LIVE STREAMING WILL BE MADE AVAIABLE BY

ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH

For the parish livestreams;

- www.stmarysbrooks.ca/livestream

- www.facebook.com/StMarysBrooks/live_videos

Josef (Alois) Ginter – husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather – was born April 29, 1932, and passed away in Brooks, Alberta on July 1, 2025, at the age of 93. Josef was born in Czechoslovakia, was forced from the country with his family after the second world war, was a refugee in Germany, and in 1954 came to Canada to Picture Butte. There, he worked on a sugar beet farm with his family, worked as a carpenter building houses, and met Barbara Vogt, whom he wooed and married. Josef is survived by Barbara, his beloved wife of 66 years, their children Andrew (Betty) Ginter, Agnes (John) de Jong, Martina (Henry) Charlton, Monica (Wesley) Brown, Thomas (Cheryl) Ginter, Vincent (Julie) Ginter and Deborah (Michael) Hollinda, 23 grandchildren and 36 great grandchildren.

Josef was a master cabinetmaker, trained in Germany. After Picture Butte, he worked for a decade in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, making custom chairs, tables and other high-end furniture. He then partnered with his brother-in-law Bernard Vogt, operating a mixed farm north of Brooks for 14 years until 1982. In his semi-retirement and retirement, Josef raised sheep, built furniture, carved, painted and helped his children and others with construction projects.

In retirement, Josef donated his efforts and wood-working skills to the region's churches and convents, repairing pews, making chairs, making altarpieces and carving Catholic artwork. He was also known in retirement for pursuing his life-long ambition to make model aircraft, making dozens of detailed models "from scratch" - starting with only blocks of wood, paint and detailed diagrams - models of everything from Cessna's to fighter jets and even jumbo jets. In later years Josef won awards as a painter and was a member of the Sage Brush Arts Club and the Alberta Community Arts Club Association in Brooks. His painting brought a distinctive style to wildlife, landscapes and other subjects.

More importantly, Josef is remembered as a man committed to his faith and to his family. He attended mass at St. Mary's daily when he could. He adored his wife Barbara and spent countless hours playing with his children and grandchildren. When the children were older, he especially enjoyed playing chess and cards with them. Josef is also remembered as a strong man and a hard worker. He used his physical strength to farm, to build, and to help others. And throughout, Josef was determined to do his best and to finish his work, from the most routine barn cleaning to the most painstaking carving and polishing of a crucifix for a chapel.

Josef inspires us still: strong, kind, and determined, providing for his family, spending time with children, and teaching them how important they are. We all remember him fondly and will long ponder the lessons for us in his example.

Prayers will be held on Thursday July 10 at 7:00 PM at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Brooks. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday July 11 at 11:00 AM at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. Rev. Raul Ranola Celebrant. Interment at Brooks Cemetery.