Shirley M. Yates

September 28, 1932-December 10, 2020

You will know her from last week's government release stating that one of four residents tested positive for COVID-19 had died. Her name was Shirley. Her siblings called her Dixie.

Shirley loved music, politics, reading, gardening, her siblings, knitting, and laughing.

Shirley was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, on September 28, 1932, one of ten children born to Garnet and Mary Caplette. The tight knit family farmed near Delmas, just 13 kilometers from Bresaylor, where her great grandparents, Charles and Emily Bremner, originally homesteaded in 1882 before Saskatchewan became a province.

With 10 children in the family, theirs was a busy household. Like so many farm families during the Great Depression, theirs worked hard raising livestock and growing crops, and their home was also filled with music and laughter. She loved to sing. She loved to play the piano. Their family was a band. Shirley's mother knew that her boys would fare well in the world, but that her daughters needed education; her mother saved egg money to pay for her girls schooling. Shirley attended Normal School to become a teacher, then worked at one-room schoolhouses in Clarendon and Kenockee, near Findlater.

Shirley loved politics; probably because her family was always one step into disaster because of politics. During the North West "Riel" Rebellion of 1885 Shirley's family - great grandfather Charles and grandfather Louis Caplette – were jailed by the government simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. While imprisoned, government commander, General Middleton, stole from the family. Finally in 1899, the government of Canada compensated the family for that theft, and General Middleton was disgraced for his actions. Those years changed the family's trajectory forever. Shirley often spoke about watching neighbouring First Nations children through the fence from the white side of the fence that separated them. She fondly remembered playing catch with Tommy Douglas as he visited their family's farm for CCF political meetings. Her siblings Clifford and Muriel served during WWII.

In Findlater she met a handsome, slender, die-hard capitalist, Harry Yates. They married on October 19, 1957. While he was working as a boilerman on the rigs, she made their first home homey. She sewed curtains for their tiny boler trailer that when hung looked like “ladies' bloomers”. They worked hard. They partied hard. They bought a farm, where Harry built their home by hand, adding rooms as their family grew. Tim arrived in 1959, then Dan in 1962. Always, there was music. Marty Robins, Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray and Nana Mouskouri. Her piano, and her siblings singing along. Always, there was music. Always, there was politics. Year after year, Shirley and Harry cancelled each others votes as she swung left and he swung right. But, it was a different time, where politics was about philosophy and society rather than anger and divisiveness. Harry loved fishing, farming and his cows. Shirley loved gardening and her music. They both loved reading, bird watching, and their farm.

In the early 80's they retired from farming and moved into Regina with their dog Happy. She got a job at Sears. He got a job at Canada Manpower. That's what retirement looked like to them. But it didn't last long. They missed their farm. They needed their space. They left their grown boys in their Wheatley Bay home and returned to their Findlater farm with Happy, where everyone was happy once again.

She loved attending her sisters' reunions, where brothers were sometimes invited. She and Harry loved going to the Big Valley Jamboree. They were there for the music. They loved casino road trips. In the 90s neighbours would visit with their guitars and drums. Home Made Jam was the neighbourhood band with Shirley on keyboard. Shirley would sing, and Happy would howl at the high notes. Their best friends were family – Harry's sister Nettie and husband Tom Young and their kids Joanne and Garry lived across the driveway. Christmas included rousing games of Rummoli or Pictionary, and every year, they grew huge vegetable and flower gardens, and picked more raspberries than most people see in a lifetime. They fed and watched birds. They smoked. They smoked a lot. She knitted and made the most beautiful sweaters and scarves.

October 10, 2011, changed everything. There is nothing sadder than watching a parent lose a child, and Tim's death destroyed them. They moved into College Park. Harry, her love, died in 2014 while suffering from dementia, a disease that would eventually silence Shirley.

With increasing care needs, Shirley moved into Magestic Manor with Cathy and Mark, their children, and the other residents. Once again, with increasing care needs, she moved into Parkside Extendicare. On visits, Shirley enjoyed looking at photos and listening to Marty Robins on the tablet. Her caregivers kept her safe from the Covid-19 pandemic, until now. They were kind and gentle, but the virus is strong and cruel. Her Covid-19 symptoms started Sunday the 6th. She died Thursday the 10th.

We imagine her back together with Harry, smoking cigarettes, debating politics, singing and reading, likely planning next spring's massive garden.

Thank you to the Parkside Extendicare caregivers and all of the healthcare professionals in our province for putting their own lives in danger every day to care for and protect our province's most vulnerable. Tragically, there are far too many care home deaths. Please respect the virus. Stay home. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Listen to Public Health. You might live through this, but many will not. With you in their corner, our caregivers will save more lives.

Shirley was predeceased by her parents Garnet 1969 and Mary (Hiebert) 1984, her husband Harry 2014, son Timothy 2011, great granddaughter Lily Jean Beveridge 2015, and siblings Joyce Gusikoski 1997, Marie Scott 2012, Clifford Caplette 2013, Lawrence Caplette 2013, Nelda Maryka 2019, and Muriel Minchin 2020. She is survived by her son Daniel (Louise), siblings Ross (Jan), William aka Butch (Helena), and Gwen (Paul) Baskey, and grandchildren, Kaitii (Taylor Beveridge), Connor and Megan McGill Yates, and great granddaughter Emily Beveridge.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a private memorial will be held at a later date. Shirley will be cremated and rejoin Harry and Tim at the Findlater Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your local library.