Marjory Hodgkinson

Born in Landis, Saskatchewan on March 1st 1927 Marj’s many stories started early. Her father Rudy Slesinger was dispatched to register the birth and obtain the birth certificate for his 1st born beloved daughter. I don’t know what Mary wanted to name her new baby but it certainly wasn’t Isobel. Rudy came back with a birth certificate with Isobel Marjory on it. There was hell to pay and the birth certificate has never been seen since.

Marj lived her first 9 years on the farm near Landis and spent many hours visiting with countless relatives in the surrounding area. Many great stories frequently retold come from those 9 years. The times were simpler. As a baby Marj was taken to all the local dances where my grandfather played the accordion while everyone danced and baby Marj was put to sleep in a safe corner with concoction of poppy seed fed to her from a bottle. The baby slept soundly thru the whole night without interrupting the dance.

School was a long way from the farm and Marj recalls going in a horse drawn wagon with my grandmother driving. She often told the greyhounds my grandfather had “rescued” and used to hunt coyotes for their tails which paid a bounty.

Although food was plentiful on the farm times were tough on the prairies and the family decide to seek their fortune in Kelowna. Marj made many friends living in her new neighbourhood on Fuller Ave. The Wright girls (who later married and became Ida Evans and Irene August) and Helen Yochim lived across the street and Doris Lesmeister (Brewer) just a block away. You can see their beautiful picture on the back of your service card.

Surprising both Marj and my grandparents, a baby boy named Gary arrived when mom was 14. I don’t think he caused too much of fuss for Marj as she was too busy with her friends.

They were beautiful young girls and were always travelling as a gang to bike, hike, swim, skate and just have fun. They spent many hours at the beach in the summer often taking the ferry to the Westside and jumping off the ferry docks. Marj was proud of her accomplishments on the rowing team with Joe Cappozzi as the helmsman. She and her girlfriends biked to Vernon when bikes only had 1 gear and they had to stay overnight with again more relatives before riding back. They skated on the pond at the Kelowna G&CC, on Bankhead pond, and on the lake when it froze over.

Marj was chosen to participate in the Lady of the Lake Pageant and became “Princess of the Lake”. She ran again the following year when one of the candidates was discovered to be engaged and she was required to replace her at the last minute.

Working appealed to her more than school so she quit in grade 10 and went to work for Fumerton’s Dept Store. Little did she know that Carol Fumerton, the cute little daughter of the store owner would later be her sister in-law.

The Vernon Army Camp was a big draw for the young women in Kelowna. They would take a bus to Vernon and go to the “Army” dances and take the bus back the same night. At one of these dances she managed to “catch” my father, Tim Hodgkinson, and the jig was up. They were married in Chicago when she was 19 and honeymooned at Niagara Falls.

Toronto was their home for a year but Marj hated it. She was a small town girl and longed for BC. Vancouver was home for a time while Tim worked for Safeway and then, hooray, a new job in Kelowna. Marj never left her home town again other than vacations.

Motherhood came next with 2 daughters within 2 years. No little girls could have been more different with one brown haired brown eyed like Marj and the other blond blued eyed like Tim. Marj was a stay at home mom as were almost all the moms in the neighbourhood. We lived on Cambridge Ave next to Knox Mountain with over 100 kids in a block radius almost all the same age as us. Taking care of her kids, her husband and visiting with her mom and grandmother was her full time job. Dressing her little girls in the cutest clothes she could sew gave her great pleasure and she loved to cook and bake making the best cinnamon buns and dinner rolls I have ever tasted. There are recipe cards with her famous shortbread cookies for all to have in the foyer. Good luck with the recipe as requires a spritz??

Vacations were always trips to Vancouver to visit friends or camping. Marj and Susy did not like camping but both Tim and Marilee did and it was the only option they could afford. Every summer there was camping somewhere with Marilee and Tim setting up tents, getting firewood etc while Marj and Susy tried to look busy.

