A heartbroken widower said goodbye to his wife and seven children, all victims of a devastating house fire.

"Thank you Monika for your example to me and to the world. Our wonderful seven children were always a gift from heaven," Marc Woerlen told about 1,000 people at the memorial service in St. Catharines on Saturday.

Monika, 39, was pregnant with the couple's eighth child when she and the children died Monday evening.

Marc Woerlen spoke about how he and those close to him are drawing on their faith for comfort -- and explanation.

"This is a day the Lord has made. He has decided they must come home," Marc said, his voice cracking.

The church was filled with the happy voices and faces of the seven children who perished, as a video made by an uncle was played at the funeral service.

Laughing and smiling, the children of Marc and Monika  chatted happily in front of the camera, then several of them took turns waving goodbye.

A fire consumed the Woerlens 100-year-old farm house in the Niagara region south of St. Catharines, Ont. Autopsies show the eight victims died of smoke inhalation.

Marc was away in the Ottawa area that day, looking for a new farm for his family.

A row of white caskets lined the front of the church during the service. Floral arrangements were arranged on top, brightening the sad, long row of coffins.

The family's seven children ranged in age from 19 months to 11 years. They were: Susanna, 11; Elena, 10; Marcus, 8; Samuel, 7; Paul, 5; Nathan, 3; and Debora Lynn, 19 months.

In a final act of fatherly affection, Marc carried the smallest coffin belonging to little Debora Lynn to the hearse.

The service was captured for posting on the Internet, so family in Holland and Norway could have access to the service.

Touching tributes

Monika's 10 brothers sang a hymn at Saturday's funeral. Susan McNeil -- principal of the children's school in Bismarck, Ontario -- said, "the Woerlen children played energetically, and in harmony with all those around them."

They "demonstrated an awareness of others' needs, well beyond their years."

Fred van Stralen, Monika's father, told his grieving son-in-law: "Marc, God will strengthen you. He said this morning, 'There was a woman that melted my heart without words,' straight from his heart. I know God is going to bless you for that."

On the funeral program, an excerpt from the Wisdom of Solomon is printed on the back. It reads: "Being perfected in a short time, they fulfilled long years; for their souls were pleasing to the Lord, therefore He took them quickly from the midst of wickedness."

Following the service, the eight coffins were taken to a nearby cemetery for burial.

As the funeral procession drove, friends, neighbors and strangers stood beside the road, some throwing flowers in front of the oncoming vehicles.

Investigators haven't formally determined the fire's cause, but say it seems to have started in the living room. A fireplace there is being looked at as a possible source, as is a wood stove in the basement. Foul play is not suspected.

Investigators wrapped up their search of the charred rubble on Friday. They likely won't announce the cause of the fire for another two weeks.

With a report from CTV's David Akin and files from The Canadian Press