Anne Garson

by Diamond Rio

Last night I had a crazy dream

A wish was granted just for me

It could be for anything

I didn't ask for money

Or a mansion in Malibu

I simply wished, for one more day with you

One more day

One more time

One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied

But then again

I know what it would do

Leave me wishing still, for one more day with you

First thing I'd do, is pray for time to crawl

Then I'd unplug the telephone

And keep the TV off

I'd hold you every second

Say a million I love you's

That's what I'd do, with one more day with you

One more day

One more time

One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied

But then again

I know what it would do

Leave me wishing still, for one more day with you

Leave me wishing still, for one more day

Leave me wishing still, for one more day

I am Karen, and I was lucky enough to be Anne & Bob's youngest child.

My mom had a special bond with each of us. She always made us feel like we were important to her.

Growing up, my mom made a point of getting to know all of our friends. She always made them feel welcome in our home. By the time they left, she knew all of there family history.

There was not a time that we did not have a house full of kids on the weekend, whether it be cousins or friends.

I remember back as a kid, we would be camping and my dad would be gathering sticks to roast marshmallows while my mom cuddled us and made sure we had lots of snacks and treats.

I never realized as a kid how lucky we were, my mom would bake homemade treats for us. There was always something cooking in the oven. She knew everyone's favourites.

There is not one of my friends that has not sat at our family table and enjoyed one of her tasty home cooked meals. Her motto was that restaurants were fine but we could have a better meal at home and it was more personable and filled with good conversation and stories.

My mom had a rule, you were always expected to call when you were coming home or when you reached your destination safe and sound. She even had friends call to make sure they got to where they were going.

We are my moms greatest accomplishments, but her grandchildren and great grandchildren were her masterpieces. I see gramma in each and every one of them - Brandon - you have gramma's care and compassion.

Britney - you share gramma's love for baking and you are a nurturing mother.

Alyssa - you possess gramma's sense of adventure and her determination.

Dylan - you have the qualities of her kindness and a sweetness only gramma could do best. Dakota - your smile and happy disposition remind me of her.

And Mack - he carries on the bull headedness, but just like gramma, he knows what he wants and so did she.

I will enjoy watching her grow in each and every one of them and smile as she lives on through them.

I have been so lucky to have shared such good times with her. Someone asked me what my most special moment with her was, I have too many to pinpoint only one. Our family has been so blessed to have had so many family gatherings and good times. They will continue, and she will still be a part of each and every one of them in spirit.

We seen last night all the people that came to remember mom and found out just how special she really was and how many lives she touched. I only hope that I can be half the mom she was.

I will miss her dearly and there will not be a day that she will not be in my thoughts. I am grateful for every moment we shared together and the special moments big and small that we spent together.

I have a story that I would like to read as I came across it and it reminded me of my mom:

The Last Perogie

An elderly Ukrainian man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favourite Ukrainian perogies with fried onions wafting up the stairs.

He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed.

Gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs.

Downstairs, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen, where if not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were hundreds of his favourite perogies.

Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of love from his wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

He threw himself toward the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the perogies was already in his mouth.

With a trembling hand he reached for a perogie at the edge of the table, when suddenly he was smacked with a wooden spoon by his wife.

"Don't touch" she said. "They're for the funeral".

Hi, I want to talk about some of the things you might not know about my Mother.

She was this little farm girl from Bellevue Valley who was really quite brave and adventurous as you will see especially for the era she grew up in. She always said her favourite thing on the farm was putting her arms around the calves’ neck trying to lead them but sometimes being dragged to go suck on their moms. "A good mother always keeps her calves together", which is what she did with us kids. When she was only 13 she lived with family in town to go to high school. By 16 or 17 she went to Toronto to work down town on Yes Younge Street at International Film Distribution Company. Back home at 19 she was married and had four children before she was 25.

