Gustav Ferdinand Drews

Other Events:

• Military: WW2 - German Army
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-158694P

Notes:

DREWS, Gustav Ferdinand - It is with the sadness of parting tempered with the Easter hope in the resurrection that Gustav Ferdinand Drews passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 7, 2009, at A. R. Goudie Eventide Home, Kitchener, at the age of 92 years, from natural causes. He is survived by his three sons, Harry, Don (Michele), Gerry (Veronica) and three grandchildren, Chris, Philip, and Jennifer. Gustav was predeceased by his beloved wife of sixty-one years, Wanda; his parents, Eduard and Amalie (nee Schuemann); and siblings, Leonhard, Ewald, Otto, Eduard, Arthur, Olga, Oskar, and Amalie. Born in Siarzewo, Kreis Nessau, West Prussia in 1917, Gustav was raised on the family farm, which flourished on the banks of the Vistula River. As a horn player, he was an active member of the Evangelical Lutheran brass band associated with his church. As a conscript, Gustav saw action on the Eastern Front and North Africa during the Second World War. After relocating to Geesthacht, West Germany after the war, Gustav learned the masonry trade and met his future wife, Wanda. They emigrated in 1949 to Pincher Creek, Alberta, with their infant son, Harry, subsequently moving east to Kitchener in 1950 where they established a masonry contracting business and real estate holdings. Enterprising and industrious, Gus was a lifelong sports enthusiast who actively followed the Kitchener Rangers, NHL hockey, and soccer, both amateur and professional. He was a member of Bethel Lutheran Church (LC-C) from 1953 onward. Hard-working and entrepreneurial in his initiatives, Gustav practised the personal philosophy that one must be willing to take risks to get ahead in life. Retiring from construction thirty-five years ago, he devoted his golden years to developing his farm outside Roseville. Following a lifetime of hard work and upheaval, in recent years he developed infirmities associated with advancing age. He moved to the A. R. Goudie Eventide Home two years ago to receive medical care. Throughout his residence there, he continued to be visited several times daily by his devoted wife, Wanda, until her own massive stroke in late February, 2009. Her passing broke his heart, and he never recovered from her loss. Visitation will take place on Friday, April 17, 2009, from 2 - 4 p.m., 7 - 9 p.m., and on Saturday, April 18, 2009, from 11: 30 a.m. - 1: 15 p.m. at Henry Walser Funeral Home , 507 Frederick St., Kitchener, 519-749-8467. The funeral service will be held in the Henry Walser Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 1: 30 p.m., Pastor Walter Hambrock officiating. Interment at Woodland Cemetery in Kitchener with reception to follow at the funeral home. The family extends a special thank you to Major Glenys Butt, Gus's caregivers, and the entire staff of the A. R. Goudie Eventide Home for their kindness and concern for his well-being. In remembrance of Gustav, memorial donations may be made to Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kitchener or the A. R. Goudie Eventide Home (Salvation Army), Kitchener. Visit www.henrywalser.com for Gus's memorial. John 14: 2-3: Jesus said, 'I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.'


The Waterloo Region Record Newspaper - Apr. 15, 2009

Gustav married Wanda Bensler 12 Jul 1947. Wanda was born 10 Mar 1922; died 15 Mar 2009, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]