Mary Brauer Penner

1882 – 1948

Mary Ertmanova Penner nee Brauer was born February 5, 1882 in Franzthal, Ukraine. She married Henry Martin Penner who was born on February 19, 1879 in Molotschna River, Franzthal, Zaporis’ka oblast, Ukraine.

Six children were born to them: Mary; Cornelia (Nellie); John H. Penner and 3 more children. Her husband and three children passed away in Russia.

Mary Penner came to Canada with her three children, Mary, Nellie and John. They settled in Alberta where they had friends and soon, Mary married Jacob Harder; and Nellie married William Raabe and John stayed single … The family history mentions that his girlfriend passed away.

Mary Penner moved to B.C. in 1944. At first, she lived in a small home on Dyke Road and later she moved to another small home on Wilson road closer to her children. Sadly, she had less than three years to enjoy her home as in 1947 her health began to deteriorate.




Mary’s last days in May-June 1948 are etched into her family’s mind since they coincide with the 1948 flood in the Yarrow-Greendale area. Dr. G.F. Enns made innumerable house calls to Mary.

Her son John’s diary entries chronicle her last days:

May 13, 1948 – I’m in full control. I have refused visitors to Mother.

May 23. Sunday. Gospel Messengers Quartet sing “This World is Not My Home” on radio C.H.W.K. and dedicate the song to Maria Penner.

May 27. They say the river rose a little. At nights Mother bangs on the wall with a stick if she needs me.

May 28. The Vedder River is rising slowly. But the dykes are watched day and night and as soon as a weak spot is found it is fixed, and so it’s well in in hand at Yarrow, but a flood is already at Mission and Agassiz. I tried to take Mother to the hospital, but Dr. Enns things she is better off here because they fear a flood in Chilliwack before Sunday. Mother has more pain in her right side at night. Cloudy and steady rain.




May 29. The Vedder River is still rising. I went to Chilliwack by British Columbia Electric Rail (BCER), and the train had to go through water. It was over the tracks already near Sardis. I sat Mother up in a big soft chair.

May 30. Cloudy and rainy during the day. They say on the radio it’s the worst flooding in 54 years. Mary stays to give me a rest.

May 31. Warm during the day. The rivers are still rising. The Fraser is very high, muddy and the current is fast. The Vedder runs into the Fraser and that causes the Vedder to rise also. No breaks have been reported around Yarrow, but the seepage is high. Mary and I change off during the night.

June 1. Mother is a little worse today. Today around noon the dykes where the Vedder River and the Fraser River meet, the Vedder dyke gives way and the whole area is flooded, so all the people had to be evacuated and w. Raabes, John Janzens, Letkemans and Henry Peters all were included. All the people moved, the chickens and everything possible, and in the evening the water covered the land.

June 2. Warm and calm. The water level of the Vedder is down eight inches today, but rose again one inch in the afternoon. Packed a suitcase for Mother in case of emergency.




June 3. Moved Mother from Yarrow to the Red Cross hospital near the Abbotsford Airport in an ambulance and the people from the Old Folks home also came there to the same place, but nothing was ready when we arrived.

June 4. Jake and Mary Harder go with me in their car to Abbotsford. I saw Mother, she wanted badly out of that room because all the old people in there and it’s too hot and loud for a sick person. I got a taxi and went from one doctor to another and finally phoned Dr. Neufeld in Vancouver and arranged to take Mother there.

June 5. Moved Mother by ambulance to St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver. I am looking for a car to take our things back to Yarrow.

Grandma Penner dies the following day in the hospital, five minutes before Uncle John arrives for an afternoon visit. It is a hot, calm, day. The evening is muggy, stifling hot, as we climb into our upstairs beds. The BCER train whistle sounds in the distance. It always sounds about this time, signaling its approach to the Vedder trestle bridge. It’s after 9:30 in the evening when Mom, with tears streaming, come up the stairs to report Grandma’s passing.

A funeral is arranged for June 10th 1948.