Fortenbacher, Margaret (nee Wittmann)

Margaret Fortenbacher, age 87, of St. Jacobs Ontario, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kitchener.

She was born on July 7, 1931 in Neu Pasua, Yugoslavia to Friedrich and Magdalena (Deschner) Wittmann. Margaret had a very happy childhood, but her life drastically changed in 1945 as the result of World War II when her family became imprisoned in a concentration camp. It was there that she lost her parents and 3 siblings, Fritz, Magdalena and Herta. God had a special purpose for sparing Margaret’s life, and she eventually immigrated to Canada where she met and married Vladimir Fortenbacher on February 22, 1959. They were blessed with 55 years of marriage before Vladimir preceded Margaret in death in 2014.

Margaret gave her life to the Lord at the age of 22 and was a member of the Apostolic Christian Church for 65 years. She was a great example of a God-fearing woman to all who knew her. Her family will especially miss her stories of Neu Pasua, her laugh, and her generous and forgiving nature. She spent many hours sewing quilts and pot holders and knitting washcloths which she enjoyed gifting to so many.

She will be sadly missed by her twelve children; Astrid (Henry Schlauch), Aron (Tamara McCarty), Carola (Jay Schlatter), Lydia (Todd Graf), Wanda (Roscoe Hilty), Ingrid, Rosanne (Dan Graf), Magdalena (Clint Schmidt), Waldemar David, Johanna, Barbara (Arlyn Zollinger), and Miriam (Nathan Reutter); her 30 grandchildren; Virginia, who also preceded Margaret in death in 2012, Dennis, Matthew (Jennifer), April, Olivia, Rebecca, Nickolas, Andreas, Natasha (Heath), Alexander, Kenny, Jesse, Carmen, Orin, Audrey, Rick, Jolene (Kenneth), Mark, Thomas (Angie), Nathan, Tristan, Sierra, Cheyenne, Julia (Greg), Roy, Elmer, Lucas, Gabrielle, Jason, Phoebe and her 7 great-grandchildren, Logan, Hunter, Isabella, Harper, Rhett, Autumn and Willow.

Margaret is survived by her brother Jakob Wittmann and sister Florina Neu; sister in law of Anna Ivkovic (Zivojin deceased), Rose and Joe Varga, Mary Fortenbacher and Veronica Szenyi (Dragutin Fortenbacher deceased) nieces, nephews and cousins.

Blessed be her memory.