OVERES, Martha

MARTHA OVERES 1935 ~ 2026 It is with great sadness we mourn the loss of our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and beloved wife of William Overes. Mom passed away peacefully on October 3, 2026, at St. Michael’s Covenant Health Center.
Mom was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 21, 1935, to Cornelius and Maria Dol. She was one of 18 children. Mom witnessed many things while growing up in the Netherlands, especially during World War II. She did not like to talk about it, and she would never watch any movies about war.
Mom’s family immigrated to Canada in 1950, and she met her lifelong partner, William Overes. They were married in 1953 in Shaunessy, Alberta. Through this union 5 children were born: Maria, Simon, Barbara, Celia, and Patricia.
Mom was a great seamstress and sewed many clothes for her children and herself. She loved to knit, everything from socks to doll clothes, blankets, and slippers. For many years she sang with the Sweet Adelines. Our home was always filled with music, and her favorite albums to play were those of Herb Albert and the Tiajuana Brass.
She loved to bake and would make 8 loaves of bread at a time. Walking into the house with the smell of fresh baked bread was so welcoming! A fond memory was travelling to Warner, Alberta, to visit relatives on New Year’s Day, where she and her sister would make oliebollen, and we kids, along with our cousins, would eat them as fast as we could make them.
Mom enjoyed gardening and raising African violets. At one point she had about 30 different varieties of them. After downsizing her African violets, she began growing orchids. Mom had a green thumb when it came to our garden, and our backyard was always in full bloom during the summer. Her flowers and garden gave her great joy.
Mom was a very good housekeeper, and our home reflected that. She taught her children a good work ethic and helped provided for them by working at Trans Canada Freezers and Canbra Foods.
Mom is survived by her daughters Barbara Pierzchala (Brian) and Celia Hoggard (Michael), 6 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren, 9 siblings, many sisters-in-law, and numerous nephews and nieces.
Mom was predeceased by her husband, William; her daughters Maria, Patricia, and her son Simon; her son-in-law Brian; her parents; 8 siblings; and numerous in-laws.
Mom will be greatly missed by those she has left behind, but we know she is reunited with our dad and all those who went before her. What a wonderful homecoming she must be having!
Our family would like to extend a special thank you to all the wonderful angels that took care of our mom during her last days! You are greatly appreciated!
A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.
Cremation has been entrusted to Martin Brothers Funeral Services.
Visit www.mbfunerals.com to send a condolence.