Us kids oh what we put her through from knocking down a wasp nest and making into the house with most of the wasp still with us, to a bear being shot at our birthday party, my brother Reg in the back seat of the car making the siren sound of an ambulance on Great Northern Road and her actually pulling over and so many other stories. I truly don’t know how she did it.

She had many fears and phobias.

One thing she didn’t like was to be alone a night. I remember my Dad was driving truck I was probably in Grade One she would let me stay up late with her and watch Elvis movies which I’m sure by the time I was seven I had seen ever one of them.

One time while she was hunting with my dad she was left by herself when he spotted a moose. She couldn’t keep up and was crying and scared to death until he came back for her. If you know my Dad none of us can keep up yet. After that if she did go she made sure us kids were with her so she wouldn’t be left alone again under any circumstances.

The two of us were lucky to have gone on many trips. At seventeen I went with her to Italy and at the Island of Capri we waited for the ocean waves to die down enough so we could go out and from a large boat climb into a little boat with no lifejackets to go into the caves at low tide to see the Blue Grotto with this being said she was terrified of the water. After getting back to land we ventured up the gondola even though she was afraid of heights.

When she retired she went with her granddaughter to horse shows throughout Michigan and despite being closterphobic Britney would push her into the Goose neck part of the horse trailer to sleep.

Celebrating her wedding anniversary she mushed her own dog sled team. She would try anything even at age 40 Phil and I took her to Searchmont to learn to downhill ski. It took all day to get her down the Bunny hill but she did it.

She travelled with my Dad from riding the trolley car in San Francisco to eating seafood in the East Coast. There were also the many family car rides on weekends down every Algoma back road and bush road with a picnic lunch and sometimes I don’t think they were even roads. It’s funny because she was always afraid of being stranded in the bush.

She was also nervous to fly. One time before takeoff she told my brother Bob the pilot that if he crashed he would take out our whole family. He assured her that every time he flew his intentions were not to crash.

When you think of all the things she was afraid of it’s a wonder that little girl from Bellevue Valley seen and did so much. Her curiosity and sense of adventure allowed her to push the limits. Not even her worst fear mice could stop her. One time she was found balancing on top of a metal ironing board when she called for help after seeing a mouse that’s how afraid she was. But it didn’t stop her from going to camp fly in fishing. All she would do is stay up all night talking with her feet on the chair up off the floor.

She always had so many kids stay at our house. Cousins like, Brad, Blaine and Brian, Glennie and David, Jason and Jody. Then there were also all of our friends. My girlfriend Nancy even lived with us for a while. One time my dad showed up at home with four of the Slawson kids when the last one was being born that made eight kids. One particular weekend my Mom counted 13 kids including Louanne from Thunder Bay. She said she had to cook a turkey just to feed us all.But the most unusual guest was a friend of Reg’s. His name was Denis and he worked in Hornepayne as a biologist and had family in Southern Ontario. He would show up at my parents and no one including my mother knew how long he intended to stay. One time he was there about a week. I whispered to her when is Denis leaving she smiled and just shrugged her shoulders because even she didn’t know.

She always lived life to the fullest and when she was diagnosed with Cancer she told me how content she was with the life she had lived. You would often hear her say me how she admired my Dad’s love of children and family. We all knew my brother Bobby was her little boy. Reg was amazing. She got to see

Karen and I become the Mothers she had taught us to be of course all we had to do was follow her example. She was honoured to include in our family her favourite son-in-law Phil and her favourite daughter-in-law Andrea and of course her grandchildren and great-grandchildren that were greatest pride and joy.

So today we celebrate my Mother’s life and all that she is known for a loving wife, adored mother, grandmother, Baba and friend.

To everyone who has paid their last respects Thank you all for sharing your stories, love, respect and admiration of her. What a special gift to us her family.

When you look around this room you see how that one little farm girl from Bellevue Valley who always had a smile has greatly impacted so many.

Kathy Lemieux (Daughter)

I would thank everyone for attending, this would have made my mom very happy and proud. Only she could bring all these friends and family together. Birds of a feather flock together. Great people attract great people.

