108 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 80 PART 1 JANUARY 2022
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Holly turned their backyard into a hummingbird
sanctuary. Peder enjoyed waking up in the morning and hearing
all the different birds chirping, then quizzing Holly on which call was which
bird. One morning, Holly pointed out to Peder that there was a hummingbird
right in front of them. Peder got up and stood four feet from the bird.
He told Holly he could not see the bird—all he could see was movement. In
a rare moment of sadness and vulnerability, Peder looked off into space and
said: “I am going to go blind some day.” It is a small mercy that that never
happened.
Peder lived a life full of love, kindness and laughter that we can all aspire
to emulate. The world will forever be a better place because of Peder David
Gulbransen.
Mark Gulbransen
William James Thiessen
After suffering through the indignities of declining
health, our dear friend and colleague William “Bill”
James Thiessen quietly and peacefully passed away
on March 29, 2021. Bill was born in Winnipeg on September
17, 1931. His parents, Jacob and Agnes
Thiessen, were of German/Mennonite descent and
immigrated from the Ukraine in 1925 to flee the suffering
and discrimination flowing out of the recent Russian Revolution.
Like many, they left with nothing. Jacob Thiessen ran a successful printing
business in Winnipeg. By all accounts, Bill and his brothers, Victor and
Edgar, had a happy childhood. Bill did well at his studies and for a period of
time sang in the Winnipeg Boys Choir. As a youngster, he enjoyed sports
and in particular baseball and golf. Golf was a passion Bill maintained
throughout his life.
In 1945, Thiessen Père thought it best to relocate the family to the temperate
environs of Abbotsford to begin chicken farming. Bill often
recounted the long hours he and his brothers spent working in all of the