Dorothy Elsie Sprague

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our dear mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who passed away peacefully with her family by her side at Seven Oaks Hospital on March 7, 2014 at the age of 92 years.

Dorothy is survived by her son Wayne Sprague (Donna) and daughter Carol Jackson (Malcolm), loving grandchildren Cheney (Krystal), Travis, Ainsley (Michael), her great-grandchildren Olivia, Reis and Sierra. She is lovingly remembered by Edith and Bill Neuman and Terry and Diana Neuman and family of McCreary, Manitoba, Muriel Sprague, Trevor, Jenny & Emily Sprague, David and Eleanor Sprague and family of Winnipeg, Roger and Sharon Turcotte and family, Sheila and Steven Shodin and family, Brian and Susan Turner and family of Kenora, Ontario as well as nieces and nephews in England and her dear friend Heidi Schmidt.

Dorothy was predeceased by her parents and five siblings in England.

Dorothy was born on August 28, 1921 and grew up in Brighton, England. She married Henry Sprague, a Canadian soldier, in 1943. After the war, she immigrated to Canada as a war bride. This was a difficult transition for her, moving away from her family to a new country. The journey was long and hard: first by boat to Halifax and then by train to Neepawa, Manitoba. Shortly thereafter she moved to Winnipeg where she raised her family.

While in Brighton, Dorothy worked as a cashier in a factory. For much of her life in Canada, she was a stay at home mother with her primary focus being family. She initially lived in St. Vital, later moving with the family to Kelowna, B.C. for a year and then back to Crestview where she resided for 45 years. Later in life she worked for a number of years in the ladies accessories department at The Bay at Unicity.

As a young girl, Dorothy was a talented dancer in tap and ballet and toured all over England with her dance group. During mid-life, her time and energy was devoted to her children, their education and activities. In her later years, she enjoyed a quiet life, spending time visiting with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, relaxing and watching TV, especially curling and the Bombers. Dorothy was a loving, caring, quiet and gentle woman who was loved by all who met her and she will be missed dearly.

The family thanks the staff at the Parkway and Rosewood retirement residences and the nurses and health care aides at Seven Oaks Hospital for the care provided to Dorothy.

The service of remembrance will be held at Green Acres Funeral Home, Number 1 Highway East at Navin Road, Winnipeg on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 2:00 pm. The internment and a reception will follow the service at Green Acres. As per Dorothy’s wishes, cremation has taken place.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice.

Rest in Peace Mom/Nan. We will always love you and you will always be in our hearts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eulogy

Dorothy Elsie Sprague

We are gathered here today to acknowledge the life that Dorothy lived and to share memories of her that are close to our hearts.

Carol and I thank all of you for coming today to celebrate Dorothy’s life. A special thank you to our out-of-town family for journeying to Winnipeg to be with us today.

Dorothy had different seasons to her life: her younger years growing up in England, the life she shared with dad while raising her family, her mid-life career years and finally, her later years devoted to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Dorothy was born and grew up in Brighton, England. Her parents were Edith and Alfred Elliott; she had 4 sisters, Marjorie, Ruby, Audrey and Hazel and one brother, Percy. Financial constraints being what they were, Dorothy only had the opportunity to return to England a few times over the years to visit family. She missed them terribly and regularly kept in touch by letter and later by phone. I know it was always a special day for her when she received a letter or call from overseas. Dorothy was especially close to her older sister Marjorie and was delighted when she and Uncle George and later their son John visited Canada. As a family, we had a great time showing them around so that they might experience the beauty and uniqueness of Canada.

Growing up, Dorothy or “Doll”, as she was fondly referred to by her family in England, flourished as a tap and ballet dancer, travelling throughout the country with her dance troop competing in various competitions. As a young woman, she worked in a factory and was one of the cashiers responsible for calculating and assembling the weekly cash pay envelopes for the workers. Of course, this was all done manually at that time and she enjoyed using her math skills to complete this work and the challenge of meeting the weekly deadlines. Dorothy was blessed with a sharp memory and her detailed recall of events in our lives surprised me on many occasions.