I need to recognize all the caregivers, doctors, nurses and her colleagues that cared for her through the hard times. I must especially thank my sisters who undertook the caregiving of my mother. She would have expected nothing less from her daughters.

She would not like to see anyone cry today. She would want everyone to enjoy each other’s company and smile. It would be impossible to believe no one would cry. So Dylan and I decided to grant a hall pass on crying for the next couple of hours. So let’s get started and see if we can flood this place like Goulais River in the spring.

We will all miss her and already do. Family gatherings and parties were always her opportunity to apply the hospital bed board skills. She would have all the out of town guests billeted out. We just got our assignments…Kathy so and so is staying with you. They arrive on this day and are leaving this day. We will be at your house this night, and Bobby’s the next night, he will have so and so stay at his place, and Reg will have so and so at his place and Karen you will have so and so at your place. But when they all arrive, we will all have supper at our house the first night. Well you already probably noticed, you got four rookie gibronis and they better get their act together for a wedding in July.

We all know the quiet, caring and compassionate person she was. So now I will tell you a little more about her. She knew what everyone liked and she made sure she had it for them. It usually involved food and yeah…cabbage rolls, pedeh and butter tarts.

If you had an interest, she would make it her interest. I joined Air Cadets and she drove me there. Then she joined the Ladies Auxiliary we had, and became more involved than me at times. I played basketball at school, she got the key to the gym so we could play and practice in the evenings. Then I created a monster. I watched football and she quickly learned the rules of the game and became a super fan. Dallas Cowboys were our team. I may have switched teams, but not her. Every year, she would buy tickets to win a trip to the Super Bowl. It looked like Reg had the inside track on going.

When we get together, you would think, us four kids learned to whisper in Grandpa Palahnuk’s saw mill. We are loud. So I don’t know how my mother’s hearing stayed so good to the end. She could always hear a conversation on the other side of the room. She was not loud and did not have to be. If you listen to her, what she said was educated, insightful and worthwhile. She was a superb listener and advisor. When Reg was younger, she thought he had a hearing problem. Yes he did have a problem. They diagnosed it as selective hearing. Hearing only what he wanted to hear. My mother found the cure. Reg would always say “mom, mom, mom” trying to get her attention. Maybe she also had that selective hearing. Or maybe she just liked hearing him call her mom often.

Who is Anne Garson? That is the answer, in the form of a question. Jeopardy. She loved that show and was good at it. While watching it, she would get a lot of the answers right. After awhile, I realized she was getting every single answer right. Only to find out then, it was on twice a day.

She loved to cook and taught us all to cook because she knew we would require this skill. Heck, Reg has even become quite a gourmet chef. The grandchildren showed an interest in baking, so this gave her an opportunity to foster their interest and spend time with them. Dylan and Grandma made tie plates together, because he enjoyed them. We ate a lot of tie plates because if you like something, you may get overloaded with that. A friend of mine from Hornepayne, said my mom did not know the meaning of no thank-you. She would say “Would you like some more?” and you would get more, even if you said no thank-you. You never left there hungry. When I went to College, my friends always enjoyed stopping at my parents for a visit but more for the meal. There were no hungry College students in Sault Ste. Marie.

She was a teacher, but in the conventional way. She taught by example, and would gradually change your bad behaviour. It was like you absorbed the correct direction. But she was just implementing her plan, without you knowing it. An example of this amazing method was my brother Reg. He would get in a fight at the bus stop almost daily. So she would tell him “Don’t get in a fight today” and he wouldn’t. But if she forgot to tell him, there was a call from the Principal. And in time, the new Reg emerged. He now avoids conflict at all costs. This is an example again of her influencing his behaviour. I have a special but unique relationship with my mother. She always respected my decisions. I think she knew the effort, thought and consideration I put into them. I believe it was similar to the way she made decisions (but mine weren’t quite as good).

