Life of Tina Elias (Hiebert) nee Martens

Tina Elias (Hiebert) nee Martens was born April 2, 1933, in the Lily school district, northwest of Aberdeen. She would be the oldest of 6 children.

Times were tough. It was a rustic frontier life. Tina’s mother would carry water up from the river for the young family. It was a struggle to grow anything during years of drought, dust storms and crop failures. They shared living space with her grandparents at first. Later they refurbished a small granary with logs, mudded and whitewashed. Travel was with horse and cart or sleigh.

In 1939, the family moved to Reinfeld, north of Hague to look after Tina’s ailing maternal grandmother and help with their farm. After her grandma’s passing in 1942, they moved back to the Lily School district.

By 18, Tina had acquired a competent reputation as a hard worker at home, and soon found work for several families as a live-in homemaker in the communities of Aberdeen, Rosthern and Saskatoon. In 1956 Tina would venture off to the big city lights finding work at the University Hospital as a housekeeper. There she would meet Nettie Hiebert, a nurse on staff who soon became Tina’s roommate and introduced Tina to her brother Gerhard Hiebert. After a short courtship Tina married Gerhard Hiebert in 1958. Gerhard had purchased some land west of Hanley just 4 years prior, having also worked as a teacher and boy scout volunteer leader. This is where their happy, loving marriage began, supported by an active church life at the Hanley Mennonite Church.

Nine years later, in 1967, Gerhard was suddenly killed in a tragic combine accident at the height of harvest, leaving behind at the time five children, David (8 yrs), Anita (7 yrs), Lisa (5 yrs), Gerald (1 ½ yrs) and Vernon, who would be born 3 months later.

Shortly after this accident the family moved to the town of Aberdeen, where Tina’s parents and two brothers resided. There, she raised a family as a single parent on limited income with material, emotional, and spiritual support from members of the Aberdeen Mennonite Church, which was just a few blocks away from home. Once settled into a home in Aberdeen, one with a large garden plot, Tina would be often seen in her garden with her children, planting, weeding and harvesting. Into the commercial life of the 1970’s, Tina was thrilled to become involved with a small business that sold household cleaners and accessories at house parties (Nutrimedics). Quilting Bee’s, Sewing, Bible Studies, Choir and other church activities were an important social outlet for Tina in those years. Aberdeen is where the children would attend school and where they would call home before going off into the world on their own journeys.

In 1988 Tina sold her house in Aberdeen and moved to an apartment in Saskatoon. As a testament to how important the church was in her life, she found and joined the Wildwood Mennonite Church in Saskatoon as well as keeping her connections with the Aberdeen church community. In 1995, she would relocate to Luther Heights, then in 1998, Bethany Manor, acquiring many new friendships along the way. At Bethany Manor, with family life far behind her, Tina acquired a special friendship and married John Elias in 2006, who later passed away in 2013.

Following her 90th celebration year, Tina found independent living too much and moved from Bethany Manor to LutherCare Homes in 2023. On the morning of Friday, September 11th, Tina became fatigued with low blood pressure and was sent to University Hospital. Shortly after arrival, Tina passed away of heart failure, not allowing a previously discovered cancer to manifest itself.

Leaving to cherish Tina’s memories are her children: David Hiebert (Vicki Derak) and son Forrest; Anita Franko (deceased 2013) and children, Christopher (Kristin) and Karla; Elizabeth (Donavon) Wyse and children Dustin (Valerie), Britney (Casey), Tamara (Philip), Taryn (Timothy) and Dakota (Anna Grace); Gerald (Sharon) Hiebert and daughters, Shabrie (Jeff) and Shantelle (Daniel) and Vernon (Laurie) Hiebert and their children, Wes (Taylor), Derek and Kalli. A total of 17 great grandchildren also make up this growing family. Sister, Susie Dahl, Sister-in-laws, Jean Martens and Margaret Martens along with numerous relatives, friends and members of the John Elias family are also left to celebrate her life.

Tina was predeceased by her husband Gerhard in 1967, daughter Anita Franko in 2013 and infant stillborn Suzanna, along with her 3 brothers (Henry, Abe & Frank) and sister Marie.

Tina Hiebert, a lady who faced many trials and great losses. One could say, Tina defined what it meant to persevere, doing so through kindness while relying on her faith, and at times others, to pull her through.

Service will be held at the Wildwood Mennonite Church, 1502 Acadia Drive, Saskatoon on Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch and a graveside service at the Hanley Mennonite Conference Cemetery. If you are unable to attend, please click the following link for livestream: https://youtube.com/live/d_U9WAIfFXc.

Martens Warman Funeral Home is honoured to be entrusted with the care and arrangements of Mrs. Elias'.