Frances Hilary (Harris) Dunlop

It’s been 12 years since Dad passed. They had 62 years together. Mum missed him dearly but carried on with life in Winnipeg. Welcomed new great-grandchildren, continued to look after things herself and her home, drove to visit friends and attend church. As time passed she accepted a move to assisted living but sadly Covid made things difficult so another move was made to live with her daughter in Oakbank, MB. When it became necessary for Mum to go into care she spent a few months at Arborg PCH and then returned to Oakbank to the Kin Place Personal Care Home where she was a resident for three years.

We are grateful to have had 95 years with Mum and are deeply saddened by her passing on July 30th, 2026 at Kin Place. She had been waiting patiently to be reunited with Dad and peacefully slipped away with family by her side. So we rejoice that they are together again and find comfort in knowing that she is now at peace, free from the burden of dementia and is made whole again.

Mum was born September 9, 1930 in Winnipeg and was the youngest child of Leonard and Gladys Harris (nee Thomas) who emigrated from Cornwall, England. She was predeceased by her parents and her siblings, three sisters and two brothers; Muriel McMaster, Dorothy Heal, Leslie Harris, Kathryn Akister, and John Curnow Harris. Also by her daughter-in-law Lynne Dunlop (nee Deverdenne), her grandson Jeffery Wiens, and her nephew-in-law Steven Brink.

Mum was raised in Fort Rouge and attended Lord Roberts school where she met Dad, Stuart Dunlop. Mum said they had “shiny eyes” for each other from the age of 14. Her mother was not too keen on that “wild Dunlop boy.” Her father was won over during the 1950 flood when Dad took it upon himself to fit a backwater valve in their basement. They married in 1952, lived in different parts of Winnipeg but settled in Fort Garry and raised 4 children over the next 10 years. Moving to a bigger house wasn’t an option so Mum would paint walls, wallpaper over wallpaper, sew curtains and move furniture around to give the place a new look. Dad worked shift at the CN Shops in Transcona and learned to turn on a light when he got home after midnight so as not to trip over something that was not there when he left for work. Mum worked retail jobs then the night shift at a nursing home as a health care aide, but she always wanted to be a nurse. So she took courses to obtain her Grade 12, was accepted into the Licensed Practical Nurse program at Red River Community College, had three of her four children still at home, and a husband who worked shift. She graduated as an LPN in 1975 at the age of 45, a truly proud moment. She enjoyed working at Victoria General Hospital for the next 15 years or so.

Mum enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing and other crafts. Her sister Dorothy was her best friend. Dunlop’s and Heals got together every Friday night for years. We went on camping trips, first in tents and later in a pop up trailer. As a family we drove to California and flew to England to see relatives. They in turn came here to visit. The UK relatives couldn’t believe the distances travelled to show them The Rockies and Niagara Falls. In later years Mum and Dad would take off in their converted van to visit new places, always checking out the thrift stores, or to Dauphin to see the Durston’s. They travelled by CN Rail to the west coast and took bus tours. In 2002 Mum excitedly planned their 50th Wedding Anniversary as if it were a second wedding. At age 80 she learned to use a computer and enjoyed searching for recipes and sending or receiving funny stories from her friend Carol Graham. She enjoyed faith based programs, ones with singing and even Border Security.

Mum is survived by her four children: Robert Dunlop, Winnipeg; Hilary Walmsley (Bill), Oakbank; Dorothy Wiens (John), Winnipeg and Nancy Reling (Mike), Winnipeg. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; Lindsay Dunlop, daughter Kennedy; Lisa Boughton (Ryan) sons Caleb, Chase and Colby; Christopher Walmsley (Dana) daughters Lily and Abbie; Jason Walmsley, Ian Wiens (Kelsey); Matthew Reling (Angie) sons Kai, Nate and Lex; and Stephanie Reling. As well as many nieces, nephews and their families.

Mum read her Bible and prayed for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She remained faithful throughout the years. She was loved. We carry with us her love and strength, her small but mighty nature, her blue eyes, love of ice cream, scotch mints, wagon wheels and hearing her say “Put the kettle on.

