Mildred Eliza Elliott

Our Mom, Mildred Eliza Elliott (Andrew) was born on February 29, 1924 which was a leap year. She turned 94 this year (2018)

Mom was born in her home on the farm close to Marchwell, Saskatchewan with her grandma (our Great Grandma Sparling) as the midwife. My great grandma brought over 100 babies into the world during her lifetime.

Mom’s parents were Mabel (Sparling) and John Andrew. Grandma Andrew and her parents (Lucy and John Sparling) emigrated to Canada from Sheffield England in 1903 when Grandma was 8 years old. Mom had three sisters (Ila, Myrtle and Joyce) and one Brother (Elmer). They were a close-knit family and mom often shared stories of the mischief they would get into. Like stealing a cup of sugar while grandma took a quick nap so they could dip the sour rhubarb sticks into it making it partially edible, fooling around when they were supposed to be doing the dishes until my grandma would scold them. Mom, Ila and Elmer would gather crow’s eggs, sending Elmer up the tree as he was the littlest and a boy. He would carefully take the eggs from the nest and hand them down to the girls. They would then take a needle and carefully poke a hole in each end of the egg, take a straw and blow on one end until the contents came out the other end. The eggs were then strung on a string and when they had enough gathered, take them to the Municipal office in town and be paid the handsome amount of half a penny per string. That was a lot of spending money back then. Gopher tails were also collected and taken to the Municipal office for payment. They must have had an overabundance of crows and gophers to make it viable for the government to pay kids to bring in eggs and tails for payment. Can’t you just see three little kids running with buckets of water from the slough (or pond as they call it now) to pour down the gopher hole to flush the little creature out so they could catch it.

Every evening after dishes the family would gather around the kitchen table and grandma would read stories by lamp light. The girls would embroider or knit while the story was being read. That is probably where my mom got her desire to learn and further her education. She loved to collect stamps (which I still have), make scrapbooks with her sister Ila, and read books by her favorite author Elsie Dinsmore.

She attended a one room schoolhouse in the school district of Ingleside. The school held Grades 1 through 11 during those years and later grades one to eight when my mom taught in that very same school. For her grade 12 she went to Spy Hill high school and her mom arranged for her to board out which meant she would do work for the lady of the house in exchange for her room and board. She earned 12 cents per day doing household chores including the doing the ironing with a heavy iron heated on the wood stove. She would have to bring the cows in from pasture, get them milked, separate the milk and cream in a manual separator and get them properly stored in metal cans ready to ship to the creamery in town. She had to share a room with their 4 kids so no private room or bed for her.

From there she went off to Teacher’s College (or Normal School) in Regina, Saskatchewan. She was the only one of her siblings that got an education and my grandma being a strong woman went against my grandpa and made sure mom got to follow her dream. My grandma sold one of her cows, sold milk, eggs and cream to get enough money to pay for tuition. When mom came home on breaks, she would be sent back with food packages to ensure she had enough to eat. She remembered her sister Myrtle giving her some of her own clothes, so she would have something nice to wear to school.

Before she had completed her teaching education and obtained her certificate she was sent out to teach as it was during the war and there was a shortage of teachers. Her first post was at Dressler School (located between Langenburg and Churchbridge) a one room schoolhouse in the country. She rented a small room up a narrow set of stairs from the John Kendall family. She did household chores to help pay her room and board. She once showed us the little lamp that she used to ready by in that tiny little room. She carried her teaching textbooks with her for many years after, one of which was entitled “Mental Hygiene”, one can only imagine what that was about.

Because she left school prior to receiving her teacher’s certificate she had to attend Summer School to finally get the coveted certificate, then get the necessary upgrades that were required. During one of those summer sessions she took an art course and enjoyed it so much that she passed on that love of art to her students and her own kids. On one of those Summer school sessions, Sandy and Glenda went to Regina for a visit with mom. She was staying in a tiny little attic room of a house and it was very, very hot up there. She cooked us a meal on a little hot plate and since she only had one plate, which was actually a platter, we all had to share and eat off the same platter. Sandy, who was prone to getting blisters and simply could not tolerate the new shoes mom had bought her, got bleeding blisters on her feet and ended up wearing her bedroom slippers to walk the streets of Regina. Sandy also remembers being in Fort QuAppell at a summer school and sitting in the dining room at a long table to eat dinner with mom. We were so happy just to be with mom though that nothing else mattered.