Phones are how we communicated. Daily if possible, and sometimes more than once a day. She loved phones. When I was young, she said she would have liked to have been a switchboard operator. Annie the operator…a nice ring. I believe she wanted to do this, so that she could make connections and always be on the phone. When I moved from home, I realized there were books with phone numbers. At home, we never needed them because she knew everyone’s number by heart.

We certainly had a different approach to conflict resolution. I would draw a line in the sand, get my shovel and dig in and prepare my defenses. She on the other hand, would walk down the line in the sand, and already have her peace talks underway.

Competitive we both were. Extremely competitive. If you played cards or games with her, it showed through. If Bingo was an Olympic sport, I don’t know how many gold medals she would have. Dylan certainly got the competitiveness, her impish grin and sense of humour. She worked hard and never complained. So it did not impress her when other people complained for no good reason. She was always determined to see things through. She would work long hours and finish the job at hand. She believed in doing things right and was an example to how others should be.

She could not be laid to rest until today. She had a birthday to be at, and a hockey tournament to attend, even if it was just in spirit.

SO LIVE WITH NO REGRETS AND REMEMBER HER…

IF YOU ARE GREAT, YOU DON’T NEED TO TELL ANYONE.

SOMEONE OR EVERYONE WILL TELL YOUR STORY.

SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY!

Bob Garson (son)

Anne embraced life and we do her a disservice if we don’t celebrate and honour all she was to every person gathered here. Every now and then you meet someone who you know is going to make a difference in your life, and for many of you Anne Garson was one of those people. She was a special woman, but at this moment in time, the sorrow of her illness and death, makes it almost too difficult to comprehend each of you knew Anne and probably all have special memories, stories of this vibrant woman. It is important that we gather today to honour and remember Anne She was an amazing woman with zest for life and generous spirit.

I want to begin by sharing with you from Anne’s journal. She began this journal in recent months and kept it private, the only stipulation was that Bob was to read it after her death. The family didn’t know what she wrote or how much she wrote. She often was frustrated at Bob’s story telling how he could make a short two sentence story a fifteen minute monologue so she had the last word. Ending her few sentences about meeting Bob with these words there was no turning back.

JOURNAL ENTRY

"I am one of the luckiest people. I just happened to luck out when I found you. I can still remembered that day. I was with Henry and we went to your gas station. You were standing in the doorway in your brown uniform. And you looked so neat and tidy. That's when I fell in love. There was no turning back."

They dated for a while, in fact one of their early dates she invited Bob for dinner luckily she had bought a large package of pork chops for the ones she made for him well, Bob told her they were tough but if she had more maybe he could help. They have been together ever since.

Anne learned to cook and cook well. Her baking was out of this world and she was noted for her butter tarts, so her granddaughters made butter tarts in her honour. Anne baked all the time and if you said you liked something she would make it for you all the time, she remembered who liked what and always had it for them. So you should never tell Anne you liked something if it truly wasn’t your favourite.

It wasn’t until Anne was getting married that she discovered her name wasn’t Anne but Helen Catherine Margaret Anne. She was the fifth of eight children and the first girl so maybe they wanted to get all the family names in just in case she was the only girl, she wasn’t she had a younger sister.

Ann was a loving and caring mother and a doting grandmother. For thirty years she worked at the General hospital retiring just before they moved to the new hospital. She had been a ward clerk on various floors and for the last ten years worked on the bed board. Anne had a remarkable memory and could multi task so it was a natural job for her. She knew just where there were empty beds or when they would be empty. Someone said it has taken eight people to replace her and I wouldn’t be surprised. She was well respected and well liked by all who worked with her.

One of the other places Anne multi tasked was at bingo she could play a table full of cards, and the cards of her neighbor and keep on a conversation all at the same time. Anne was good with numbers especially telephone numbers she knew everyone’s number. She also loved the telephone, it was like it was a natural extension for her. She had a special chair outside the door where she would sit and chat and catch up on all the gossip.

