Henry Giesler passed away April 11th, 2010 in the Chilliwack General Hospital at the age of 86.
He was born on October 28th, 1923 in Matildendorf, Bessarabia, Romania, to parents Gottfried & Natalie Giesler.
Together with his parents and siblings, he immigrated to Canada and settled in Holden, Alberta in January of 1928. In 1944, they moved again to a dairy farm on Lickman Road, in Chilliwack.
On July 21st, 1949 he married Frieda Ritz and in the spring of 1953 they purchased the farm on Young Road North where he lived for almost 56 years. He, together with Frieda, raised two daughters, Geraldine and Donna.
In 1988, he married Renee Toews (deceased).
Henry was a sawyer at Bowman’s Sawmill by trade but always a farmer at heart ... he worked at several other sawmills in the Chilliwack area for over 20 years, all the while running his dairy farm, raising beef and growing various crops. Farming gave him much joy; he loved to work in the fields and care for his livestock; he even knew his cows by name.
Henry was an active member of the Zion Evangelical Church and later, the Church of the Nazarene, where he served as usher and trustee for many years.
Never having retired, farming came to an abrupt halt in February, 2009 when he took a terrible fall and had to leave his beloved farm to reside at Norman Manor. Giving up his farm was the hardest thing that Henry ever had to do.
He is survived by his daughters, Gerry Irvine (Rick, deceased) of Abbotsford and Donna (Cliff) Pringle of Armstrong; grandchildren, Kim (Marcel) Kuhn, Brad (fiancee Pam) Irvine, James (Lindsay) Pringle, Ken (Angie) Pringle; he has 4 very precious great-grandchildren, Joshua, Cole, Ayva, & Benjamin. Also left to grieve is his only remaining sibling, his brother Fred (Betty) Giesler of Chilliwack and many nieces & nephews. He was predeceased by his 2 sisters, Erna Steinwand & Hilda Aberdeen, and 2 brothers, Gottfried & Oscar.
Memorial Tea will be held to celebrate the life of Henry Giesler on Saturday, April 17th, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. from Henderson’s Funeral Home Tea Room, 45901 Victoria Avenue, Chilliwack.
Online condolences can be left at www.hendersonsfunerals.com