Margaret Kathryn Blumsum

BLUMSUM, Margaret Kathryn, 89, of Porters Lake, died on November 29, 2017 with her family by her side at Arborstone Enhanced Care, Halifax. She was the last surviving member of her family. She was the daughter of the late William Jones and Annie (Hurshman) Jones Bonn.

Margaret is survived by sons, Bob (Cheryl), John, and daughter, Carolyn; sister-in-law, Gwen Shannon (Norm); grandchildren, Matthew (Cara), Michelle (David), Meghan (Matt); great grandchild, William; numerous nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by husband, William Arthur; step-father, George Bonn; siblings, Pearl Meisner, Murray and Jack Jones; step brothers, Eric and Elver Bonn; step-sisters, Vera Mosher, Connie Bonn; father in law William Blumsum; mother in law Lily (Coakley).

Visitation will be Saturday, December 2, 2017 from 12 pm to 2:30 pm in Cruikshank’s Funeral Home, 2666 Windsor Street, Halifax, with service to follow at 3 pm. There will be a reception following the service. Burial at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the NS Alzheimer’s Association.

Born in Halifax, Margaret was a long time resident of Fairview. Always active in the community and St. Johns Anglican Church, Margaret was an active member of the ACW, Circle, and the church choir. Along with husband Art she enjoyed square dancing and founded the Bee Squares Square Dance Club.

Following a near fatal car accident in 1981Margaret retired to a lakeside home on Porters Lake where she provided loving care for her seriously injured husband for many years until his passing in 2008.

After moving to Porters Lake she was a founding member of the Porters Lake Wilderness Association working tirelessly to see a significant wilderness saved from inappropriate development and ultimately designated as a protected area. Margaret also led a project to establish a community museum in Porters Lake and later helped in the planning, funding and creation of the Crowbar Lake Hiking Trails.

Professionally, Margaret was a graduate of Miss Murphy’s Business College and started work in a retail book store. Through the years she worked as a stenographer and in office administration leading to her job at Sears Canada in the collections department. Respectful persuasion was her strength.

Hobbies and interests included badminton (in her early days), sewing, creating stained glass lamps and ornaments, gardening in her solar green house and playing crib and the piano. She loved to travel and had trips to -Florida, California, Newfoundland, the Yukon and Bermuda.

Margaret loved to swim. She also enjoyed her four legged companions over the years particularly: “Smoke” “Soot” and “Cinder”, her three German Shepherds of questionable pedigree.

In her later years she always enjoyed a drive along the Eastern Shore or the Seaforth loop to Cow Bay, longer drives to the valley or to Peggy’s Cove, and holidays on PEI.

Margaret loved to cook and bake and her chocolate chip cookies and soft rolls were family favorites.

She loved her life in her lakeside home until late this past summer. Fiercely independent, she made a difficult transition and entered extended care at Arborstone in late August of this year having handled her slow decline into the fog of dementia over the past year or two with grace and characteristic humour. At Arborstone she settled in initially and, in fact, seemed to rally through to late October.

Mom was a wonderful mother and a very proud grandmother to her three grandchildren. She has enjoyed watching her first great grandchild William grow into the little character he is and had a great laugh while watching a short video of his antics just last week.

Mother passed away peacefully early in the morning of November 29. Until her final days she knew us all and always expressed her love.

Sincere thanks to the professional and compassionate staff of Arborstone Enhanced Care on the Purcell’s Cove Road. From the day she arrived until the day she departed she was given love, care, respect and understanding, especially on her most confusing days.

MIZPAH

The Lord

Watch

Between me

And thee

When we

Are absent

One from

Another