December 30, 1930 – September 5, 2020
This is the day . . . Eleanor Christina passed away – Saturday, September 5th in the Palliative Care unit at St. Paul’s Hospital.
Eleanor was born in a sod house on December 30, 1930 on her parents, Clarence and Mary Ellen Johnson’s homestead near Beechy, SK. The eldest of four children she is survived by her sisters Florence (Cameron) Archibald and Carol (late husband Doug) Fraser, her brother Jack (Shirley) Johnson, her husband Walter Dick as well as the stepchildren and extended families of Bob Hundeby and Walter Dick.
Eleanor grew up at a time when life was physically demanding and she learned early to shoulder the responsibilities and challenges of pioneer life on the prairies. Her family moved to the Steep Creek farming district near the forks of the Saskatchewan Rivers when she was three years old and it was there she spent most of her childhood. The family stories are rich with the efforts Eleanor made on the Steep Creek farm. She loved to ride her horse Dora to school and dedicated herself to the opportunities provided by the one-room schools that populated the farming districts at that time.
Eleanor eventually pursued her dream of becoming a teacher and received her teaching certificate in 1950. A stellar 35-year career as a teacher included classrooms of children in the Prince Albert area, Calgary, Vancouver and Surrey BC. She built a solid reputation as a highly respected elementary school teacher and specialized in teaching kids to read. She was legendary in her innovative use of a full-sized trampoline in her classroom.
In 1954 she took advantage of a teacher exchange program and spent one year teaching in Newcastle England. During this time she traveled to Scotland to research the family pedigree on her mother’s side - the Davidson Clan. Eleanor was especially close to her Scottish grandfather (Peter) who had “bare knuckled” the money that allowed him to immigrate to Canada. Consequently, she was particularly interested in genealogy and became the resident family historian who recently completed an 85-page “Family Legacy”.
In 1972, Eleanor married Gordon Goulding and lived in White Rock BC until moving to Salmon Arm in 1988 upon retirement. Gordon died in 1995. Eleanor returned to Saskatchewan and married Bob Hundeby in 2003. They lived together in both Elbow and Saskatoon, until Bob’s passing in 2013. Eleanor spent 15 very happy years living at Circle Drive Place, and it was here that she met and married her third husband Walter Dick in 2015.
Eleanor loved to travel and toured the world throughout her life. Most recently she toured to Israel to culminate a lifetime of devotion and Christian worship. She was deeply loved and highly respected by her many siblings, friends, nieces, nephews, stepchildren and grandchildren. Those fortunate to have known Eleanor will remember how she lived her life with faith, poise and courage.
This is the day the Lord has made [Psalm 118:24]. We, Eleanor’s family and friends, will rejoice and be glad to have known such a remarkable woman.
Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, Eleanor’s family will hold a celebration of Eleanor’s life at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity or organization of your choice. Arrangements entrusted to Jennifer Wildeman at Acadia-McKague’s Funeral Centre and condolences may be left at acadiamckaguesfuneralcentre.com 306-955-1600.
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