Elsa ("Elsie") Langner

Elsa ("Elsie") Langner

With her Beloved son Kelly by her side, Elsa (known by everyone as Elsie) Langner (Single), aged 95 years, passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 20th, 2023 at Douglas Campbell Lodge in Portage la Prairie.

Elsie was born on March 3rd, 1928 in Waldersee, Manitoba.  She was blessed to be part of a family of 13 siblings, so life was never boring.  She attended Waldersee Cory School growing up.

On October 12th, 1947, Elsie and Herman Langner were married and began their life together on their farm northeast of Amaranth, Manitoba where they resided for many decades.  Retirement led them to reside in Alonsa, Manitoba in 2007 and later moved to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba in 2012. 

After 23-1/2 years (on her Birthday in 1971), Elsie was blessed to what she believed to be a God-sent Gift with her only child Kelly.  She was overjoyed to finally become a mother.

Elsie spent her time as a homemaker where she thrived and dedicated her time to help build up the farm.  She worked alongside Herman, whether it was milking cows, gathering eggs, butchering chickens, cleaning fish, ducks and geese, making hand packed 1-lb forms of butter using her mother's butter churn or working in the fields.  Her talents/passions were cooking, baking, canning, gardening, knitting, quilting, liquid embroidery, crocheting, berry picking with friends and relatives, playing bingo, cards (Canasta) and babysitting. She loved watching baseball and cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays and taking part in curling bonspiels in the winter time. 

Elsie always took great pride in growing her flowers of Gladiolus, African Violets, Peonies and various other plants.  For several years she was actively competing in the Amaranth Horticultural Fair displaying her flowers with pride.  She also enjoyed being a part of the Amaranth Women’s Institute and the New Horizons Seniors Club.

If anyone, either family or friend, who needed help or assistance, Elsie was always willing to lend a hand and be a part of it.  Prior to moving to the family farm, she was employed at the Winnipeg Municipal Hospital (potentially the Princess Elizabeth Hospital) in housekeeping, as well she was employed in Brandon, Manitoba.  In the 1980’s while on the farm, Elsie also worked for Homecare where she cared for a local family’s mother northeast of Amaranth until her passing.

Elsie was generally a happy, bubbly, warm and welcoming person who always loved to socialize, visit with others and enjoy a good cup of coffee. Hospitality was number one in her house where everyone was joyfully welcomed for every visit. She enjoyed life’s funny moments and lived for a good session of laughter and its aftershocks. She had great pride in her achievements and loved to share her fruit and vegetable canning with others as gifts or at the kitchen table. It was after moving to Alonsa that Elsie decided to take driving lessons and she got her first official driver’s license at an amazing time in life near 80 years of age. This was quite a task as this took some good amount of learning and double the determination for Elsie at that age, an achievement to be proud of.

During Elsie’s later years at the Douglas Campbell Lodge in Portage la Prairie, once mobility became a more pressing concern, she willingly took part in (as long as comfort levels permitted) bingo and other recreational activities, chatting with many of her co-residents, and occasionally going out for scenic recreational van rides. 

Elsie was predeceased by her parents Bernhard & Elizabeth Single; husband Herman and 11 siblings.  She is survived by her son Kelly of Portage la Prairie, brother Alfred Single of Brandon, Manitoba, sister Erna Mitchler of Neepawa, Manitoba, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.

A tremendous heartfelt and sincere thanks is extended to the Douglas Campbell Lodge team for their kind compassionate care that Elsie received during her stay there. The family also wishes to extend a generous thank you to Dr. Joe Kim for the compassionate care he provided Elsie during her time at Douglas Campbell Lodge. Elsie had her challenges with hearing, cognitive abilities with thought process and expression, and remembering how to use the telephone.   In her time spent there, she became a part of the lives of the staff with her warm friendly good nature, embracing memorable relationships with the people she connected with.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, 193 Sherbrook St., Winnipeg, MB  R3C 2B7 or the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 1379 Kenaston Blvd., Winnipeg, MB  R3P 2T5in her memory.  A graveside service to honor Elsie will be held at a later date. 

Messages of condolences can be made online at www.omegafuneralhome.com.

Omega Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.