Peggy May Braun

Peggy May Braun, beloved wife of Dirk Braun, passed away on Saturday, May 1, 2021 at the Bassano Health Centre, at the age of 86 years.  She was born on February 23, 1935 in London, England, the second daughter of George and Ethel Hampshire.  When Peggy was four years old, WWII broke out, and her childhood was marked by the hardships of war. 

Peggy trained as Registered Nurse at the Royal Northern Hospital in London, which she saw as her ticket to work her way around the world.  She moved to Australia, where she qualified as a midwife and worked for several years at numerous outback hospitals, and with the Flying Doctor Service.  While in Australia she met her lifelong friend Faye, and the two of them returned to England for a year, and then came to Canada in 1964.  They worked at hospitals in Red Lake and Wawa, Ontario, and then Bassano, Alberta.  They had planned to continue traveling, but both ended up marrying farmers and settling in Alberta.  

Peggy married Dirk Braun of Gem, Alberta on October 4, 1967.  They lived on the family farm until they moved to Playfair Lodge in 2018.  Although she was a reluctant farmer, Peggy enjoyed life on the farm.  She loved to garden and had huge flower and vegetable gardens.  She froze and pickled large quantities of vegetables, and made countless jars of jam with her home-grown fruit.  She took her talent for gardening with her when she moved to the lodge, and lovingly tended the flowers there.  She also loved to knit, and kept her grandchildren well supplied with sweaters.  She was an avid reader and dedicated many years to the Gem Jubilee Library Board.  Peggy got her driver’s license in her forties, and then returned to work at the Bassano Hospital, retiring in 1995.  

Peggy is survived by her husband of 53 years, Dirk Braun, her daughter Gail (Glenn) Amendt, her son Andrew (Janet) Braun, her grandchildren Phoebe Amendt (Aaron Plamondon), Gavin Amendt (Samantha Collette), and Amy Amendt, as well as her sister Marjorie (Roy) Pike.  She was pre-deceased by her parents George and Ethel Hampshire, and her good friend Faye Laackmann.

According to Peggy’s wishes, there will be no formal service.  A private family gathering will be held at a later date. 

Special thanks to the staff of the Bassano Health Centre for caring for Peggy for the past fifteen months.

If friends desire, donations in Peggy’s memory can be made to STARS, Suite 100, 1519-35 Avenue East, Edmonton International Airport T9E 0V6.  

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