The family would like to thank Kin Place for the exceptional care, dignity and kindness Mum received and the support and compassion that brought comfort to her and our family. We are forever grateful.

Cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life was held on Tuesday, August 25th, 2026 at Thompson “In the Park” where Mum and Dad are laid to rest.

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EULOGY by Dorothy Wiens (nee Dunlop)

Mum was born Frances Hilary Harris on September 9th, 1930. She was the youngest child of Leonard and Gladys Harris (nee Thomas) who came from Cornwall, England. She had three sisters: Muriel McMaster, Dorothy Heal, & Kathryn Akister. Also two brothers: Leslie Harris and John Curnow Harris. The name Curnow stands for Cornwall which is a scenic, rugged peninsula at the south west tip of England bordered by the sea on three sides. It’s known for its distinct Celtic heritage, mild climate, palm trees and over 400 miles of dramatic coastline. Having the mildest and sunniest weather makes it is one of the most popular tourist spots in the United Kingdom. In the past it was famous for tin and copper mining, and fishing. Culinary staples that remain today are Cornish Pasties and Clotted Cream Tea – a scone topped with clotted cream and a “dollup” of jam, LOVELY WITH A CUP OF TEA.

Mum’s family came to Canada because her parents wanted better opportunities for their children. Her father, or “Da” as he was called, was apprenticing as a machinist and her Mum was learning to be a seamstress. Da caught his hand in a machine and unfortunately had his index finger amputated to the first joint. While on leave he read in the local newspaper that Canada was offering “free land” in a place called Manitoba. The land was around Eriksdale and to qualify you had to emigrate to Canada, pay a $10 administration fee, agree to build a home on the property and cultivate the land within 3 years of arriving. The family emigrated in the early 1920’s. Mrs. Harris and 5 children returned to England around 1924 to care for her mother while Mr. Harris remained in Canada. When Mrs. Harris and the children returned in 1926, her father, Grandpa Thomas, came with them. In 1929 at the age of 8, Curnow died of diphtheria, something their mother never got over. Mum was born the following year, 1930, and she was referred to as “Wee Frances” because of the age difference between her and her siblings.

Mum was 9 years old when World War II broke out. The British government launched a massive relocation effort called “Operation Pied Piper” in which 1.5 million children and vulnerable people from big cities in the UK were sent to the countryside or overseas to Canada, Australia and South Africa. The children were only allowed to take a small case containing clothing, a gas mask and their identity pinned to their coats. One such child from Scotland was a girl around the same age as Mum called Jean. She was billeted with the Harris family until the end of the war, then returned to Scotland where Mum was able to meet up with her again years later.

Mum, her parents, Grandpa Thomas, some of her siblings and Jean lived in south Winnipeg on Rathgar Avenue. Mum and Jean were more like sisters now and they attended Lord Roberts School. It was there that Mum met Dad, Stuart Dunlop, who lived a couple of streets over on Beresford Avenue. Mum said they had “shiny eyes” for each other from the age of 14. Her mother was not too keen on that “wild Dunlop boy.” Her father was won over during the 1950 flood when Dad took it upon himself to fit a backwater valve in their basement. They married in 1952, lived in different parts of Winnipeg before settling in Fort Garry and had 4 children over the next 10 years; Robert Stuart, Frances Hilary, Dorothy Jean and Nancy Noreen. The post war home on Windermere was one and a half stories with two bedrooms upstairs, both with slanted ceilings, no basement, Mum and Dad’s bedroom on the main floor, one bathroom and a good sized yard. Dad’s garages were always his workshop complete with a wood stove. Moving to a bigger house wasn’t an option so Mum would paint walls, wallpaper over wallpaper, sew curtains and move furniture around to give the place a new look. Dad worked shift at the CN shops in Transcona and learned to turn a light on when he got home after midnight so as not to trip over something that wasn’t there when he left for work. Mum said she use to dream about finding a door she had never noticed before and behind it was more space, another bedroom!

