Julia Friesen On Jan 8, 2007, 17 days before her 98th birthday, Julia Friesen passed away at the Steinbach Rest Haven Nursing Home. She was born Jan 25, 1909 in Winnipeg to Adolf and Rosalie Schmidtke, a German Lutheran family recently immigrated from Ukraine. Her mother passed away when Julia was 10 years old. The father worked away from home a lot as a carpenter and could not raise the family alone and the children were cared for by various relatives. When Julia was 13 she and her brother Edmund were adopted by Peter T. Barkmans of Steinbach, but both retained the family name of Schmidtke. Julia married Jacob D. Friesen, Steinbach, on August 16, 1931. After the death of her husband in 1987 she lived in Fernwood Place, a seniors apartment for 19 years. When her health failed she resided in Vita in the Vita Care Home for 10 months. In March 2006 she moved to the Steinbach Rest Haven Nursing Home where she resided until her death. She is survived by four children: Hilton Friesen (Stephie), Aldyth Toews (Ernie P.), Lavina Rattai and Valerie Kasper (Herman); 11 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren; three sisters-in-law; Toni Schmidtke, Innisfail, Alberta; Gertrude Friesen, Steinbach; Margaretha Reimer (Peter C.), Olatha, Kansas. She was predeceased by her husband Jake D. Friesen on July 6, 1987, daughter Verda Dueck and her husband Arley, Steinbach; son Allen Friesen, Vancouver BC; son-in-law Al Charles Rattia, Oakbank; grandson James Friesen, Winnipeg and great granddaughter Victoria Rattai, Winnipeg. Also preceding her are her sister Cadie Unger (Abram), four brothers: Eduard Schmidtke (Julia), Adolph Schmidtke, Edmund Schmidtke (Lillian) and Walter Schmitke: three adopted sisters: Katherine Janz (Benjamin P.), Elizabeth Rempel (Jacob S.), Anna Fast (Jacob W.): four adopted brothers; Klaas R. Barkman (Maria), Steinbach, Jacob R. Barkman (Helena) Steinbach, John R. Barkman (Anna), Henderson, Nebraska, Heinrich R. Barkman (Elizabeth) Steinbach. Funeral service will be held at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, on Friday, Jan 12 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Ron Adrian of Cornerstone Bible Church officiating. Interment at the Steinbach Memorial Cemetery. Donations in her memory may be made to the Rest Haven Foundation, 177 Woodhaven Ave.; Steinbach, MB R5G 1K7.