Manna was born in Baden bei Vienna, Austria, as the eighth of ten children to Matteo and Ida Thun-Hohenstein. She had a happy and privileged childhood but her teen years were shaken by the tragedies and hardships of living in the midst of World War II.
Manna met and married her “Spezi,” Wolfgang, in Salzburg in 1948. Together with their first-born, Tina, they immigrated to Canada in December of 1949 to start a new life. Sponsored by the von Reidemann family, their first Canadian home was at the Alkali Lake Ranch. From there they moved to the Chilcotin to work for the Bayliff family. By the time they were expecting their third child, Williams Lake became home. Wolf built their house on Sunset Drive and together they raised their family of eight children! Manna loved her home and lived there independently until three weeks ago when the progression of her cancer needed more care. She passed away peacefully on February 17th, 2015.
Manna was a woman of integrity; displayed by the courage of her convictions, the strength of her values, and a love of life. At the core of her life were her faith and her family. Her love extended far beyond her immediate family: countless friends from all corners of the globe have experienced the heartfelt warmth and kindness of her presence. She was Grossmami to so many!
She has given ALL of us her gifts of FAITH, LOVE, WISDOM, and PERSEVERANCE
She was pre-deceased by:
Grandson Stefan - 1988
Husband Wolf - 1989
Son Benno - 1990
Daughter Tina - 2014
She leaves behind:
Tina† (Henning) – Donata, Ilka
Rudi (Cathie) – Teresa, Karla, Lydia, Lucas
Elisabeth – Matina
Matheo (Heather) – Christiana, Franciska
Ricci (Liz) – Levon, Alexi, Caius, Chiara, Sophie
Rupert (Trenisa) – Benno, Giulianna, Vittoria
Benno† (Sandra) – Guido, Stefan†
Stoffi (Angela) – Maria, Emilia, Francesca, Alessandro, Carmel
Plus nine great-grandchildren
Our mother and all of us share deep gratitude for the loving, gentle, and dignified care she received by ALL: in her home, in the hospital, and at Deni House.
She also held a very special place in her heart for Dr. Fedor.
Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday February 28th, 2015 at 12:00 pm (noon) at Sacred Heart Church. Internment following.
Prayers: Friday February 27th, 2015 at 8:00 pm Sacred Heart Church
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
Covenant House: https://donate.covenanthousebc.org
or Cariboo Foundation Hospital Trust
LaPrairie’s Funeral Services entrusted with arrangements.
250-398-9100