VERKERK - JOHANNA BETTY
Born: December 17th, 1927 - Died: Feb 16th, 2015. Jopie was born in 1927 to a gardener and his wife. She and her two sisters grew up in Eerbeek, a small village in the south of Holland. During the occupation of Holland, she met her husband to be Frits who was hiding at a farm not far from where she lived. At the end of the war, Jopie followed Frits to Kelowna where they married and began a new chapter as Canadians. Jopie helped clear and plant the apple orchard while bringing up three boys, John, Robert and Frits Jr. Her greatest passion though was her music, she played the organ every Sunday at St. Michael’s Cathedral and later St. Andrews in the mission. There were countless weddings, christenings, funerals and choir practices where she was asked to play the organ which she did with gusto!. In later life, Jopie travelled extensively until her dementia kept her at home in the care of a great gal named Kathie Almos. She made sure her life was full. A Special Thanks to all the caregivers at Mountainview Village who took great care of Jopie in her 2.5 years there. A Celebration of Johanna’s life will be held from St. Marys Anglican Church, 2710 East Kelowna Road, Kelowna on Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 at 1:00 PM. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.firstmemorialfuneralkelowna.com In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society of BC or Kelowna SPCA in memory of Jopie.
Arrangements entrusted with
First Memorial Funeral Services,
Kelowna. 250-762-2299