Memories of Irene pt 5  …..Goodnight Irene …

The PSWs at Ridgeview said that they liked to massage her arms, hoping some of her longevity would rub off on  them . They loved her and treated as they would their own grandmother…saying ‘ we are family ‘  . The past year she was very much like the little Velveteen Rabbit ….worn out from life’s challenges plus a few broken bones….but she was still Irene…still had the twinkle in her eyes and a smile that would melt your heart. She still had great hair and liked a good cup of tea. And when Ronnie, her baby brother visited last month she still knew Ronnie! 

The staff cried and honoured her as she left them….we are forever grateful for  their compassion. Jim , Marilyn, Frank, and Wilma have been there week after week for every need,…her advocate, her voice , showing so much love….she knew she was loved. ‘ Caring for those who once cared for us is one of the greatest  honours’….we have been blessed to have had Irene in our lives for so long through every age and stage. 


‘Irene …You are the other mom I got the day I wed your son, 
And I just want to thank you mom
For all the things you’ve done.’

Enjoy  the peace you deserve . Good night Irene , I’ll see you in my dreams. 

Memories of Irene pt 4 
Irene once told me she was always able to adapt to change and that was how she got through difficult times. She got much joy from being a grandmother and loved being able to dance at their weddings. Not long after those weddings becoming a widow was likely one of the hardest things she ever had to adapt to after 59 years of marriage.  Jim and Irene had already adapted to apartment living in their later years, gave up the car and walked everywhere . But I know that losing Jim was likely the hardest change she ever had to deal with. 

At 84 she bought her little condo at Twenty Place …
Another change. Irene had the best sense of humour….and while she was signing the papers she looked up at us laughing and said ‘ I might be dead before the ink dries! ‘ She signed anyways . She still had 18 more years ahead of her …eight at Twenty Place, another eight at Deerview and another 18 months at Ridgeview . One change after another. 

The world had changed so much for her yet she adapted to new technologies….from hifis with records, to cassette tapes , to CDs , from attached phones to portable phones to cell phones …she adapted ! 
One change she did  not fancy was needing rides. Jim would drive her places ….and go for nice long drives along the mountain brow after appointments, drive her to the bank , Dr or Fortinos ….as much as she liked the outings she missed being able to walk places. She loved walking.  

At Deerview Crossing she was famous for walking and even at Ridgeview she walked walked walked everywhere …and at a good  clip. If we had put a Fit Bit on her, she would have clocked enough Km to go to Vancouver and back. She was a bit of a celebrity at both Deerview and Ridgeview  because of longevity as well as her walking ability. By the time she got to Ridgeview she had outlived her friends, her in-laws, her beloved Dr Zizzo and that same year she also outlived the Queen. 

Memories of Irene Part 3 
The Great Depression was followed by World War 2 ….five years of war ….imagine most of your childhood, and youth knowing only hard times…a great depression , food stamps, young men overseas , women filling in for jobs with no young men to fill those jobs . That is why they are so often referred to as The Greatest Generation ….they went through tough times…the worst of times…but some might also say ….the best of times. They often say it was a most romantic time to fall in love ….and Irene married the love of her life June 18, 1943 ….almost eighty years ago . They  had to live apart while the war raged on….and Irene said …when this war is over, we are going to have a family. And that she did ….enter the post war babies …. Marilyn  and Jim …..and a time of hope and peace to raise them. Peace …the name  Irene means Peace. 

Irene’s happiest years were spent raising her  family ….first in a tiny house on Craig Miller in the north end, then eventually building their dream house….a small brick bungalow on Winchester Blvd on the east mountain. It was a happy home, though not too big, ….she entertained the family in that little basement with delicious dinners on the ping pong table ….and all the family would be together!  Holidays meant camping and an outing was a Sunday drive. That’s the way life was in the fifties and sixties….simple fun.

In her later years when the younger generation took over the entertaining , she would be right there in the kitchen stirring gravy along side  my mom…..and helping  to heat up the pies she had baked, and put out the bean salad and the walnut squares she always  made! She loved watching the birds, raccoons and other wildlife at our country place ….and of course, the dogs…especially little Katie who visited her in the  retirement home too. 

Memories  of Irene pt 2 
Irene always was Mrs. Clean and sometimes she reminded us not to come over if we had a cold or flu. She went through bottles of Listerine…..we now think it might have been her Big Secret to a long life ! 🥰 Now  , having recently experienced a pandemic , we understand! 

The family immigrated to Canada when Irene was just a toddler , on a passenger ship named SS Canada , with White Star Lines … same ship line as the Titanic  , to start a new life. The little girl with fluffy hair became a Canadian girl …. people used to call her Flossy because of her hair!!! 

Going through her photos, we asked about the little trailer on the beach. She said she lived in the trailer on the beach with her mom and dad when she was small . ‘ My Dad made it ‘ she said . When I asked  what that was like to live in , she said ‘ warm and cozy ‘. She had a photo of the old Dingley Dell , which today is Hutches, on the beach. She said ‘I worked there when I was too little to be working ….but they let me help ‘. She got around by bicycle ….her bike could take her wherever she needed to go and it was only later that there was a car, and eventually she even rode a motorbike. She said she loved helping her dad tinker with the car. She showed a lot of interest in how things worked and how things were built. She was so excited to watch our Cayuga house being built! Even when she lived at Deerview Crossing Retirement Home she loved to watch the Condo building go up across the street!  

Irene left school at a young age to work….that was typical of the times ….especially for a girl. It was , after all, the Great Depression in the thirties  and everyone did whatever they could to earn income and contribute. Irene cleaned houses for a well to do family in Hamilton, and also worked in her grandparents’ Fish and Chips Store in Brantford. She was never afraid of hard work. 

Memories of Irene 

When Irene first came  into my life she was only a little bit younger than I am today ….already a Gramma, mother and wife. She welcomed me into her world with loving arms and an open heart! I knew she was someone who wanted nothing more than her children’s happiness ! It wasn’t long before I was presented with one of her hand made afghans….then soon after, one of her needle points for the wall ! She welcomed my two children into the family and treated them always with love and kindness as she did her own grandchildren! She was generous with her gifts and generous with her time. 

She and  her Jim became friends with my own mom and dad and she even wanted to meet my Grampa …my Papa ….whom she said reminded her of her Papa! She even visited my Papa , at his house and eventually in his nursing home . She was indeed a nurturing and caring lady! 

Through the years I learned what a special giving lady she was , and I understood why I loved her two children ….she raised good kids! She loved her family to the moon and back and when you see her pictures you might notice that she is often surrounded by children! It didn’t matter if they were sticky with Easter Chocolate or candy canes, she would let them sit on her lap or hug her! They made her smile , and laugh! Her laugh was contagious! 

Through her stories and her photos I also got to know the earlier Irene…who she was before I met her .

Irene entered this world September 5th, 1921 , in Manchester England , not long after the 1918 Spanish Flu  pandemic had ended …..we can only imagine how protective her mom would have felt, having her first baby shortly after the world had experienced one of the worst pandemics in history. I imagine she was raised to be very careful of germs….avoid anyone with a cold , keep everything very clean, wash your hands …..there were no antibiotics in those days. As a very young child she lost her hearing in one ear due to an infection. Those were not easy times.

Dear Marilyn & Frank and families, sending our deepest sympathies for the passing of your dear mother.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time. 
From Lina Presta, Nadia and Sandra and families

So many lovely memories in all the pictures.  We send our condolences to all of you. 


OBITUARY

Irene Fraser

September 5, 1921 – June 8, 2023

Cresmount Funeral Home - Fennell Chapel

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