Gwendoline Mae Welsh

brief illness.

Gwen was born on November 8, 1927, in Manitou, Manitoba to William T. Pringle and Elsie A.

Pringle (nee Shewfelt). Predeceased by her husband Frederick McLeod Welsh (1994) and her

sister Greta Merle Boyd (2015), Gwen is survived by her children Bill Welsh (Maria Fernanda

Rodriguez-Welsh), and Corinne Overwater (Daniel Overwater) and her grandchildren (Alexander

Daniel and Conor Frederick Overwater, Maria Camila and Ana Daniela Welsh). Also surviving

Gwen are her two brothers Norris Herbert Pringle of Morden, MB and Alistaire McKenzie

Pringle, of Welland, ON, and their families.

Gwen began life in Manitou, Manitoba, and demonstrated her talents for music by the age of

five years. Attending elementary school and living on the family farm in the Manitou area, Gwen

moved as a girl to Bruxelles Convent School (Bruxelles, Manitoba), and eventually St Mary’s

Academy in Winnipeg for deeper and more advanced levels of music (piano) instruction. She

ultimately earned her Licentiate Certification in Performance from the Royal Conservatory of

Music (London). She taught piano in Manitou, Winnipeg, and Flin Flon, Manitoba.

Having graduated from Nursing at the Winnipeg General Hospital, Gwen went on to continue

her studies in Cornwall, Ontario, eventually returning to Winnipeg to work with the Victorian

Order of Nurses (VON), traveling around the city giving nursing care to patients in their homes.

Gwen married Fred on June 9,1956, and lived in Winnipeg until moving in 1960 to Pine Falls,

Manitoba, where Fred bought a pharmacy to begin his business. While raising two children,

Gwen continued teaching music firstly in the local school and then through private instruction

at home per the Royal Conservatory of Music and Western Board of Music standards. Over the

years, her interest in music also led her to study the classical guitar and jazz piano and she

played glockenspiel for a time in the local band. She played the organ for the Pine Falls

Anglican Church for several decades and continued to play for services at St. Bartholomew

Anglican Church in Windsor Park.

Gwen was a tireless contributor and supporter of the community. Besides being active in music

and supporting various functions, she was also highly active in the Order of the Eastern Star in

the Pine Falls-Selkirk area and later, the Jubilee Chapter in Winnipeg, for several decades,

often representing Manitoba in other chapter areas (Maine and Iowa). She was particularly

skilled as an accompanist for choirs, including the Sunrise Singers of Pine Falls and various

Winnipeg choirs, and she received recognition for her years of volunteerism with Age &

Opportunity Inc. in Winnipeg.

Gwen always put her family first, and always maintained close relations with her siblings' and

Fred’s families. Gwen and Fred travelled extensively throughout the years to attend commercial

pharmaceutical conferences, Oldtimers Hockey tournaments, and for leisure. This allowed

them to frequently visit Europe, Great Britain, Honk Kong, the People’s Republic of China,

Brazil, and North Africa. She and Fred also travelled throughout the United States, Canada,

and Colombia to spend time with family and friends. She always looked forward every year to

camping with her family on summer road trips to the Oregon Coast and to favourite places in

the Canadian Rockies.

Gwen returned to live in Winnipeg in 1996, and moved to St Albert, Alberta in 2016 to be closer

to her daughter’s family. She was a resident of River Ridge Retirement Home until her passing.

The family wish to thank Dr L Bartlett (Medical Arts, Winnipeg, Manitoba) for his superb

attention over the years, as well as Dr Shameem Shaker (Horizon Health Medical, St Albert,

Alberta) who was her personal physician in Alberta.

The family also wish to especially thank the Barrhead and Stony Plain area paramedics and the

General and Emergency Staff at the Misericordia Community Hospital for their attention and

kindness shown towards our mother and our family during her brief illness. We especially thank

our mother’s attending Emergency physician, Dr. Aaron Mallet, as well as Dr. Michael Karolak

for their efforts and attention.

The family is grateful to the staff at River Ridge Retirement Home for their kindness, sensitivity,

and true professionalism in their interactions with our family. Mom often commented that she

had never met one unkind person at River Ridge and she was very happy there. We also wish

to recognize and thank Wayne Townsend, Barb Modjeski, and the staff at Lawton Partners for

their years of guidance to our family. We are especially grateful to our cousin and Gwen’s niece,

Judy Pringle, who was most generous to our Mom with her time and efforts during the time she

lived in Winnipeg.

Finally, we wish to thank friends too numerous to mention for kindnesses they have shown

through the years. We consider ourselves most fortunate to have known so many warm and

generous people.

Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held at a future date in Winnipeg,

Manitoba. Thank you to T.J. and Melissa of Parkland Funeral Home, Stony Plain, Alberta, for

their gentle care and guidance.

In lieu of flowers, Bill and Corinne invite friends to donate to the Heart and Stroke Association

of Canada or their local Humane Society.