At the age of 45 Mum fulfilled her dream of becoming a nurse. She took courses to obtain her Grade 12 equivalent. We helped her with the math skills. She was accepted into the LPN program at Red River College, had three of her four children still at home, and a husband that worked shift. To help herself remember the spelling of some medical terms, she would make up a jingle. For “sphygmomanometer” (blood pressure machine) she broke it down to “Sally Put Her Yellow Gum man o man o meter” – like she’s going to be in trouble for that! For us as children, one great advantage was that our tiny kitchen acquired a portable dishwasher. We no longer had to wash the dishes, just load, unload and put them away. Mum graduated in 1975, a truly proud moment! She worked part time at the Victoria Hospital for approximately 15 years.

We went camping as a family, first in tents, then a tent trailer, followed by an 18 foot hard sided trailer. As a family we traveled to the UK visiting Mum’s family in Cornwall and Dad’s in Scotland. The relatives resembled our family. Amazing. That trip sparked my interest in ancestry. Over a six week period in 1981 when relatives of Mum’s came over Mum and Dad first took them west to the Rocky Mountains, then east as far as Niagara Falls. In 1992 Mum and Dad bought Hilary and Bill’s house on Clarence Avenue in Fort Garry, 5 doors from Robert and Lynne. In later years Mum and Dad made day trips in their “conversion van” to small towns close to Winnipeg. They could park anywhere, make a pot of tea, eat their picnic lunch and check out thrift stores in those communities. They also took a few bus tours, one to the east coast, to Branson Missouri and another to the Black Hills in South Dakota.

In 2002 Mum “enjoyed every moment” planning their 50th Wedding Anniversary. She sent out invitations, set the agenda, chose the venue, the food and the entertainment. The original wedding party or a substitute family member along with the junior bridesmaids (who were 5 and 7 in 1952) sat at the head table with Mum and Dad.

Mum and her sister Dorothy (Auntie Doe) were best friends. Mum drove to Doe’s on Wednesday’s and they would knit or crochet, drink tea with a sweet of some kind and solve the world’s problems in a single afternoon. It was amazing how quickly they could knit without looking. Any dropped stitches were calmly ripped back and on they went.

My son Jeffery was born premature on Mum’s 59th birthday. His many medical issues kept him in the Neonatal ICU until a week before his first birthday. Grandparents were only able to visit once a week and Mum wanted Jeff to recognize her voice so she made a cassette tape of children’s stories so we could play it to Jeff in between their visits. At Christmas that year, we received a gift and a letter of encouragement from the family of a baby that had “graduated” from the unit. It was a tradition that had been started years before to be given to the sickest baby. We decided to continue that tradition but for each baby not just the sickest. I handmade Christmas ornaments, wrote letters of encouragement and Mum knit green or yellow baby booties. We put these items together and delivered the gift bags on Christmas Eve for the next 15 years. Mum and Jeff celebrated 35 birthdays together before his passing in October 2024. They are now together again.

Mum experienced many changes in her 95 years and took them in stride. Listening to radio programs, records (78’s & 33’s), TV, cassettes, VCR’s, using a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, a microwave. At 80 she got a laptop computer and enjoyed sending and receiving funny stories from friends or looking up recipes and trying them out.

From Mum and Dad’s union came 4 children, 1 daughter-in-law, 3 son-in-laws, 8 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. She loved all of us very much and prayed often for her family. Mum and Dad’s faith had always been important to them. Some years ago Mum chose the hymns she wanted for her service because they held great meaning to her and expressed what she believed. “What a Friend We Have In Jesus,” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “Just As I Am,” and “He The Pearly Gates Will Open.” She had grown up singing them and when we were young she often practiced them on the organ after we were in bed. She learned the scriptures from the King James Version of the Bible and before she sold the house on Clarence, at the age of 90, she asked me to get a copy of that version of the Bible for each of her children which she gave to us along with a letter from her in each one. She encouraged us to “pray to the Lord and ask forgiveness of our sins and HE WILL FORGIVE YOU. THEN WE WILL ALL MEET AGAIN SOME WONDERFUL DAY.” Love Mum. God bless you all.