Family was truly her reason for being, as wonderful as she was as a mom she thrived on being a grandmother. She was involved in all their activities. There is nothing she would not do for them. Her favourite times were being surrounded by her family. For mother’s day she didn’t want to go out for a meal why pay that kind of money for food you could make better! She wanted to go fishing in the creek and have a picnic with all her family around and that is what they did. The only time she truly enjoyed going out was to Red Lobster for seafood.

Anne loved lilacs, in fact she loved gardening flowers and vegetables, but with so many of the family allergic Anne’s beautiful flowers were outside. She enjoyed music and played the piano. She loved to dance and she and Bob could do a mean jive and polka. When she cleaned the house she had Neil Diamond or Waylon Jennings blasting.

Anne was an avid read. She had been very bright skipping grades and starting high school at age thirteen. She loved to do crossword puzzles and was an excellent typist. She was old school in that she believed in doing something and doing it right.

Anne’s family was her priority. Every Sunday and every birthday and holiday and anniversary they gather to share a meal and not just sandwiches, Anne insisted on a full meal. She wanted everyone seated at the table eating before she would even think of sitting down. It didn’t matter how many friends her grandchildren brought there was always enough food.

Anne looked after everybody, one Thanksgiving weekend when they found a couple from California stranded on the road, nothing doing they came for Thanksgiving dinner and became firm friends. Anne and Bob went and visited them in California. Anne was a professional worrier too, if Reg was going fishing she would tell him to stay away from the water, made fishing a bit difficult.

Anne was not the speediest driver, she didn’t care if there were 100 cars lined up behind her. Anne felt they could pass her if they wanted to. The only exception to this rule was if she was late for bingo and then she became a speed demon. Anne loved bingo and enjoyed going to the casino. She was lucky. She had won $10,000 on wintario and once one a trip to Rome from Dominion Store. She and Kathy took that trip.

Anne and Bob had been to Florida and California, both coasts and taken Fly in Fishing trips. They did this before retirement wanting to travel when they knew they would be able to enjoy it. Anne also took a memorable trip to Vegas with some friends.

Anne liked a bargain, she enjoyed garage sales and loved Black Friday sales. She had a system getting Karen to stand in line while she collected her finds and brought them to her. She worked deals with people you pick up two of these and I’ll get two of those and just take them to Karen she keep our spot in line. When she did stand in line, by the time she reached the cash she knew the life history of the people around her.

Anne the cautious drivers liked doing donuts in the car. She would convince her grandchildren to do them when they drove her home telling them don’t worry I’ll take care of grandpa.

Family history was important to Anne and she had researched her family history and it was quite an accomplishment. She had a good sense of humour and didn’t have a selfish bone in her body. Anne was a woman of strong values and would drop anything help anyone no questions asked.

When her son Bob was ill, she reached out not only to Bob but Andrea and the children with her love, help and support . That is just who Anne was and she probably would not have accepted a thank you because in her mind that is what you do for family, that is what you do for anyone.

On Tuesday you lost this amazing woman in your life. It is difficult to sum up Anne’s life in just a few words, for her life was so much more than words, it is made up of memories and actions, emotions and experiences. We take comfort in remembering that Anne had a full life, a good life.

Anne was a hardworking, caring and dedicated family woman. She was generous with her time and her talent. If there was anything she could do she was there. Anne will be missed because Anne was loved and Anne loved. Mrs Helen Smith (officiant)

"Till We Meet Again"