During the Second World War, Dorothy met and married our father, Henry Sprague. My recollection is that they met where we would have expected, at a dance. They married in June, 1943. After immigrating to Canada in 1945 as a war bride, they first settled in Neepawa, where I was born, and a couple of years later moved to Winnipeg, where Carol was born. My father’s job as a long-distance truck driver took him on the road for long periods of time, which meant Dorothy became a stay at home mom, with her primary focus being family.

Dorothy was a caring, quiet and gentle person, shy by nature. But she had an inner strength that served her well throughout her life. She lived through the depression, the bombing of England, dealt with the daily fear for her husband’s safety as Henry’s tank squadron fought on the front lines of Europe, had the courage to leave her family and move to a new country to start a new life, adapted well to the life of essentially being a single parent to raise her family while dad was on the road, and later in life, now separated, faced the daunting prospect of re-entering the workforce at age 53. Although difficult, she persevered and secured a position as a sales associate in the ladies accessories department at The Bay at Unicity. She enjoyed her time at The Bay and continued to work until age 65. Dorothy lived alone and supported herself for the last 40 years of her life. It took considerable persuasion to get Mom, at age 87, to give up her home and her independence and move first to the Parkway and then the Rosewood, where she could receive additional support. However, she soon adapted to the changes, made new friends and came to appreciate the many amenities available to her.

Mom was always there, providing us with a stable and loving home environment. We came home from school each day to a clean house, with meals ready and waiting for us. She taught us the difference between right and wrong, good and bad and kept us on the straight and narrow. She was proud of our achievements and helped us deal with our failures. Family was the central core of her life.

When I see Mom in my mind’s eye, she always has a smile on her face. I remember the many family get-togethers: Christmases at Grandma and Grandpa’s in Neepawa and holiday dinners at Mom’s, which she prepared and hosted well into her 70’s. I remember the great vacations, camping and fishing at Blue Lake, Ontario - and yes, Mom didn’t mind roughing it a little. I remember the trips that Mom took with Donna and me: we toured through California one year, another year across Vancouver Island and finally to Minneapolis. In her mid-seventies, she was a real trooper in keeping up to us. Of course, these trips were all tied into marathons that I was running. I don’t think she really understood why I run marathons, and she certainly wasn’t alone, but Mom always supported me, frequently inquiring if I‘d run that day and how far, and even telling people on occasion, with what I believe was a little bit of pride in her voice, that her son was a marathon runner.

As a teenager, I could be a bit of a tease and would often make a general pest of myself and annoy Mom to no end, usually when she was cooking or baking. This was done purposefully because I knew where it would all lead. Initially, she would tell me several times to stop, each time with a little more emphasis. Then, it was “wait till dad comes home”. The final stage, which I knew was coming, was when she had had enough and grabbed the wooden spoon in the kitchen drawer and chased me around the house. Of course, this was what I was waiting for, and when she finally cornered me, it always ended up with us breaking up with laughter.

You know, I’m not sure when this started between Carol and I, but when the right situation arose, Carol would joke and say “well, Mom always liked you more than me”. This became a standard refrain between us and we had many good laughs over the years. I think it may have been that I was the first born and it seemed to Carol that I got more attention and less restrictions imposed on me than she did. For example, as a young adult, I could stay out late, and from Carol’s perspective, that seemed to be no problem for Mom. But if Carol was out with friends or on a date, and over her curfew, she could be sure that when she arrived home, the lights in the house would be on and there would be Mom’s face peeking between the living room drapes. When Mom was present and Carol joked about my being her favourite, Mom would just wink at me and smile. Well, as we were preparing for the service today, Carol and I were searching for pictures of Mom with family and friends. I had provided Carol with a picture of Mom with me as a baby. Of course, a little frustrated, Carol’s comment to me was, she couldn’t find any pictures of Mom with her as a baby unless I was in them. So, as usual, Carol joked “well, Mom always liked you more than me”, which made us laugh, and for a few moments, lifted our spirits. Carol I know that we have joked about this for a long time, but I want you to know that I have always known that there is no deeper and caring relationship than what you and Mom shared as mother and daughter.

In her own words, here are Carol’s words of love to her mother:

“Mom, thank you for all the years of love, wisdom, laughter and guidance you gave me during my life. I will miss our talks and weekly tea time dates. I was blessed to have you as my mother and hope I can be as good a role model to my children and grandchildren as you were for me. I will cherish all my wonderful memories that we shared together and will love you forever.”