Her career came to a temporary halt when she married her childhood sweetheart Bill Elliott in November 1, 1945 and moved to his farm. Her wedding took place in the living room of her home and my dad’s sister and her best friend Jean stood up with her. A few years ago, we took her back for a visit and her and my aunt Ila toured the homestead, went into the house and she stood in the exact spot where she was married. She and my aunt giggled like girls again that day as they shared their memories.

When Glenda was 5 and after 12 years away from the profession, mom returned to teaching school (August 19, 1957) at Ingelside school teaching grades 1-8 at an annual salary of $2,400. I am not sure how one teacher managed to teach all those grades, make up exams, mark papers as well as keep 25-30 kids under control and inspire them to learn. I remember our dining room table piled high with paperwork as she worked late into the night making up lessons for the next day or marking exam papers and doing up the report cards – worrying if one of her students did not get a good mark. At Christmas she would organize a Christmas Concert and every student would take part, entertaining the entire community who would attend. What a lot of work organizing the plays, musical entertainment and costumes to go with each.

Often Sandy came along to school (although not old enough to attend class) and played with another little girl Lorraine Ferguson who had lost her mother and tagged along with her siblings to school. That first year of teaching had 6 Grade One students, 5 grade 8 and various numbers in the other grades 2-7. It must have been a very busy time for her teaching full time, raising two daughters, running our farm home, growing a big vegetable garden and keeping up with family and community events. She was a member of the Royal Purple in Langenburg so she could go to the events with my dad who was a member of the Elk’s Club.

Mom’s busy schedule meant that we all had to pitch in with the house cleaning, cooking and farm work. One of her fondest memories was when we came home from school one fall we quickly put together a lunch of sandwiches, cake and tea and take it out to my dad in the field. Often neighbors driving by would stop in to share lunch and tea with us.

In 1963 Ingelside school closed and mom obtained a position in Langenburg teaching social studies and English in grades 7, 8 and 9. It was an adjustment going into a multi room school and dealing with the often difficult “town” kids instead of the easy going country kids. She had some students who did not turn out good in life but also some who loved and appreciated her, some of whom still write to her at Christmas.

The most ironic thing about mom was that she was not an animal person. You would think that she would have as she married a farmer, but she did not, and they seemed to know it. Although my dad could walk among the cattle touching and talking to them, the minute my mom stepped into the yard their ears would perk up, tails would fly up in the air and they would take off at a run. Of course, my dad teased her about this fact every chance could. She did put up with the dogs though, as her husband Bill loved dogs. She remembered them having a Scotch Collie named Scotty, a German Shepherd named Spike, a little Minature Pincher named Friskie and a little Poodle named Spot. My dad loved to sneak food to the dog under the table. Mom had the uncanny knack of knowing just what dad was doing, even though she had her back turned to him and would say “Don’t feed the dog my pie crust, it is the best part of the pie!!”

We sometimes went for a Sunday drive and would pack a picnic lunch to have spread out on a blanket on a patch of grass somewhere along the side of the road. One summer we took the time for a short vacation and drove to Cyprus Hills. We really enjoyed that trip, spending time together, having picnics and seeing some new countryside and particularly staying in a motel and eating in restaurants. Our family travelled to Expo 67 in Montreal – it was a trip that none of us ever forgot. We took the train to Montreal then managed to make our way around the city by taxi and underground subway without being able to speak French. All 4 of us shared a room in a bed and breakfast, although I think it had been set up to accommodate people travelling to Expo and don’t remember a breakfast being included (Glenda was 19 and Sandy 14).

In 1975 Mom retired and long with my dad moved to Kelowna to be closer to family. Once settled, mom worked in a day care (for a brief time), then joined my dad packing apples, working at a fruit stand called Friendly Farms, and when the owner found out that she baked the best pies, hired her to bake them for sale in the market. She had quite a business going, and regular customers kept her baking full time. She also helped my dad raise red wiggler fishing worms as well as laying Vinyl deck on sundecks on the Okanagan.

