As soon as Heinrich was able to arrange for the sale of their farm in Gem, he packed up his family and moved to a farm at 410 South Sumas Road in Sardis, BC, where the  “most beautiful spot” could be found under the large western maple tree on this property.

     Their farm in Sardis had a two-story house with an unfinished basement. Upstairs were the bedrooms and according to Hilda (Neumann) Klassen, Sarah was very specific where her grandchildren were allowed to play—only in the girls’ bedroom (Margaret and Hilrie); not in hers or in the boys’ rooms.

     Likewise, strict rules applied to the barn, which was for milking and hay storage; not for playing in. Hilda writes, “One Christmas the older grandchildren were allowed to play in the hayloft; Grandpa took his pitchfork and threw down a huge pile of hay so they could jump into it. For us city kids this was indeed a treat.” Another large building on the farm housed the chickens. “Once Grandpa let me collect eggs with him, and then he showed me how to clean them”, writes Hilda.

     The front of an old garage building was lined with old license plates attached to it. A large garden was situated next to the house, and an orchard behind the barn, with delicious apples that Hilda remembers receiving from Grandpa.

     In 1955, after 10 years of farming here, Heinrich and Sarah built their well-deserved retirement home across from the Greendale Mennonite Brethren Church. At the end of a long  journey that included many stops and challenges, enriched by shared memories of a large and fun-loving family, they had finally arrived at that point in their lives when quiet and relaxing years of a well-deserved retirement could be enjoyed together, in comfort. Heinrich was looking forward to collecting his first pension cheque of $75.00 once he reached the age of 70.

     Tragically, that just reward would not be realized. On June 20, 1955, Heinrich was involved in a serious motor vehicle accident, the injuries from which he died the next day. He was five weeks away from his first pension cheque. If ever a man had deserved that modest reward for the many years of hard work, surely it would have been Heinrich Neumann.

     Sarah Neumann did not relish the thought of living alone, nor with her children, so she moved into the Menno Home in Abbotsford. She lived here for three years, until her death in July, 1958.