I think we are all familiar with the saying: things happen in 3”s. This was true in Dorothy’s life. She was blessed with three grandchildren, Cheyne, Travis and Ainsley, and three great-grandchildren, Cheyne’s daughter Olivia, Travis’s son Reis and Ainsley’s daughter Sierra, all of whom she adored and cherished and yes …spoiled on many occasions.

I thought it was important for all of us to see Dorothy through the eyes of her grandchildren as they were growing up and understand the influence she had in their lives.

Cheyne was her first grandson. These are some of Cheyne’s beloved memories of his grandmother that he shares in his own words with us today:

“As I look back now, I realize how independent and proud Nan was. As long as I’ve known her she has lived alone and worked full-time to support herself and always had enough put aside to spoil the grandkids. My favourite times growing-up were the sleepovers at Nan’s. Nan never seemed short on energy, we would play floor hockey in the basement, go for walks in the neighbourhood and tend to her gardens. Saturday was the best! Taking the bus to The Bay, she would buy me some clothes or some type of toy. We would go to the pet store and play with the puppies on display and check out all the fish, spiders and lizards. The visit to The Bay would end with a stop at the Malt shop for a Chocolate malt before heading back to Nan’s on the bus. Once home, it was time for dinner and then our favourite T.V. program, take a guess “AWA Wrestling”. Nan may have been small in stature but was strong in spirit and that strong spirit is what I will remember and when her great grandchildren ask what great-nan was like, I will tell them that she was proud, independent and of strong spirit. You will be missed every day, thanks for all our time together, love and miss you always.”

Travis is Mom’s free spirited middle grandchild, full of exuberance for all things dangerous. Having had a few mishaps along the way, Mom often feared for his safety. Here are his words of remembrance of his times spent with his grandmother:

“When I was very young, I enjoyed sleeping over at Nan’s house. She would often take me to the park to collect acorns. I remember one time when we went to Unicity Mall to buy a toy and I wanted a frosty from Wendy’s. Nan said I should get a small one, but I insisted on getting a large one. On the way home I threw up on the bus. Even though Nan was right, she just laughed about it later. Nan would always stand in the window waiting for me to arrive and when I left she would stand in the window to wave goodbye and I would wave back until we were out of sight.

Nan always thought about all of us with her phone calls and our presence at important events. Christmas was one of my favorite times at Nan’s house. She would make everyone’s favorite dainties and apple pie. I will cherish the Christmas ornaments she had engraved for us every year as kids. I think I have 17 to hang on my tree in remembrance of her.

Sometimes I would phone Nan and play a prank on her and once she found out it was me she would laugh about it.

Nan called me “Travy” and told me to be a “good boy”. I will miss her presence in my life forever.”

Ainsley is Mom’s only granddaughter. She and Nan had a special girl to girl, woman to woman relationship. In Ainsley’s own words, these are the wonderful memories she has of “Doll”:

“Nan was fun to be around. When I was younger, I would go over to her house quite often and I always looked forward to it. We had such a great time together. Often we would have sleepovers at her place and we would drink lots of tea and bake together. We both loved doing this! She was the best baker. There was nothing better than Nan’s apple pie or Nan’s cheesecake. These were favourites among many other recipes I will continue to make of hers. I’m so happy she was able to teach me how to bake like her. I’m now ALMOST as good as her! Every time I make these recipes, I will think of her and all the great times we spent together. Like my brothers, Nan and I also went to Unicity Mall to shop and look around the stores.

Nan was a quiet person who kept to herself most of the time, but family meant the world to her. She loved talking on the phone. Nan and I spoke every day, sometimes numerous times. We had a very special relationship and were very close. She was a best friend to me. We liked joking around with each other. We had one joking thing we did almost every time we spoke and I will cherish that forever in my heart.

Nan was an amazing woman. Her family was the only thing in the world that seemed to matter. Making us happy and being there for us. I could have never asked for a better grandmother than my Nan. I will love you forever and miss you more than words can say. Until we meet again Doll.”

