Charlotte Hirch
Mar. 1, 1937 to Mar. 17, 2020
HIRCH – Charlotte Hirch went to be with her Lord and Saviour on March 17, 2020 at the age of 83 years. A Celebration of Life will be planned for a later date. Charlotte is survived by: Linda (Earl) Binder, Dorothy (Victor) Lethbridge, Rolf Hirch (Vicki), Larry (Rachelle) Hirch and Sheila Hirch (Matthias), as well as grandchildren; Jessica (Justin) Mohan, Karla (Derek) Wolbeck, Ellie Hirch (Brett Kanuka), Conor Hirch, Liam Hirch, Maddie Hirch, Telissa Lethbridge, great grandsons; Bennett and Koen Wolbeck; brother Norbert Hirschkorn, and numerous nieces and nephews. Charlotte was predeceased by her grandson Brett Binder, sister Isoldi Toly and her husband of 62 years, Reinhold. Charlotte was born March 1, 1937 in Tarutino, Bessarabia, Romania, which is modern day Moldova. Her German ancestors farmed in this area for over 125 years having arrived in the early 1800s as a result of Catherine the Great’s resettling initiative with farmers of German descent. Charlotte’s grandfather was the last mayor of Tarutino, a city of 10,000. It was during the start of WWII that all occupants were evacuated, and her family was sent to a refugee camp in Bavaria, Germany. From there they were required to go to Poland where her father managed a series of farms. As the war was ending, Charlotte’s parents, Alfred and Lily Hirschkorn and two siblings, Isolde (Toly) and Norbert, fled for a second time. This journey brought them to Germany as war refugees. Their wagon was one of a small percentage that survived the dangerous trek. In Germany they lived in barracks in Neu Wulmstorf, east of Hamburg, where her father worked on the docks. He looked for any opportunity to immigrate to his country of choice, Canada. This chance came with the help of the Canadian Red Cross in 1953. Charlotte sailed with her family aboard the Beaverbrae to St. John, New Brunswick. The journey continued by train to Lethbridge, Alberta. It was there that her family fulfilled their two-year work contract by hoeing sugar beets for a local farmer and in this way paid back the resettlement program. Their home was a two-room converted wooden grain bin that they managed to keep warm during the harsh winters. Upon arrival, 16 years old Charlotte did not speak English but soon learned. Other displaced Germans, with similar back grounds, arrived in those years and the young people met each other at dances and church and in this way, many found their life partners. So, it was with Charlotte who met Reinhold in 1955. They fell in love and were soon married. The young couple purchased land and arrived in Rolling Hills mid-November 1957 with one-year old Linda and newborn Dorothy. Their move happened during a snowstorm and it was the year when many snow-covered crops were still in the fields. It was a sign of the tenacity that it took to farm in the years to come. As Rolf and then Larry arrived, a new house was built in 1962 and then the last child, Sheila, was born. Charlotte was always a competitive and very good athlete. She enjoyed curling, her successful running wins at the Summer Games, clogging as part of the Clicky Chicks dancers, and gardening. She especially enjoyed growing her varieties of prairie-hardy fruit and shelter belt trees. Charlotte could tell you where every tree came from and many hours were spent pulling an irrigation hose around the yard, garden and her orchard. Charlotte loved to discover something new and enthusiastically share it with others. This could have been a new herb, tea, a new variety of flax, scarves, or the latest gadget like the cranking flashlights that she generously gifted to those around her. Charlotte loved music and had her own style of dancing to her favourites, Elvis and Tom Jones, as her children delightedly watched in awe of their mother’s moves. In her mid-forties her taste for music turned to a contemporary Christian music style and she loved to dance before the Lord with her hands up in praise. She attended the Faith Lutheran Church, the Rolling Hills Church of God, and she enjoyed going to The Well Church in Brooks. She was deeply spiritual and anyone who knew her soon realized that her passion as a Christian was a hope that she shared with many. Charlotte generously supported numerous ministries that she believed in, especially those that furthered the spreading of the gospel. She displayed her Christianity in that she was quick to forgive and always saw the best in everyone. One of Charlotte’s greatest joys was spending time with the family. She especially loved being with her grandchildren, “the Kindies”, and always looked forward to their many visits and family time. Her heart was big as she generously included and welcomed new children to her role as “Oma”. Charlotte / Mom / Oma / Gross Oma / Tanta Lotte was thankful for her life in Canada, which was a peaceful refuge from her early years of experiencing so much war. She was loved by many and her generosity, wisdom and kindness will be greatly missed. Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
For further information, to light a candle in memory of Charlotte or to leave a message of sympathy, please visit www.thomsfuneralhome.com or call (403) 501-1010.
