Elizabeth Anita MEKELBURG

During Elizabeth Mekelburg’s final days on earth, her hospital room was often packed, people spilling into the hall. Friends and family were by her side around the clock to say good-bye and thank you. 

There were tears of gratitude for the love she so generously gave her whole life. 

Mrs. M, as many called her, lived her faith deeply by taking care of people – especially the working class, immigrant families in her East Vancouver neighbourhood she called home for more than five decades.  

Elizabeth Mekelburg passed away on December 28th, 2024. 

Mrs. M was born in 1937 in Landsberg an der Warthe – a town now part of Poland. Her parents Waldemar and Martha Radant both loved the Lord. She had two older brothers Gunther and Horst who have both passed on. 

When she was 13, her family moved to Vancouver. She married Kurt Mekelburg when she was 19 and they moved to a small green bungalow that was filled with people every Sunday. 

The Mekelburgs hosted hundreds of hearty meals for friends and strangers. Their hospitality flowed from their profound Christian faith. 

From opening up their home, to paying for children’s summer camp, to mentoring troubled kids -- Love Thy Neighbour was not just a dusty command from the Bible. It was the Mekelburgs’ everyday reality.  

Long before Facebook reminders, Mrs. M remembered birthdays and anniversaries, often showing up with one of her legendary cakes. 

That powerful, practical faith led many people in the neighbourhood to become Christians and become part of the Pilgrim Baptist family. Nothing made her happier. 

Suffering from heart damage, Mrs. M has health challenges in her adult life. It got worse in her eighties but complaining wasn’t her style. She’d be the first to say she never expected to live this long.

She lost a lot of her eyesight. But she never lost her vision. 

In her final hours, when her body was shutting down, her mind was as clear and sharp as ever. Mrs. M asked about people’s trips, sang hymns like Soon and Very Soon We are Going to See the King. 

She faded peacefully from this life, ready to see her King – and ready to be reunited with her beloved Kurt. 

And the people she loved, who loved her back will never be the same. 

A memorial service for Elizabeth Mekelburg will be held at Pilgrim Baptist Church https://www.pilgrimchurch.ca/ on January 25 at 10:30 am. 

6075 Inverness Street, Vancouver, B.C.