Her hobbies were playing the piano and singing along, making quilts, and doing research into family history and putting together an extensive family tree as, well as baking the best pies in the world. She made many quilts over the years and one summer helped her granddaughter, Chris, make a quilt. She still has that quilt and it has now been passed down to her daughter Megan, who would also like to learn how to make one. She also tried to teach most of us to make pies, although, no one had the skill to make them just like mom.

Her greatest passion though was spending time with family and having the grandkids over for sleepovers and cookie baking whenever she could. Often, I would come home from work to find a note from the kids saying, “We have gone to Grandma’s house to stay – she picked us up and will bring us home again”. She also loved to cook for family and her little house would often be full. We could always count on a birthday dinner or other celebration at her house. On Sundays Mom would faithfully pick up Gabby, JJ and Gennie and take them to Sunday School and feed them lunch, either at her house or take them to Dairy Queen for a treat.

Mom and Dad saw their 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries, both of which we planned celebrations for. Their 25th was held in Ingleside school with the entire district attending as well as relatives from outlying areas. We bought them a big console stereo/radio/record player system. Their 50th was a surprise for them and we had organized relatives to fly into Kelowna, unknown to them. It was the last time my mom was with her sisters together.

As empty nesters, my parents travelled across Canada, went to California and Hawaii with my aunts and uncles (Mary & Cook, Jean & Oscar). On the trip to Hawaii, at the very last minute my Grandma Andrew decided she would like to go along so they just made the changes, packed her up and included her. They lost her once when she stepped off the bus at the wrong stop so there was a lot of scrambling and back tracking to find her. She was just calmly sitting there waiting for someone to find her.

Mom and dad attended St. Paul’s United Church regularly and mom joined the choir when she participated until she had to give it up due to health reasons. She also enjoyed being part of the Saskatchewan Retired Teachers Association. They also volunteered at KGH for 10 years, which gave her a lot of enjoyment, especially when she was assigned to accompany my dad on their rounds.

When dad passed away in 2003 she stayed in her home and managed everything on her own until March of 2011 when a stroke made it necessary to sell her home and move into an assisted living facility at the age of 87. She managed there until 2017 when another stroke made it necessary to move to a full care facility at the age of 93.

In 2009 Mom decided she wanted to go to Saskatchewan to visit our aunts one last time and asked Sandy and Glenda to go with her. We agreed and booked a flight into Regina, booked what sounded like a nice bed and breakfast in Melville and rented a car to drive around on our adventure. And an adventure it was!! We landed in Regina and found our way to the kiosk for our car keys. They pointed us in the direction of the parking lot – out there in the corner – no customer service there. We made our way outside into the blizzard – wind howling, snow blowing and mother in tow. We managed to find our hotel and discover there was no restaurant close so decided that a couple of cut up granola bars, a bag of chips and chocolate bar from the vending machine – dinner was served. Our Melville experience with the Bed and Breakfast topped it all. The lady met us at the door and seemed nice enough until she started on the rules. The big kitchen area was not for our use – no cooking allowed including the microwave, the fridge could be used but we were not to touch anything, we could use the sitting area but were not to disturb the other guest who I don’t recall seeing at all. With restaurants all closed due to Thanksgiving Day we settled on a pumpkin pie and cool whip for dinner complete with lots of giggling (maybe due the orange juice and vodka). We did get a lecture about washing the little plates we used for the pie so decided to just put the pie into the trunk of the car for the day to avoid any further issues. We had a nice visit with our aunts in the care home in Bangor and were served a lovely home cooked meal for lunch (complete with pumpkin pie) then back to the B&B for the evening and guess what – more pumpkin pie for dinner. The following day we had a nice visit with Mom’s sister Ila complete with a home cooked lunch and pumpkin pie for dessert. Dinner that night was – guess what – more pumpkin pie as that seemed safe to eat and we did need to top off the vodka and orange juice as it was getting a little low at this point. Now I really like pumpkin pie – at least I did up to this point and to this day every time I have that pie I think about Melville. The last evening at the B&B the nice lady brought us some of her home-made sauerkraut to share with us. Well it was only half done and was nothing more than cabbage and salt. One mouthful and our eyes popped open and we were speechless. We managed to smile and nod until she left the room and we all raced to the garbage to spit it out. We laughed until the tears poured down our faces. It was the only trip the three of us had ever taken and one that none of us would ever forget!!