Song by Johnny Reid

May the sun shine on your shoulders

May luck and love be your friends

For now, always, forever; til we meet again

May your troubles be few

I hope life’s good to you

May your heart beat steady and strong

Yeah I wish you the best

May you find happiness

Every step of the road you’re on

May the wind fill your sails through the rain and the hail

Carry you safely back home

May your journey unfold to a big pot of gold

At the end of your way home

May the sun shine on your shoulders

May luck and love be your friends

For now, always, forever; til we meet again

May life fill you glass

May the memories last

Let the whiskey kiss you good night

May you wake every day with a smile on your face

And the ones that you love by your side

May the sun shine on your shoulders

May luck and love be your friends

For now, always, forever; til we meet again

May the sun shine on your shoulders

May luck and love be your friends

For now, always, forever; til we meet again

GARSON, Anne (Palahnuk) – Peacefully surrounded by her family at ARCH on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 shortly after enjoying her 73rd birthday on Sunday, April 23rd. Loving daughter of the late Katie and Stan Palahnuk. Loving wife of 54 years to Robert A. (Bob). Devoted mother to Kathy Lemieux (Phil), Bob (Andrea), Reg and Karen. Deeply missed by her grandchildren the pride and joy of her life Brandon, Britney (Ryan), Alyssa (Evan) and Dylan. Special great gramma (Baba) to Dakota and Mack Guitard. Dear sister to George Palahnuk (Mary), Henry Palahnuk (Sharon), Steve Palahnuk (Janet), late Paul Palahnuk (Ann), Peter Palahnuk (Sandra), late Wilma Garson (Glenn) and Frank Palahnuk(Mavis). Sister-in-law to Helen St.John (late Charlie), late Marg MacDonald (late Jack), late Jack Garson (Penny), Lois Andrews (late Lawrence), Jim Garson (Wendy), Gladys Cameron (George), Glenn Garson (late Wilma), Phyllis Whalen (Randy) and Harold Garson (Theresa). Also survived by many nieces, nephews, cherished friends and colleagues. Family and friends may visit at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Sunday, April 30, 2017 from 6 to 9 pm and on Monday, May 1, 2017 from 9:30 to 10:30 am. Funeral service to follow in the chapel at 11 am. Helen Smith officiating. Interment Greenwood Cemetery. Anne loved her family gatherings. Her family will greatly miss her Sunday suppers and picnics. She was well known for her cabbage rolls, pedaheh and butter tarts. Memorial contributions to the SAH Foundation or ARCH would be appreciated. Special thanks to Dr. Booth, Dr. Rassouli, ARCH, Paramed nurses and PSW’s and all SAH staff.

* * * * * * * * * *

GARSON, Anne (Palahnuk) – Peacefully surrounded by her family at ARCH on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 shortly after enjoying her 73rd birthday on Sunday, April 23rd. Loving daughter of the late Katie and Stan Palahnuk. Loving wife of 54 years to Robert A. (Bob). Devoted mother to Kathy Lemieux (Phil), Bob (Andrea), Reg and Karen. Deeply missed by her grandchildren the pride and joy of her life Brandon, Britney (Ryan), Alyssa (Evan) and Dylan. Special great gramma (Baba) to Dakota and Mack Guitard. Dear sister to George Palahnuk (Mary), Henry Palahnuk (Sharon), Steve Palahnuk (Janet), late Paul Palahnuk (Ann), Peter Palahnuk (Sandra), late Wilma Garson (Glenn) and Frank Palahnuk(Mavis). Sister-in-law to Helen St.John (late Charlie), late Marg MacDonald (late Jack), late Jack Garson (Penny), Lois Andrews (late Lawrence), Jim Garson (Wendy), Gladys Cameron (George), Glenn Garson (late Wilma), Phyllis Whalen (Randy) and Harold Garson (Theresa). Also survived by many nieces, nephews, cherished friends and colleagues. Family and friends may visit at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Sunday, April 30, 2017 from 6 to 9 pm and on Monday, May 1, 2017 from 9:30 to 10:30 am. Funeral service to follow in the chapel at 11 am. Helen Smith officiating. Interment Greenwood Cemetery. Anne loved her family gatherings. Her family will greatly miss her Sunday suppers and picnics. She was well known for her cabbage rolls, pedaheh and butter tarts. Memorial contributions to the SAH Foundation or ARCH would be appreciated. Special thanks to Dr. Booth, Dr. Rassouli, ARCH, Paramed nurses and PSW’s and all SAH staff.