Nov 2, 2017
Antonia Nehring (nee Schneider) quietly said good-bye to this life on November 2, 2017. She was born in Goodsoil Saskatchewan in 1931.
Antonia left behind 8 children, 21 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren; all of us will forever smile when we remember her laughter, and readiness to light up a room with her humor.
Our mother showed us what it meant to be a decent, kind person and never give up. Her greatest gifts to us were each other, 8 siblings and best friends, she also showed us what a marriage really is, and loved our father through good and difficult times, asking for him to the end.
Toni moved to Prince George with her family in her early 20s where she worked as a dental assistant until she met Wilfred Nehring. They married in 1955 and began our family; she had a baby a year, with the exception of one.
A big healthy, noisy, clan, who always knew where they belonged together. Our mom was an insatiable reader, a book a week her whole life. When her beautiful, manicured hands were free she crotchet, pulling the thread and working the hook, without even having to look at the stitches.
We remember long car rides on Sunday afternoons, warm cinnamon buns, raucous games she taught us or made up as it came to her, crazy excitement when her own siblings and their families visited, fishing for river trout and pulling weeds in the garden. Sundays were for our best clothes, washed faces, matching socks and church. She loved CBC on the radio at 4:00 AM when she made Dad's coffee and we could hear them whisper in the kitchen, we couldn't hear the words but could hear the tone, love.
They settled in Cache Creek until our Father passed away in November 23, 2002. At that time she moved to Kamloops, and then eventually to be closer to her children as she aged and managed her battle with Alzheimer's. During those years we were all thankful for her church family and long time friends, the Sarver family, Sharkies, to name a few.
In mom's final years she became more of who she always was, gentle and kind. She loved our visits and always had a lap for great grand children.
It was her time to go, we know that, but our hearts will miss her, love her and look for her reflected in all the wild flowers she could name and loved, and in the leaves when the breeze blows. She told us the leaves were laughing, like the memory of her.