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Jan 3, 2018
Margarete Minna Mjaaland died on January 3, 2018 in Nanaimo, B.C., at age 81.

She was born in Bielefeld, Germany to Paul Oswald Hahn and Maria Elizabeth Kubicki. 

At age 20 (1956), with an adventurous spirit, she boarded the ship Seven Seas and traveled to Quebec City in Canada. 

Her adventures eventually brought her to 100 Mile House. It was while working as a waitress at the Exetor Hotel that she met her future husband K¥re Halstein Mjaaland, who worked as a lineman for BC Tel. 

They returned to Vancouver where they married on January 31, 1959 and later moved to Nanaimo where they raised three children and enjoyed many wonderful family times. 

Margarete always loved being with her family, Lars (Margaret), Linda (Dale) and Steven (Aila).

In 1982 she met her partner Rod Fredericks and they lived together happily for over 20 years at her beautiful home on Pine Street.

Margarete grew up in wartime Germany and was taught to value the little things, which contributed to a lifetime appreciation for simplicity.  

She was a devout Christian with a very meaningful relationship with God. She also had an amazing connection with nature. Her plants thrived, her animals were well cared for and she enjoyed walks along the Nanaimo waterfront and Bowen Park. 

She was an accomplished cook who could take butcher scraps and create an incredible feast for her family and she shared vivid stories with her grandchildren that would put the Brothers Grimm to shame. 

She was very loved by her six grandchildren: Tamara (Ryan), Michelle (Scott), Lindsay (Kyle), Kelsey, Montana and Olivia, and two great grandchildren, Abigail and Landon.

The family extends its gratitude to the staff at Astoria, the ALS Society and Margarete's OT Sheila Sperling-Law. 

They'd also like to give a very special thanks to Don Whitta for his love and support of their mother and her family. 

A service will be held Saturday, January 13 at 2 p.m. at Departure Bay Baptist Church, 3510 Departure Bay Road, with Rod Kolke officiating. 



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