Agnes Remme

Celebrating the Life of Agnes Remme

Agnes with her parents
Agnes with her parents

Agnes Remme (April 7, 1924 – June 15, 2016) also known as Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma and Aunt Agnes, was born Agnes Agatha Niedzwiecki in 1924 to Polish immigrants on their farm in Huntsville, Ontario.  They’d come to Canada from Krakow as Homesteaders to build a new life with their growing family – Mary, Frank, John, Agnes, Albert and Mac.  Of the six siblings, Mary and Mac are still with us.grandma in 20s-grandma ski-

Agnes was always a beautiful woman with a great, inviting smile and easy laugh.  In recent years, she’d retreated into an inner world, partially triggered by the unexpected death of her husband in a ski accident in 1995.

early 1960's
early 1960’s

Around 1941, she was named the “Snow Queen” in her hometown, a local beauty pageant and shortly afterwards made her way to Toronto with big sister, Mary, to find office work in the city.  It was there that she met Arild Remme on a visit to “Little Norway”, the Norwegian Airforce base on the Toronto Islands.  Arild was standing guard and was immediately taken with Agnes. Flirting and then dating led to marriage on November 18, 1942 with their first child, Ola arriving in the summer of 1943.  Irene was born in 1944 and then Sandra in 1955.

Sandra's weddingAgnes was very social, loved to dance and was always fastidious in her appearance and how she kept her home.  She worked many jobs over the years to help support her family, including restaurants and a ladies’ fashion store.

Agnes and Arild built their homes, first in Alderwood (the Lakeshore area of Toronto) where they hosted many friends and extended family, and then their cottage which later became their home for many years, in Huntsville.  Agnes had a kind, motherly spirit and took great care of her children.  She was not the strict disciplinarian in the family although sometimes she had to chase her rebellious son with a flyswatter to keep him in line.  It didn’t work, of course.

Agnes' birthdayIn addition to her 3 children, Agnes had 7 grandchildren (Eden, Randy, Rebecca, Ryan, Cory, Elissa) and 3 step-grandchildren (Heather, Judy, Pam).  Sadly Heather and Cory predeceased her.  She had 10 great grandchildren (Jordan, Perry, Tyler, Ryley, Veronica, Austen, Jasper, Mya, Cole, Noah) and many nieces and nephews.

1989 at Doug and Eden's grad party
1989 Agnes and Arild with Jordan

Agnes and Arild enjoyed people and adventure, travelling with their trailer south (Ft Myers) and west (Banff, Victoria) and later spent time in Norway, visiting with family.  They maintained close contact with their Norwegian relatives, with visits on both sides of the Atlantic.

We remember Agnes’ vivacious, cheerful, motherly spirit, her beautiful smile, and the legacy she has left behind in all of us.

grandma and taffy-

Agnes' 90th birthday
Agnes’ 90th birthday

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