Marj and Tim took up square dancing and had great times going to dances every weekend with a large group of friends from the Westside and Kelowna, friends that they kept until death. They also like to play bridge but were too busy having a good time and talking to others to ever get serious.

When Marilee left for school, Marj took over her job at Sally’s Stores where she stayed for many years. She was a great sales person because of willingness to help people. Soon both of her daughters were married off and grandchildren quickly arrived. Marj and Gummy traveled to visit first Tim and Julie and then Cassie and Peterson and loved every moment they got to spend with the kids. They both loved babies and loved them even more as they grew up. Marj was simply a great grandmother.

Marj didn’t get to travel much but did make it to England to visit Tim’s relatives and she also travelled to Hawaii with Susan and Peter. Both of the trips were her trips of a lifetime and she had no desire to go any further.

Before life could become too dull with only teenage grandkids she had great grandchildren starting to arrive with a steady stream of babies coming for 7 years giving her more and more babies to love and play with. She frequently traveled with Marilee to visit either Vancouver or the Cariboo to make sure she could cuddle those great grandkids.

For years Marj was a care giver to both her mom, Mary and my father, Tim. When they both died within 2 years she was lost for a while. She moved to Meadowbrook which she loved. Her condo had views over most of Kelowna and was a lovely spacious place. She called it her lonely perch. Marj volunteered for the Hospital Auxillary and proudly received her 20 year pin. I think the Alzheimer ward scared her and she tried not to have to go there. She was keen to drive any friend who needed a ride anywhere but was devastated when 10 years later she lost her driver’s license. She was then dependent on me to drive her any where she wanted to go and she wanted to go grocery shopping everyday if she could. As her ability to walk became impaired things took a turn for the worse and she had to move to Springvalley Care Center.

She liked living there especially as her family frequently visited and all the other residents enjoyed having young people around as well. She smiled constantly and was envied for not only her visitors but for also her newspaper The Daily Courier which she carefully read and then lent to the others and the women also for her daily new hairdo.

In the later years of her life Marj loved Gingerale, Scotch Mints and Peach Fuzzes. You will find these in the tea room at the reception afterwards. Please try and enjoy one and think of Marj.

Marj was known as a friend, mom, grandma, gummy, GG, auntie and sister. Marj’s life revolved around being with family and having fun with her friends and her family. Fun to her was helping and she loved helping both her family and her friends. She will be greatly missed by all of us.

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Hodgkinson: Marjory (nee Slesinger). 1927 – 2015. Marj was an exceptional daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved to help friends and family in any way she could. Marj was born in Landis Saskatchewan and had great stories to tell of life as a young child on a prairie farm. She moved to Kelowna in 1936. Mom spent most of her life in the city she loved with only short times in both Vancouver and Toronto only to find Kelowna would always be home. She met and married the love her life Tim Hodgkinson (predeceased in 1998) and they had 2 beloved daughters Marilee (Brian) Woinoski and Susan (Peter) Turgoose. She loved caring for her daughters, telling stories, baking, sewing, playing bridge, curling, skating, swimming and square dancing with Tim. Her best friend was her mother, Mary Slesinger. The two of them spent many happy hours traveling to visit and caring for grandchildren and then great grandchildren. Marj will be sadly missed by her daughters, her brother Gary (Carol) Slesinger, her grandchildren Tim (Bonnie) Woinoski, Julie (Kevin) Nesdoly, Cassie Turgoose, and Peterson Turgoose, her seven great grandchildren Taylor, Tajsha, Abbie, Matthew Nesdoly and Tim, Andrew, Alex Woinoski and many nieces and nephews. She will be missed by all the residents at Spring Valley Care Center where she was appreciated for her constant smile. The family wishes to thank Spring Valley Care Center for the attention and care she received. Memorial Service will be held at First Memorial Funeral Services , 1211 Sutherland Ave on Saturday September 19th at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the BC Cancer Association and the family would encourage everyone to advocate for the Right to Die with Dignity. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.firstmemorialfuneralkelowna.com. Arrangements entrusted with First Memorial Funeral Services, Kelowna. 250-762-2299