Paula is survived by her three sons, Clayton, Robert (Russell), and Jim (Winnipeg); sister-in-law Anne Thomson (Toronto); as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Clayton Thompson; her parents, Pearl and William Eleen; sister Olga (Max Wolko); brother John Eleen; sister Anne (Lorne) Lester; and sister-in-law Luba Eleen.
Paula was born in Siniow, Poland on April 19, 1926. Her family immigrated to Canada in 1929 along with other Ukrainian families. They farmed in the Glenella area and later at Arden, MB. She remembered digging Seneca roots with her Mom to sell at the local store to help get by during the Depression. As a young woman, she had fond memories of working as a practical nurse at Ste. Rose du Lac Hospital and as a store clerk in Rorketon. After the Second World War she married Clayton Thompson and together they raised three sons. Paula and Clayton farmed at Glenavon, Kelso and Saltcoats, SK and, since 1964, near Russell.
Paula loved gardening, good food, lilacs, chickadees, and the warmth of a wood fire. She had a lifelong passion for reading. Her favourite book was Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Mom was a person of great strength and of gentleness, kindness and compassion. She had a good sense of humour and loved people, hearing their stories, and seeing the best in them. She had a special knack for finding four-leaf clovers and sharing their luck with others. Her homemade cards with a four-leaf clover and hand-written messages of hope and love will be remembered by the many people who received them to mark special occasions and during difficult times. As a relative once said — she was a gem.
Mom was always thankful for Tommy Douglas, the Father of Medicare. She truly believed he was our greatest Canadian.
At Paula’s request cremation has taken place with interment in the Moffat Cemetery, Moffat, SK, at a later date.
If friends so desire, contributions of remembrance can be made to a charity of their choice.
We love you Mom and you will always be in our hearts.
“Life is short and we have not too much
time gladdening the hearts of those who
are travelling the dark way with us.
Oh be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.”
- Henri Amiel
“Every blade in the field -
Every leaf in the forest -
lays down its life in its season
as beautifully as it was taken up.”
- Henry David Thoreau
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