Predeceased by her husband Con, Anne will be deeply missed by her children Graham (Cynthia), Joanne (Gregory) Wehrle and Howard (Nancy) and by her sister Josephine Prentice. She will be lovingly remembered by sister-in-law Margaret Skarbon, brother-in-law George Mehain, and her nieces and nephews: Verna (Brian), Dennis (Sylvia), Brenda (Gary), Judy, Louis (Lesli), Jeffrey, Robin (Norm), Paul, Patrick, and Valisa and many great-nieces and nephews.
Anne Mehain was born on August 13, 1922 on the family farm five miles south of Limerick, Saskatchewan. She was the seventh child of Joseph and Nellie Skarbon. Anne was very close to her nine siblings and always told loving and sometimes very funny stories about their adventures growing up on the farm.
Anne and her brothers and sisters walked the mile to attend Milton School year round. She was a frail child, so she did not start school until the age of eight. She attended the little country school from grades one to eight and then boarded in nearby Limerick to finish high school there.
In 1942, she entered the Regina Normal School, studying to be a teacher. After graduating, she returned to teach at Milton for two years and then went on to Dunning, Congress, and Kayville schools followed by a brief stint with the Government of Saskatchewan.
By this time, her mother's health was failing, so she returned home to the family farm to help. She met her future husband Con Mehain at a dance in Lakenheath and they were married in Assiniboia on October 17, 1953.
Anne began teaching in Limerick in 1955, and in 1959, she and Con adopted two children, Graham and Joanne. A few years later, Anne gave birth to their son Howard, and the family was complete.
Anne was always very involved in the Limerick community. She held various offices in the Rebekah Lodge, Ladies Legion, Home and School, Limerick Housing and the Limerick Historical Society. In 1981, Anne retired from teaching after twenty-seven years. She then accepted the challenge of editor of Limerick's first history book, "Prairie Trails and Pioneer Tales". This was a gargantuan, but extremely rewarding undertaking. Anne loved working with the history book team so much that she served again as Editor for a subsequent history book in 2005, “Echoes of the R.M. of Stonehenge”. These books were among her proudest accomplishments.
Anne loved to dance. She and Con seldom missed an opportunity to get out on the dance floor and, as she said, “really fly”. She was an accomplished cook, especially baking, and her ‘freezer was always well-stocked with delicious homemade treats. Gardening was another favourite activity and her dozens of beautiful flowering planters and pots were a great source of pride every summer. She grew many vegetables as well, but was often disappointed in her zucchini crop, not realizing that Con was secretly disposing of this vegetable which he loathed.
Anne had a wonderful sense of humor. She loved to plan comical skits for school entertainments and share silly stories with her friends. Many people were unaware that certain mysterious visitors to the Limerick Hotel at Hallowe’en were Anne and her close friends dressed in outlandish costumes. They only ever had a single cocktail, preserving their anonymity by drinking through their masks with a straw, but they had great fun giggling and disguising their voices.
Although she was happiest in her beloved Limerick, Anne occasionally travelled with friends and family. On a cruise, she and her dear friend Hilda and niece Debbie were strolling along enjoying large ice cream cones. Anne felt a sudden rush of air and turned to see a thieving seagull escaping with her ice cream. After this, she kept a close eye on her desserts. In Disney World with Joanne and Greg, Anne was watching a nightclub show when the singer suddenly held out the microphone for her to join in. Caught completely off guard, Anne could only squeak “I’m sorry, I have a sore throat.”
When her husband Con grew very frail and entered long term care, Anne sold the Limerick house and moved to Assiniboia to be near him. In January 2009, Anne lost her husband of nearly 56 years. Anne moved into a local condominium and began a new phase in her life. With good friends and her beloved sister Jo living in the same building, Anne hosted many social evenings and afternoons in their company. A great many card games and jigsaw puzzles were frequently accompanied by Anne’s favourites: cinnamon rolls or rice pudding.
After a few years in the Prairie Villa, Anne herself entered the long term care facility adjacent to the Assiniboia Union Hospital, where she enjoyed the visits of friends and family. Anne always remembered her teaching days with great fondness and was always particularly delighted to see a former student.
Anne was cared for with skill and compassion by the devoted staff of the care facility until her passing. She touched many lives in her roles as teacher, wife, mother, sister, aunt and dear friend and she will be long remembered with great respect and fondness by those who had the privilege of knowing her.
Funeral Mass for Anne was held on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 10:00 am at St. George’s Roman Catholic Church, 325 6th Avenue East, Assiniboia, SK. Father Dennis Remot celebrant. Interment followed in the family plot at Hillcrest Cemetery, Limerick, SK. Lunch and fellowship followed at the Limerick Community Hall.
In lieu of flowers, those who so desire may make memorial donations in memory of Anne to Assiniboia Auxiliary for the Assiniboia Union Hospital - Long Term Care. Arrangements entrusted to Ross Funeral Service, Assiniboia, Saskatchewan. www.rossfuneralservice.com
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.8.18