece Madelon Mulder (van Bruggen), an infant sister, brothers-in-law Abe, Henk and Andy Vonkeman, Adrie van Maanen, and sisters-in-law Evelyn Tolsma and Alice Schuld. Marie Van Haarlem, who founded a maternity hospital in Lethbridge in 1910, was a direct relation of Trudy’s. Mom was amused that the path of her own life also ended up in Lethbridge.
A celebration to honour the unforgettable Trudy will be held in June 2020.
Visit www.mbfunerals.com to send a condolence.