How many hundreds of times have I driven past the modest log cabin church on Niagara Stone Road? Trinity Lutheran Church, next to Oast House, is always so well kept up and landscaped. Finally, last Saturday I had a reason to go in, to attend the memorial service for Maria Timm.

She was the matriarch of a family that included several of my friends. My daughter and I went to support the families, and it was easy to feel the love. Everyone there was somehow connected to this lady, who had experienced so much during her almost 100 years on our earth.

Rev. Larry Ritter is the pastor at Trinity Lutheran, and it was obvious that he runs a tight ship. So many family members were there, and so many friends had made the effort to offer support and extend condolences.

Over the years, several friends have mentioned that I seem to attend a lot of funerals. Many years ago, I took the overnight train to Montreal to say “au revoir” to Rocket Richard. He had been my childhood idol.

I walked three miles along Rue Ste. Catherine and Rue St. Denis with the funeral cortege, wearing my replica Habs sweater. Hundreds of us felt the love of thousands of mourners. So much emotion. The Rocket was the most idolized Canadien ever.

And over to Toronto a few times, for the life celebrations of Carl Brewer, Leonard Red Kelly, Johnny Bower and Allan Stanley. Again, my childhood idols, but so much more. I have been fortunate to know them during my adult life and have made a real effort to be with them for their last applause.

Sure, they all had tremendous skills on the ice, excelling at what we Canadians still claim is “our game.” But at their funerals, I learned so much about the personal histories of these hockey stars. Yes, they skated, shot and checked with the best of the best, but they were not just hockey legends.

During the funerals and later at the receptions, people spoke about the real lives of my idols. Yes, they were great Canadians who had enjoyed well-documented triumphs. But they had also known more than their fair share of challenges and sadnesses. I have learned so much at funerals. My childhood idols were real people.

Now, l will ramble awkwardly to my thoughts during the memorial service for Timm. What a brave, determined, strong life. Born in a storybook village in Heidendorf, Romania, some 97 years ago. And I knew so few details about her life until just last Saturday.

When only 16, Maria fled her homeland in 1944 to Germany, sometimes riding with all their belongings in a horse-drawn carriage. A tough life happened during and after the Second World War — how ironic, to end up in Niagara-on-the-Lake, once again hearing clips and clops.

A major, overriding reason many immigrants did what they did was because they were hungry.

We were told that Maria considered the low point in her life was working on a sugar beet farm near Lethbridge, Alta., living in a very basic house that had no real heating, even during the prairie winters. Not to press the point, but think about the mosquitoes.

Such indescribable hardships — and not that long ago. Today in Canada, we cannot be expected to understand. Sure, people came to Canada to escape religious and political persecution. But also, they were hungry.

She finally found peace again in Winnipeg, where she married and raised her family. Loving stories were shared during and after the service. Reverend Ritter spoke at some length about this incredible lady. “Her sufferings did not overcome her. She overcame her sufferings. With faithful endurance.”

So much happened during her long lifetime. How have so many history-altering occurrences occurred? Let me ramble to a close by cherry-picking just a few.

North America settled. The Holocaust. Civil rights. Mass transit in the air. The Internet.

Think about it. No, don’t think about it. It’s all so overwhelming.

My daughter and I, and so many others, were so lucky to know Maria Timm. I didn’t know she was such a fabulous cook and baker. Her donuts were legendary. I never enjoyed an original Timm donut.

So many people were so fortunate. So many people loved Maria Timm.