Mary Evelyn Bertoli

July 18, 1935 – April 22, 2019

Mary was born July 18, 1935 in Royal Inland Hospital, she was the 3rd, child of parents John and Maria DeMarni. John an Italian immigrant (1909) started homesteading on property in Robbins Range. In 1931, he returned to Italy to marry Maria (Damini) and together they returned to Canada to start their family. With older brothers John, Ceasar and younger brothers Dino and Reno and younger sister Rena, they all lived and worked together on property they owned in Campbell Range. From an early age, mom worked alongside her parents and siblings, doing daily chores: milking cows, feeding livestock, washing clothes in the creek with a scrub board, gardening and cooking. Because everything was done by hand and with the help of horses, they logged the property first, then in the middle of winter they would haul the logs to the sawmill at Monte Lake by horse and sleigh. They would dig out and remove all the stumps, then they would cultivate the fields to plant hay, to be used for winter feed for the livestock. Mom’s fondest memory of growing up on the farm was playing hockey on the frozen pond with her brothers and sister using willow branches for sticks, and a frozen horse turd for a puck. In 1949, John purchased his first automobile and mom at the age of 15 was granted her driver’s license early so she could drive her Dad to town for supplies, and a cold beer at the Leland Hotel. At age 18 (1953) mom packed all her belongings in a small suitcase and moved into town. Mom started working at F.W. Woolworth’s in the store’s stockroom. It was in town that mom would meet and marry Raymond Joseph Bertoli in 1955. Together they had four children: John (1958), Teresa (1959), Gary (1963) and Robert (1968). Mom devoted her life to family, she cooked, cleaned, planted gardens and canned all sorts of fruit and vegetables. Through the 70’s, alongside mom’s cousin, Sev and Jean DeMarni, many a story was told of fishing trips, hunting trips, and ski-dooing adventures. Life was filled with laughter, mischievous moments, and many memorable events. When all of us kids started playing school and organized sports, she was there at every practice and game, she was our cheerleader, scorekeeper, carpool driver and snack maker. Mom loved huge family dinners, driving her big black 4 X 4 truck (Wild and Crazy Mary), her vintage Grand Prix car, riding her ski-doo (this past winter), going to the casino and celebrating every birthday and holiday.

Mom is survived by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, son John (Charleen) and their two children Maria (John) (Layne, Lexie, Lia and Lydia), Jon-Michael (Colton); daughter Teresa (Doug) and their daughter Catherine (Brooklyn); son Gary (Corinne) and their two children Ethan and Stacey; son Robert (Debbie) and their son Randy (Kayla) (Scarlett and Reid). Also left to cherish her memory is, Mom’s best friend and sister in law Jean Stewart and close family friends Lacey and Trevor (Lilly and Jack).

The family would like to thank all the doctors and nurses in Emergency and 7th North for all their kind and compassionate care given to mom during her short stay in the hospital.

Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in the Schoening Funeral Chapel, 513 Seymour Street. Family interment will take place at Hillside Cemetery.

Should friends so desire, donations may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation in memory of Mary would be appreciated.