Funeral services for Bertha Flaming, 91 year-old Corn, Oklahoma resident, will be held Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. in Corn Mennonite Brethren Church with Tim Sandy officiating. Burial will follow in Corn Mennonite Brethren Cemetery under the direction of Lockstone Funeral Home.

Bertha was born April 28, 1921, to John and Katherine (Neufeldt) Thiessen, the 8th of 9 children, and was welcomed home by our Heavenly Father on Monday, August 13, 2012 at Weatherford Regional Hospital in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Bertha grew up on a farm 2 miles east and 2 miles south of Corn. She attended Pleasant View School and Corn Bible Academy. She married Roy H. Flaming on October 19, 1944 in Corn, Oklahoma. To her children and grandchildren, she gave the most valuable gift love, time, and knowing we were precious treasures in her world. Her home was welcoming and always stocked with food like Zwieback, chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls, cookies, pepper nuts, and homemade noodles. Bertha was a great cook and prepared many holiday meals or dinners whenever children, grandchildren, family, or friends were visiting. If 20 people showed up unexpectedly she would be able to serve them a meal in no time. She was called Grandma by her grandchildren and Grandma Bert by her great-grandchildren. Bertha made an impact on all of them that will last forever. Her children remember how she worked hard on the farm. She worked side-by-side with her husband helping to do field work, helping during harvest, and with the cattle. In the home she did gardening, canning, sewing, quilting, and baking. Her joy in life was church, family, friends, and doing for others. In the last years, Bertha was able to travel with her children to many places she wanted to visit: California, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and going up in the arch at St. Louis and Mt. Rushmore. Her last trip was to her granddaughters wedding in Cancun, Mexico, which was her first commercial airline flight. Bertha also traveled to grandchildrens graduations, weddings, and homes. She loved to laugh and the family did a lot of that together. She told many stories of growing up in the 20s and 30s and her life then. Bertha enjoyed her coffee with friends, mentoring the school children, and quilting at church. Until the summer of 2008, when she first became sick, she was very busy. Bertha was a faithful member of the Corn Mennonite Church where she went all her life. There she taught Sunday school, quilted regularly, helped in AWANA, sang in the Sr. Choir, etc. Bertha also was walking daily and visiting friends. She will be greatly missed but her family feels so blessed to have had years and years of wonderful memories, her treasured stories, memories of her laugh and time spent with her. Berthas last 3 years have been more difficult for her but it was exciting to see her face light up when grandkids or great-grandchildren came to visit. She also found enjoyment in going to John and Debbies or Steve and Connies for a visit. She recently enjoyed a wonderful time with her sister, Lydia. Memorials may be made to the Womens Sewing Circle at Corn Mennonite Brethren Church.

Bertha is survived by her three children, Kay Kosanke and husband, Stan of Edmond, Oklahoma, John Flaming and wife, Debbie of Colony, Oklahoma, and Steve Flaming and wife, Connie of Corn, Oklahoma; two sisters, Selma Loewen of Garden City, Kansas and Lydia Oringdorff and husband, John of Liberal, Kansas; eight grandchildren, Jason and Ryan Kosanke, Andrea Sweeney, Brad, Michael and Trent Flaming, Stephanie Williams, and Shana Flaming; fourteen great-grandchildren; members of the HBR Flaming family; many nieces and nephews; and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; five brothers, John, Alvin, Herb, Edward, and Peter; and one sister, Katie.

We feel so blessed to have had her as our Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother and to know that she is no longer struggling but now healed and with our Heavenly Father.