Anna Clare Telke, beloved wife of the late Ottokar (Otto) Telke, passed away peacefully at the age of 79 years on Wednesday, December 21, 2016 in the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. To cherish her memory she leaves her children and grandchildren, Brenda (Don) Chapman and their children, Jocelynn (Davin Heintz) and Janessa(Ryan) Humphreys; Brian(Pamela Steele) Krause; Sherri (Burt) Skuban and their children Christopher (Kait) and Sheldon (Crystal Sivertsen) Skuban; her step children, Louise (Glenn) Deering and their children, Denise and Derek (Carlene); Deborah Telke and her children, Kimberly (Allen) Gould, Devon (Chad) Patience, and Jeneal (Mathew) Vargo; Owen (Leanne) Telke and their children, Ryan (Melissa) Telke, Kaitlin (Justin) Hall and Kyle Telke; her sister, Bonnie Kallen (Ray Mackie) of Delta, BC; ten great grandchildren as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She now follows her husband, Ottokar Telke, who passed away in August 2016. Anna was also predeceased by her parents, John and Margaret Boyd, two brothers, Douglas and Lawrence, her stepson, Brian Telke and her first husband, Oswald Krause.
Anna Clare (Boyd) Telke was born on May 1, 1937 in Lethbridge, Alberta. She attended school in Lethbridge and Calgary, Alberta. After completing school she became a secretary at Miller & Brown Transport of Medicine Hat. She married Oswald Krause in June of 1956. They resided in Red Deer and the Medicine Hat area. Ossie and Anna were blessed with three children, Brenda, Brian and Sherri Krause. While living in Medicine Hat, Anna also worked as a custodian at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and later at Andy’s Furniture Mart.
In the early 1970’s Anna moved from Medicine Hat to Brooks, Alberta with her second husband, Otto Telke. Anna`s family then expanded with her step children, Louise, Deborah, Owen and Brian Telke.
In Brooks, Anna and Otto owned and operated Otto’s Furniture Store from the 1970’s until 1989. While in Brooks, she and Otto not only ran the furniture store but also a lighting store, the storage business and other business endeavours for many years. Anna was also very active in the downtown business association in Brooks.
In addition, Anna was deeply involved in many church activities at the Duchess Lutheran Church. When not working or spending time with family you would find her, teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School or taking part in the Lutheran Women`s Missionary League. After closing their furniture store in town, they then moved onto an acreage a bit north of Brooks and started Telke’s Mini Storage.
Anyone who knew Anna would know of her love for horses! She got her first horse, Blue Boy, when she was only 10 years old. Anna loved Arabians and spent decades raising, training and riding her beloved horses. She loved to show her Arabian horses, both in Western and English classes. Anna participated in many horse shows and parades over the years with her daughter, Sherri Skuban. Anna also had Arabian costumes which she wore to compete in costume classes in horse shows and to show off her and her horse’s finery in various parades. She belonged to the Shortgrass Riding Club in Brooks where she held the position of Secretary for a time and was instrumental in organizing horse shows for the club.
Anna and Otto had many opportunities to travel extensively and had a condo in Hawaii. Her children remember them hosting big family Christmases at the acreage in Brooks. Anna really enjoyed all the preparations and festivities surrounding the Christmas season. The grandchildren remember especially the New Year`s Eve parties with Grandma while their parents were celebrating elsewhere. Anna would open the front door to welcome in the New Year and give the children pans from the kitchen to chase the old year out the back door. The grandchildren will also remember spending time in the summers where Grandma would have them riding her horses and showing them the procedures that would happen in a show ring. Another one of the treasured memories is making delicious jam with Grandma on the acreage.
Anna and her husband lived on the acreage just outside of Brooks until their retirement in July 2011. Retirement brought them back to Medicine Hat and condo living until their health dictated more extensive care.
Most people who knew Anna would think of her as pretty mild-mannered. However, you might want to ask her sister about a time when Anna was so mad at her brother that she chased him with a board that had a nail in it! You might also hear about her chasing her brother, Doug and banging his head on the sidewalk when he refused to help her dry dishes. Her mom was at work so a neighbour lady had to intervene.
Anna was very proud of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She would tell anyone who would listen about their activities and accomplishments. Anna was deeply loved by her family and will be remembered fondly by so many.
Family and friends who wish to pay their respects may do so at the PATTISON FUNERAL HOME on Thursday, December 29, 2016 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held in the St. Paul Lutheran Church (515 Sprague Way SE) on Friday, December 30, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. with Rev. Ken Edel officiating. Interment will follow in the Prairie View Cemetery. As an expression of sympathy donations may be made to the Lutheran Hour Ministry c/o Lutheran Layman’s League of Canada, 270 Lawrence Ave, Kitchener, Ontario N2M 1Y4 or Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, (cheques payable to MH&D Health Foundation) 666 5th Street SW, Medicine Hat, T1A 4H6 or the Duchess Lutheran Church, 117 – 1 St E, Duchess, AB T0J 0Z0. To e-mail an expression of sympathy, please direct it to: pattfh@telusplanet.net subject heading: Anna Telke, or you may visit www.pattisonfuneralhome.com and leave a message of condolence.
