Mrs. Eva Larsen Knudsen

EVA KNUDSEN (nee Larsen)Mom was born on September 18, 1926 in Lemvig, Denmark and passed away suddenly but peacefully on July 15, 2009 in Chilliwack, B.C. She leaves surviving Dad (Gunnar) the ‘love of her life’, her daughter Lisbeth and son-in-law Barry. In Denmark, she is survived by her younger brother and nieces and nephews. For many years she and Dad owned and operated Shirley McAree & Star Florist in Victoria where Mom’s artistry and attention to details earned her an outstanding reputation. She loved to travel in the van conversion with Dad, especially their regular trip to the Kimberley Accordion Festival and a long trip to Alaska. She loved to cook fabulous Danish meals, read, garden, walk, puzzle and knit. We will miss her greatly but take comfort in her words recently spoken, “I have had a good life.” Thank you to everyone at Chilliwack General Hospital and Royal Columbian Hospital for their gentle care and wonderful support. Memorial Service to be held at Henderson’s funeral home Thursday July 23rd at 10:00 a.m.Online condolences can be left at www.hendersonsfunerals .comHenderson’s Funeral Home 604.792.1344EULOGY (given by daughter, Lisbeth Knudsen Kehl)This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Things were starting to fall into place and Mom was looking forward to moving forward. But – this is the way it is and we’ll get through it because that is what she would want. “It will all come out in the wash”.A tomboy who turned into a lady, Mom was beautiful. Creative with a capital C not only with flowers and food, but in life as well. As a child, she was sporty and a go-getter. She could also be a little brat. Mom had a brother and a sister older than her and a younger brother. Mom’s sister Esry, was 10 years older and often asked to “look after” her little sister. One day Grandma asked Esry to take Mom with her to the movies and gave her 25 cents. Esry didn’t want to take her little sister and wanted to go with a friend so Mom said that if Esry gave her 50 cents, she would tell Grandma that she didn’t want to go. Esry readily gave her the money. Mom told Grandma that she didn’t want to go and Grandma looked at her and asked “how much money did you get out of Esry this time”. Mom met Dad when she was 18 and she didn’t like him at all. They met again a few years later and started dating. He told her he was going to marry her. She was having none of it but kept dating until they had a blow up and she took off to Sweden for a year to work. She didn’t see him when she visited her parents but when she came back for good, she found him waiting at the train station with tears in his eyes and he told her he loved her and missed her. He had built a house for her and had a good job. What could she do? She married him and they celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary in June. Their marriage was rocky at times because they can both be hard headed and are Danes after all, but there was never any doubt that they loved each other fiercely. Their love is definitely a “once in a lifetime love.”“It’s not as big as it looks” was often heard around her house, generally in reference to the amazing Danish desserts she would make and serve to us. More often than not, they were as big as they looked but we ate them all up anyway. Mom had a garden from very young and at 12 decided that she should get a job in a greenhouse near home. It was then that she really discovered her love of plants and flowers. When she was older, she was going to take courses to become a florist but the war intervened. She never lost her desire to become a florist and when we moved to Canada, settling in Edmonton, she took night courses and got her “ticket”. We moved to Victoria and she got a job in a florist shop (Shirley McAree Florist), then opened her own shop (Star Florist), eventually buying the shop she had originally worked in and combining them both (Shirley McAree & Star Florist). “Triangle your fern” became an inside joke. It was the key to designing some flower arrangements – making them looked balanced. She would say it to her staff if she thought their arrangement needed a little more work and we all began using it in reference to things that needed to be done. Mom could still be a tomboy at times but she also loved the fancy. In her journal of Mom and Dad’s 40th anniversary trip to Denmark she wrote “….had dinner at Divan 2 [in Tivoli Gardens] and I mean dinner – with white tablecloth – waiter and the ‘whole nine yards’ – Dad started with a couple of dry Martinis. I had a Manhattan. We order a big beautiful Rodspaette – not on the menu but was made special for us – small new potatoes and spinach. For dessert strawberries – ice cream and whip – Bottle of wine – coffee and liquor – needless to say we left quite a few Kroner less and feeling no pain. In fact Dad got me on a ride – I never would have tried sober – Mama Mia did we have a fine time - alle tiders – evening.”On being Canadian, again from Mom’s travel log, “We had a lovely visit – enjoyed seeing everybody – enjoyed the Country – Landscape – food – Denmark the Country haven’t changed – people have – some is good – some not so good – but most of all Dad and I have changed – we are Canadians – no but, if or whatever about it – if this is good or bad – I don’t know ……”. “…we have outgrown them in many ways and could never live in Denmark – Canada is home – and we are looking forward to see her again.”She liked things to be “just so” when making flower arrangements and having special events. Mom was also at times feisty and could fly off the handle if frustrated but cooled down quickly, opinionated and not afraid to voice those opinions, especially in her later years, (hmm, sound like anyone else we know?). She was warm-hearted and would help people if she could. She laughed easily. She loved her ompapah music and Andre Rieu and often listened to her music to keep her going in down times. In closing, again from her travel log, “Sitting here at 4,000 feet – just finished reading my Daughter card and letter. I realize not many parents are as lucky as we are – for that I will always be grateful…..”. She always made us believe that we were the best. She was a wife to Gunnar, a mother to me, more than a mother-in-law to Barry, a friend to many – and my best girl friend. We will miss her and long for her touch but take comfort in her own words “I had a wonderful childhood and I’ve had a good life.”********************