All posts by MJS

Brantford news

The Reverend Nora Elizabeth Fueten: the death of a longtime member

Aside

 

Fueten, The Reverend Nora Elizabeth (nee Clemons)

Born in Brantford in 1940, died January 10th 2024. Daughter of George and Helen Clemons (Henry). Predeceased by her husband Horst (2018) also sister Ketha (1984) and brother David (2012) and son-in-law Danny (2022).

Survived by daughters Louise Ciarniello and Mary (Jon) Hatt, Step-Son Frank (Paula MacKinnon) and grandchildren Anna, Simon and Julie. As well as sister-in-law Pat Clemons, brother-in-law Duncan McLaren, and extended family in Canada and Germany.

Nora loved life in all its fullness. Her love of nature was kindled at Blue Lake as a child, continued in the Rocky Mountains, Algonquin Park and hiking in Germany.

From an early age Nora loved music, beginning with piano. She completed conservatory exams while quite young then took up pipe organ leading to church positions and choir directions wherever she was living. Moved to working in opera in Toronto in 1967 with the Canadian Opera Company and the Faculty of Music University of Toronto, then at the Deutches Oper am Rhein in 1971. In 1974 she met Horst and they were married in 1975.

Returning to Canada in 1976 in order to take up sheep farming with Horst on the family farm north of St George. She continued in music at First United Church in Cambridge and the Faculty of Music Wilfred Laurier University. She was also founding conductor of the Hosanna choir in Flamborough. Her music interest continued later with conducting the St. George Pro Musica.

In 1984 she began exploring a call to ministry in the United Church of Canada. Ordained in 1988. The work of ministry was endlessly interesting, full of opportunity and gave a focus to the rest of her life. Her first church was Marlborough (later Harmony), in Brantford, where she served until 2002. Although retired, she continued in ministry throughout appointments in Brant county, also St James and Old Winham in Simcoe, First United in Waterloo and Westdale in Hamilton. She was in Ministry at St. George United until June of 2023 when her health no longer allowed her to continue.

Nora was also politically very engaged. She was a federal candidate for the Green Party in the 2008 and 2011 Federal elections and subsequently remained engaged with the Green Party locally.

Family and friends will be received at the McCleister Funeral Home, 495 Park Road North, Brantford on Friday, January 19, 2024 from 2:00 – 4:00 & 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held at First United Church, 16 William Street West, Waterloo, ON on Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Cremation has taken place. A private graveside service will take place at St. George Cemetery, St. George, ON at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the United Church of Canada Foundation or to a charity of your choice. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.mccleisterfuneralhome.ca McCleister (519) 758-1553.

All of creation belongs to God

 

Nora Fueten was such an integral part of CFUW Brantford as was her mother before her.

We will miss Nora’s wonderful energy, creativity, honesty and focus.
Brantford news, review

book review: Scarcity Brain 5/5

This highly readable self-help book delves into our addictive behaviors — what they are, how they originated and how to understand and ultimately overcome them. I like the way that each chapter is a vignette with Michael Easter going to people and their experiences that personify the issue. For example, with overeating, visiting a remote tribe where no cardiovascular problems exist, or when discussing gambling, visiting the scientists involved in transforming mechanical slot machines into video-gamified ones, and how this video-gamified model has been applied to so many other areas of our lives. Readable, refreshing and helpful. Thank you, Netgalley and Rodale books, for the ARC.

Brantford news, Interest Groups, review

A vintage photo of the Monday afternoon book club

During this afternoon’s super-interesting meeting, Marion Weir brought a photo from our same book group from May 2007! Two of the members are still in the group, Marion herself and Jean Farquharson.

Monday afternoon book club Sept 2007 on the occasion of Mabel Wyatt’s 90th birthday.
L to R, back row: Betty Harley, Alannah McQuarrie, Jean Farquharson, Marjorie Campbell. Middle: Thelma Thompson, Elizabeth Cavanaugh, June Bragg, Wynn Harding, Marion Weir, Marg Simpson. Seated: Mabel Wyatt, Alto Hall.

 

Marsha presented Scarcity Brain, and highly recommends it.

Brantford news, Club Projects, What's new

Trivia Night

 

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    Brantford news, review

    Putin’s Exiles

    This is a quick book surveying Russians who abandoned their country once Putin began his “special military operation” against Ukraine. Granted, many of those who fled were thinking more of their personal comfort, but it was uplifting to read about those who where more principled. Even more uplifting was reading about some of the exiled Russians who are working behind the scenes to help Ukraine win the war, like the physicist who helped develop defensive equipment and was honored by Ukraine for doing so, and about those who have enlisted in the Ukrainian army and are risking their lives for Ukraine’s freedom. There are others working behind the scenes in Russia, assisting with sabotage. Those Russians willing to defy Putin are a small percentage of the whole. But even so, this book gives me hope that one day there might be a Russia that isn’t premised on killing one’s neighbors and isn’t premised on treating ones own citizens as medieval slaves.

    Brantford news, review

    Midnight by Amy McCulloch

     


    I loved Breathless and was looking forward to Midnight but didn’t find that McCulloch’s second novel was as strong as her first. There are a lot of the same engaging ingredients — murders, mystery and an expedition holiday — but the story bogged down. That said, anyone wanting to vicariously take a luxury expedition Antarctica cruise will love the authenticity of her setting.

    Brantford news, Interest Groups, review

    Ukraine: The Forging of a Nation 5/5

    Marsha S gives this new approach to the history of Ukraine a resounding 5/5.

    Hrytsak takes a holistic approach to history, covering large subjects with a storytelling technique rather than relying on dry chronology. It starts with the day Russia attacked Ukraine in the current war and describes the innovative and communal way individual Ukrainians successfully fought back the surprise attack from a massive force that should have been more organized. Individual Ukrainians took responsibility for the defense of their country and fought back with whatever weapons they had. Their creativity and dedication set them apart from the monolithic army of the Russians, whose every movement came from above, often from Putin himself, meaning individual soldiers and their commanders were frozen, waiting for orders. This vignette sets the tone for the rest of the book: how is it that neighbouring nations can have such starkly different citizens in outlook, response and resourcefulness? Hrytsak’s book answers that question by delving back into the history of Ukraine and it’s record of protest against unjust rule vs Russia and its history of the populace being held down by despots. Anyone wanting to understand the current war should read this book.