When Dorothy arrived in Canada, she was blessed to have Aunt Edith and Aunt Edna there to support her and help her adjust to her new home and the Canadian culture. For the rest of their lives, they enjoyed a special relationship, one that you could clearly see when they were together. Some years later, Aunt Muriel became a member of the family and she and Dorothy quickly bonded and maintained a close friendship throughout her life. I think it is fair to say that all three were her “Canadian sisters”.

Dorothy had some particularly close girlfriends during her life. Em Bergman and Al Racette predeceased Mom, but their friendships spanned many years. Heidi Schmidt is here with us today. Heidi, we thank you for the many times you visited Mom, at home and in the hospital, the goodies you brought her and the many lunches out that you shared with her, always choosing a place where she could have her favourite - “french onion soup”.

As you can see from the sentiments expressed here today, Dorothy treasured her time with family. This was what she built her life around. We will forever be grateful for her love. Rest in peace Mom/Nan - you will always be in our hearts.

I believe the following poem expresses how each of us, in our own way, will remember Dorothy…….. It’s called I’ll Remember You.

I’ll Remember You

In the heart of a song

On the wings of a smile

In the touch of a tear drop

I’ll remember you

In a look that is calm

In a moment in time

In the echoes of laughter

I’ll remember you

In the face of a child

Who sees with your eyes

In all my reflections

I’ll remember you

In the hearts that you touched

In the gifts that you gave

In the treasures you treasured

I’ll remember you

In the still of the night

Your memories tug in my sleep

And tell me it’s alright

And give me a reason to believe

On the roads you walked down

And the lessons I’ve learned

In all my celebrations

Mom, I’ll remember you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our dear mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who passed away peacefully with her family by her side at Seven Oaks Hospital on March 7, 2014 at the age of 92 years.

Dorothy is survived by her son Wayne Sprague (Donna) and daughter Carol Jackson (Malcolm), loving grandchildren Cheney (Krystal), Travis, Ainsley (Michael), her great-grandchildren Olivia, Reis and Sierra. She is lovingly remembered by Edith and Bill Neuman and Terry and Diana Neuman and family of McCreary, Manitoba, Muriel Sprague, Trevor, Jenny & Emily Sprague, David and Eleanor Sprague and family of Winnipeg, Roger and Sharon Turcotte and family, Sheila and Steven Shodin and family, Brian and Susan Turner and family of Kenora, Ontario as well as nieces and nephews in England and her dear friend Heidi Schmidt.

Dorothy was predeceased by her parents and five siblings in England.

Dorothy was born on August 28, 1921 and grew up in Brighton, England. She married Henry Sprague, a Canadian soldier, in 1943. After the war, she immigrated to Canada as a war bride. This was a difficult transition for her, moving away from her family to a new country. The journey was long and hard: first by boat to Halifax and then by train to Neepawa, Manitoba. Shortly thereafter she moved to Winnipeg where she raised her family.

While in Brighton, Dorothy worked as a cashier in a factory. For much of her life in Canada, she was a stay at home mother with her primary focus being family. She initially lived in St. Vital, later moving with the family to Kelowna, B.C. for a year and then back to Crestview where she resided for 45 years. Later in life she worked for a number of years in the ladies accessories department at The Bay at Unicity.

As a young girl, Dorothy was a talented dancer in tap and ballet and toured all over England with her dance group. During mid-life, her time and energy was devoted to her children, their education and activities. In her later years, she enjoyed a quiet life, spending time visiting with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, relaxing and watching TV, especially curling and the Bombers. Dorothy was a loving, caring, quiet and gentle woman who was loved by all who met her and she will be missed dearly.

The family thanks the staff at the Parkway and Rosewood retirement residences and the nurses and health care aides at Seven Oaks Hospital for the care provided to Dorothy.

The service of remembrance will be held at Green Acres Funeral Home, Number 1 Highway East at Navin Road, Winnipeg on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 2:00 pm. The internment and a reception will follow the service at Green Acres. As per Dorothy’s wishes, cremation has taken place.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice.

Rest in Peace Mom/Nan. We will always love you and you will always be in our hearts.

GREEN ACRES

Funeral Home and Cemetery

(204) 222-3241

Condolences may be sent to

www.greenacresfuneralhome.com