Mom always had a standing date for lunch on Tuesdays. It started when Chris was in college and continued when she got a job as she conveniently had Tuesday’s off. Eventually, Gen was able to join in and when Chris had kids, Ryan and Megan came along too. They loved Great Grandma’s homemade soup and dessert. Grandma’s favorite sandwich was either salmon salad sandwiches (which the kids didn’t like so she made them something else) or pizza (because everyone liked pizza) and of course pie and ice cream or one of her fruit crumbles for dessert, or another favorite, frozen peaches (partially thawed).

Life lessons that mom taught us were “Treat others as you want others to treat you” or as she said always follow the Golden Rule “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”. She also stressed we should always look our best as you never know what opportunity may present itself; however, we were not to judge others by their appearance as they may not be as “well off” as we were.

Mom was the most kind and gentle person one had the privilege of knowing and everyone who knew her loved her. Although she was quiet and unassuming, she was very strong and would do anything to help us, but when she said no she would get this stubborn look on her face and we all knew not to push her any further. No meant NO.

We will miss her so much.

Memories about Grandma from JJ.

My fondest memories of grandma include her teaching me reading writing and arithmetic at her kitchen table. She always had these special workbooks designed for early learning.

I also remember her teaching me to ride a bike. The first time she let go I rode all the way down the driveway on my own and crash landed at the bottom. I was so mad until she explained that I went the distance on my own. I never looked back!

Also, who can forget those walnuts grandma made at Christmas time, and her legendary apple pie!

Memories from Gen

Grandma and Grandpa were my rock. So much so that when I was 11-years-old I considered asking Grandma to home school me, and for Grandpa to please play the missing role of my dad as I grew up (which he played the role of very well). They were pivotal role models in my life and I always knew the day I had to let them go would be the hardest days of my life. This still reigns true.

I was a timid and insecure child. My sense of peace was being near my grandparents. Church was a big part of our life (highly bribed with Dairy Queen treats after the service!). I remember to this day my favourite bible stories Grandma would read me including the story of God speaking to young Samuel, and the story of baby Moses. I read these stories to my kids today - from the same children’s bible Grandma would read me.

I was not a good elementary school reader. I remember failing every grade 5 reading test that I was presented with. I practiced relentlessly at Grandmas kitchen table without success. She even had the exact readers to study from that the school tested from (I really was hopeless!). Reading was apparently never my forte (and still isn’t).

I spent many nights with my grandparents. Many evenings filled with 4:30 dinners at the small kitchen table consisting of beef, mashed potatoes and beans with ice cream for dessert. This was always followed sitting in front of the TV to watch the 5pm CHBC news broadcasts, the 6pm Vancouver news (boring!), Wheel of Fortune (which I’d be very proud if I solved a puzzle) and Jeopardy. After hours of TV together we’d prepare for bed. I’d climb into grandma’s bed and pull down her leather-bound bible with her name engraved in gold on the cover, which lays with her now, and carefully turn the fragile tissue paper pages. It awed me (and still does) how many times she has read that book cover to cover. She loved reading! She had a whole library downstairs, but the bible was her favourite. One day she surprised me with my very own replica bible with my name engraved in gold on it. I have it to this day, still in box, and treat it with the utmost respect... although I’ve yet to read it cover to cover.

Fast forward 10 years and “Tuesdays with Grandma” became a favorite and famous weekly event for me and my coworkers knew it. I was working on the cardiac floor as a newly graduated nurse and I’d manipulate my breaks so I could make it to grandmas for lunch at 11:30. Staff were ever accommodating to make this work for me as it was uncommon for a 21-year-old to be making such an effort to go visit her grandmother. A lot of them felt close to her as well as she was usually the topic of conversation for the day!!

I’d fly in the door (Chrissy and kids may or may not have been on time!), scarf down my soup and sandwich, eat a few too many crackers and Cheez Whiz, then top it off with dessert. I’m the only one in the family who does not enjoy pie, famous or not! Grandma could never seem to remember this. It’s un-fathomable to the whole family, really, but I would compromise by eating the filling!

