Grateful for community

An interview with Mabel and Walter Paetkau



Mabel and Walter Paetkau of Abbotsford, ages 91 and 89 respectively, met as university students in Edmonton. They were married in 1960 and raised two sons.

At different points, Mabel was a registered nurse, homemaker, director of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) B.C. Refugee Program and a Government of Canada Refugee Board member.

Walter did service work with the General Conference Mennonite Church and MCC out of Abbotsford. He was founder and executive director of Abbotsford Community Service (now Archway Community Service) from its inception in 1968 until his retirement in 2000.
The Paetkaus were founding members of Abbotsford Mennonite Fellowship, which disbanded in 2010, and now attend Langley Mennonite Fellowship.

What is your earliest memory of church?
Walter: A plain building in the farming village of Rosemary, Alberta, where going to church was part of the family lifestyle. It was a vibrant community, and everybody just went [to church]. If you didn’t go, you were noticed.
Mabel: A large white building across the street from our family’s favourite friends, and Sunday school in the small town of Duchess, Alberta.

What is your best memory of church?
Walter: Young people’s activities in the early years. We sang, had choir night, played games. We went on outings to the Badlands and had Sunday school picnics and worship services in the evolving years.
Mabel: Seeing friends. Singing out of a big black hymnal—an “Old” Mennonite church, so a cappella singing with shape notes.

What is your most difficult memory of church?
Walter: Leaving a former congregation—Olivet Mennonite Church. It took me over a year to adjust to the idea of starting our own house church, and we had a nice nucleus of people to start.

Tell us about the people who have influenced you the most.
Walter: Reverend David P. Neufeld, a Rosemary farmer who was lay pastor and conference leader (and later pastored Olivet). He inspired my interest in conference. [Also,] John Unrau, University of Alberta professor, for opening his home to student discussions and giving leadership to the fledgling Edmonton congregation. And Maurits Vanderveen, welfare supervisor in Abbotsford, providing community development insights and leadership. That led me from [church] conference service work to community service work.

Can you share a favourite book, passage, poem or song?
Walter: “The Love of God,” a favourite song from when I grew up.

What do young people not understand about old age?
Walter: The gradual slowing down of physical and mental health.
Mabel: I have lots of good experiences in life but little memory. It kind of sank in our mid-eighties. It’s all supposed to happen, but you’re not necessarily told about this.

What is the hardest thing about getting old?
Walter: A loss of energy. As we get older, we have to adjust to a new reality in terms of pace and stamina. I’m not as vibrant as I was.
Mabel: A poor memory, weaker sight and weaker hearing.

What is the best?
Walter: Being able to live in our own home, doing yard work, enjoying basically good health, having a network of family and friends and people willing to help care for us as needed.
Mabel: A lovely family, a place to call home and have friends visit. We’ve gotten to know many international people. We feel good about the community and have lots of good friends and neighbours, many international.

What do you wish someone would have told you about aging earlier in life?
Walter: The stages, realities and challenges of growing older. With most of us who age, we now pay less attention to dogma and creeds. This is why, for me, living the Jesus way is a way to simplify life. I would no longer argue at length about the creeds; we can discuss things and not take offense. Everybody’s responsible for their own self; we don’t have to be right.
Mabel: And we don’t have to be wrong!

If you had one chance at a sermon, what would it be about?
Walter: “Love as you are loved.” Right now, the world is in such turmoil; I would address the subject of [everyone] living together.
Mabel: Relationships with other people. Refugee work. My garden!



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