It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. Tena was born August 3, 1925 in Hochfeld, SK, the eldest child of Gerhard and Katharina Andres (née Dyck). In 1934 her parents, brothers John, George and Jake, and her sister Margaret, not quite 8 weeks old, along with several other families travelled to Arabella (then Swan Plain), north of Norquay, SK, to establish a homestead, where her sisters Mary and Susanna were born. Tena lived there until her marriage to her childhood sweetheart, Abram Klassen, on July 3, 1949. Abe and Tena established their home in Trail, BC, delighting in the birth of each of their children, Margaret, Peter and David. Sadly, Abe passed away May 21, 1961 and so with grace and fortitude Tena went to work at Cominco (now Teck) and raised her family, establishing a full and productive life in her church and community. Tena was married to Robert David Spratt on October 1, 1977, and enjoyed good years with him, warmly welcoming his children into her life, then grieving with them upon his death on March 23, 1990. She continued her life in Trail, retiring in May of 1984, living in the home Abe had built until its sale in 2007 and in an apartment until September 2009, when a fall precipitated her move to Abbotsford, BC. She went peacefully home to the Lord on January 31, 2011, at the age of 85 years, after a valiant battle with cancer.
Tena is survived by her sisters, Margaret Durell, Mary (Jerry) Martens and Susanna (John) Klassen; her children, Margaret (Grant) Allan, Peter (Debbie) Klassen, and David Klassen; her grand-children, Katherine Allan, Jennifer (William) Matthews, Heather Allan, Neil Klassen, Jessica Klassen, and Sean Warsing; and her great-grandchildren, Grant Matthews and Gwenyth Matthews, many cousins, nieces and nephews, and many friends Tena was predeceased by her parents, Gerhard and Katharina Andres, her brothers, John George, Jake and Abram, and her baby sister Margaret.
Tena will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered for her gentle yet adventurous spirit, her enduring faith in God, her unwavering love for her family, her strong and graceful perseverance in the face of difficulty, and her joy in living. She made friends everywhere she went. She lived her faith, and participated in many activities in her church, as a choir member and camp cook. She enjoyed crocheting and embroidery, bowling, line-dancing, travelling and camping both in Canada and the States, and many years of service in the Legion Women’s Auxiliary. Especially precious was her trip to Europe and the friendship established with her Aussie ‘twin’ Peggie Sheridan.
A memorial Service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Trail, BC on Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:00 p.m., with Rev. Meridyth Robertson officiating, followed by a reception there. It will be preceded by interment at Mountain View Cemetery in Rossland, BC at 1:00 pm, for any who might like to join the family there. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Bill Clark of Personal Alternative Funeral Services “Carberry’s Chapel”.
As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the Presbyterian Church camp at Kootenay Lake, Dutch Harbour Camp, c/o 1620 Alder Street, Creston, BC V0B 1G5, or to the Canadian Cancer Society, 908 Rossland Avenue, Trail, BC V1R 3N6.