Fast forward another 10 years and grandma was in a much different place. Now in assisted living, she found it hard to depend on others. She was a strong-willed woman and it amazed me that she could still climb up and down 120 stairs (cumulative) daily at the ripe age of 87-93. Truth right there that exercise does a body good!

Grandma was an amazing artist and right up to her 94th birthday her attention to detail with colouring in her adult coloring book was as great as it had ever been. This was a big pastime for her and if you saw the pages, you’d understand why. I especially cherish this past December- February when she found immense pleasure in interacting and colouring pictures with Livia (3-years-old at the time) and Katie (18-months at the time). She was often found laughing with the kids and dumbfounded at how fast they were growing.

Grandma had always been there for us kids and this continued with the great grandkids as well. With that, the caretaker within me found it easy to be there for her when she became even more dependant. In her last days she found comfort in being in the constant presence of family, close nuzzles and kisses, and praying over and over her favourite prayers. She had us scrambling through her bible (and on google) to solidify which verses she was reciting so we could participate with her. I asked her “Grandma, you know so much off by heart”. She said “we had to learn and memorize it in bible study”. I asked “why did you HAVE to memorize it?” She said “to say we could” ;)

I smiled once Grandma found the peace within her heart to let go, amongst all the external worry and noise that surrounded her. I smiled because she is finally reunited with Grandpa after all these years. I smiled because I knew us as a family gained another angel who would watch over us daily. I’m sure Grandpa smiled too because now he has some help. He’s had a big job watching over all of us on his own!

Thank you for the love, support, good morals, dignity, and beautiful memories you’ve instilled in us Grandma. You and Grandpa always be my rocks. I know you’ll be listening in our prayers.

Gabbie’s Memories

My special memories of gramma include: baking chocolate chip cookies, playing cards, and visiting over weekend tea.

Scott’s Memories.

One of my early memories of Grandma goes back to primary school in Ellison where I would get picked up after school in their big green Chrysler, something-or-other land yacht. It had huge green vinyl seats, that on those hot days, if you sat in them just right, you got a hot chrome buckle in the middle of your back like a branding iron, ouch. I’m sure I must have a scar somewhere.

I spent lots of weekends and summers at Grandma’s house when I was young. We would walk down to the lake and wade in the water. She wouldn’t go in past her knees though. I don’t think she was real fond of the water. I actually still have a wooden boat Grandpa and I made just for those days at the beach. It hangs in my garage on the wall. Looking at it now, I’m not sure it floated very well.

Grandma taught me life skills too. Like baking. We made great chocolate chip cookies (the recipe I still use today), apple pies too, although I can’t make one as good. She also taught me to sew. She would set me up with a small piece of cloth for me to sew buttons on, and stich lines. My young eyes were great at threading the needle for her. I get that now. The hole in the needle seems to get smaller as you age, weird. In grade 8, we were required to take sewing in school. Those were long months for the guys who just wanted to get to the metal shop and wood shop portion of the course. Not that I’m bragging, but thanks to Grandma, I pulled off an A. Probably the only male to do it. I made me a mean apron too to take to the foods portion of the course. Bet you think I got an A in foods class too thanks to Grandma. Nope. C+. Mrs Smith didn’t like me, and I didn’t like her. Enough said. I think she was also twice the age of Grandma too, and still teaching.

I also owe my Yahtzee and Rummy skills to my Grandparents. Even though Grandpa tried to hide his cards. We caught onto that pretty quick. Friday nights was always the Dukes of Hazard on TV. I don’t know whether they watched it with me or not, but I remember laying on the carpet (red shag I think, yikes), watching the cool guys fighting the bad guys, the fast cars jumping ravines and of course… Daisy Duke. Again, enough said.

As we grow into teens, unfortunately the grandparents don’t always get the time they deserve. You see them at the family dinners that they love so much, the odd lawn cutting or helping them out with a chore. It’s easy now, to look back and wish you spent more time with them but I know every minute you were with them meant the world to them.

Fast forward to grown ups. We got married and had babies. Grandma loved the little tykes. Great grand kids. Not everyone gets to have those. You could see her light up when they were around, probably like when we were that age and Mom and Sandy were the proud parents. Grandma could enjoy their hours of laughter (or possibly screaming), their little mannerisms, stories, but like any grandparent, is able to send them home at the end of the night and relish in the blissful quiet.

