Obituary for Anna Monica Karperien (Strasky)
Karperien, Anna Monica
July 31, 1940 – June 10, 2019
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mom, Ann Karperien. She was a woman with tremendous intelligence and heart. She was the mother to three daughters and the grandmother to six grandchildren and two great grandsons. Her nurturing and caring heart also served the many clients she cared for in her years as a homecare worker and elementary school secretary. Our mom was kind and it gave her great pleasure to give. She loved to surprise her grandchildren with “loot bags” marking different occasions. She also reached out to her family in Saskatchewan with little gifts and cards letting them know that they were important and thought of. Our mom loved the prairies, wildflowers and animals, especially cats. We are grateful for her examples of kindness, and proud of the generosity of love she shared with those she knew and strangers she met along the way. When anyone suffered a heartbreaking loss, our mom shared this poem with them. In her honor,we share it with you now.
Perceptions
I’m standing upon the seashore. The ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says “There she goes”. Gone where? Gone from my sight…. that’s all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says “There she goes”, there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “There she comes.”
Left to mourn her loss are her children, Kathy (Brian) Spiegelmann, Lori (Larry) Fisher and Debbie McDonald, our dad Gary Karperien, her grandchildren, Chelsea (Brett), Katie, Nicholas, Samantha and Daniel, as well as her great-grandchildren, Kaden and Carter. She is now reunited with her grandson, Kevin, and her parents, Adam and Mary Strasky.
In accordance with our mom’s wishes, we will not hold a funeral. We will gather as a family to share love and stories of our mother that we loved so much. If you wish, donations on her behalf can be made to the Meow Foundation. To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Ann, visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.
July 31, 1940 – June 10, 2019
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mom, Ann Karperien. She was a woman with tremendous intelligence and heart. She was the mother to three daughters and the grandmother to six grandchildren and two great grandsons. Her nurturing and caring heart also served the many clients she cared for in her years as a homecare worker and elementary school secretary. Our mom was kind and it gave her great pleasure to give. She loved to surprise her grandchildren with “loot bags” marking different occasions. She also reached out to her family in Saskatchewan with little gifts and cards letting them know that they were important and thought of. Our mom loved the prairies, wildflowers and animals, especially cats. We are grateful for her examples of kindness, and proud of the generosity of love she shared with those she knew and strangers she met along the way. When anyone suffered a heartbreaking loss, our mom shared this poem with them. In her honor,we share it with you now.
Perceptions
I’m standing upon the seashore. The ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says “There she goes”. Gone where? Gone from my sight…. that’s all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says “There she goes”, there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “There she comes.”
Left to mourn her loss are her children, Kathy (Brian) Spiegelmann, Lori (Larry) Fisher and Debbie McDonald, our dad Gary Karperien, her grandchildren, Chelsea (Brett), Katie, Nicholas, Samantha and Daniel, as well as her great-grandchildren, Kaden and Carter. She is now reunited with her grandson, Kevin, and her parents, Adam and Mary Strasky.
In accordance with our mom’s wishes, we will not hold a funeral. We will gather as a family to share love and stories of our mother that we loved so much. If you wish, donations on her behalf can be made to the Meow Foundation. To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Ann, visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.