My last conversation with Grandma was a really great one. I called her on March 1st, right after her 94th birthday. It took me 3 tries to even get to talk to her. She was a busy lady hanging out in the common room. We talked for more almost an hour. It was just the Grandma I have always remembered and always will. Sure, she asked me 4 times how I was doing, and called me JJ once, but heck, you let that stuff slide after about 85.

Its emotional thinking of the memories, and that I won’t see her again, but I’m not sad at her passing. She had a really great long life and was the best Grandma a young boy could have growing up. If I make 94, it won’t be sad either, it will be a miracle.

Chris’s Memories

It is so hard to have to say goodbye to my grandmother. She was such a big part of my life and she helped shape me into the person I am today. We were very lucky to have been so close to our grandparents. As kids we spent a lot of time with them and we can look back on those times with fond memories and with big smiles.

I remember many dinners at my grandparent’s house at that small kitchen table meant for 2, but which always fit 3 when one of us kids were there. Grandma always gave me her chair across from grandpa and she would sit beside him. We would play cards for many hours at that little table. I would sit at that table for hours watching grandma in the kitchen making supper or baking or helping her cut up fruit to freeze or can.

Grandma was a teacher to all of us. She helped all of us with our homework, whether it be spelling, or reading, how to write (not print) or math. She would spend hours of her time working with us trying to help us with any homework we had. I remember looking things up in those World Encyclopedias that she had for many a school project. She taught us how to cook, bake and sew. I made two quilts with my grandma and still have them. She taught me how to embroider and tried to teach me how to knit (never did learn that one very well). I later learned to cross-stitch and the reason I tried it was because grandma had introduced me to embroidery. There was a time in my life that I wanted to become a teacher. It never happened, but I did get my Bachelor of Arts!

I remember taking many a road trip with my grandparents back to Saskatchewan. One summer it was just grandma and I. We took a Greyhound bus and went on an adventure. As always, we packed lots of snacks and activities (and of course, the math books to practice). It was a two-day trip to get there. We stayed a couple of days each with relatives; aunt Mary, and aunt Jean, and her sister Myrtle. It was a lot of fun. I do remember getting into my aunt Mary’s garden and eating way too many fresh peas and carrots and then came in for dinner. I got sick that night and poor grandma was sleeping with me while I was puking up carrots and peas. Poor grandma!

Grandma and I had our Tuesday lunches for many years. It started when I was in college. She lived right down the street and so I would go there to eat when I had a break between classes. It continued on for many years and when Gen was older and working at the hospital, she would come too! Also, I don’t know why or when it started, but we also started to get together on Saturday as well for coffee or tea and some sort of goodie. It was a time to share about our week and connect as a family. Family meant a lot to grandma and she certainly a large part of it. She meant a lot to us and we will miss her greatly!

* * * * * * * * * *

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother Mildred Elliott on April 7, 2018 at Spring Valley Care Home at the age of 94. Mildred was born February 29, 1924 (and very proud of the fact that she was a Leap Year baby) on a farm near Marchwell Saskatchewan, married her childhood sweetheart Bill Elliott on November 1, 1945. They enjoyed life on the farm while Mildred taught 27 children, grades one to eight in a one room schoolhouse. After the birth of her two daughters, Mildred continued teaching until her retirement in 1975 when they moved to Kelowna to be close to family. She is predeceased by her husband Bill in 2003 and survived by her daughters Glenda Uthe and Sandra Pelland (Rick), grandchildren Chris Tayler (Mark), Scott Churko (Deb), Gabrielle Metcalfe (Mike), JJ Limoges Dieno (Sarah), Genevieve Morrone (John) and 8 wonderful great grandchildren. Mildred loved to play the piano, sing in the United Church Choir, baking the best pies in the world, interacting with children, reading and most of all having her family together around her. A celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 1:00 pm at Valleyview Funeral Home, 165 Valleyview Road, Kelowna. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.valleyviewfuneralhome.com The family wishes to thank the staff at Springvalley Care home for their compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to JoAnna’s House. Arrangements entrusted to Valleyview Funeral Home, 250-765-3147.