Verna Marie Bartlett

It is with great sadness we announce the death of Verna Bartlett at Riverview Health Centre, on March 18, 2013. Quietly and with loved ones close at hand, Verna left us to join her previously deceased father, Arthur, Grandparents Olive and Reginald Bartlett, Uncle Ed, Aunt Evelyn and John Shivas, Aunt Delores Kennedy, Uncle Paul Schellenberger (Joanne) Uncle Ronnie Schellenberger (Doris) and sons Doug and Mark and several friends that have gone on ahead.

Our daughter, sibling, mother and dear friend will be greatly missed and it is some comfort to know that she is at peace, no longer suffering from the cancer that took her from us.

Verna is survived by her son Messiah and his younger brother Ry, mother, Alleen Bartlett-Burns (nee Schellenberger), sister, Mary Bartlett and son Alex, brothers Paul and John Bartlett, sister-in law Karen Loveridge (Paul) and family: Kirsten, Spencer and Mackenzie. Other relatives living in Winnipeg are Aunt Desta and Uncle (Dr.) Lloyd Bartlett, (Cousins Lorna, Sheila and Robert, Rex and Allen). In Stratford, Ontario and area, surviving relatives include: Aunt Doris Bartlett, (Cousin Steve), Uncle Don Kennedy, (Cousins Terry, Tom and Trudy. Aunt Betty Leinweber, (Cousins Patricia and Michael), Aunt Marleta and Uncle Jim Schragner, (Cousins Robert and Susan) as well as the Shivas cousins Bill, David, Jim and the Schellenberger cousins (children of Uncle Ronnie (Vi their mother) Rona, Janet, Sheri, Debbie, Wendy and Peter)

Verna was born in Stratford, Ontario, the youngest of four sibilings. At just five months old the family moved to Winnipeg, and then in 1966 to Fort Churchill, Manitoba. This early travel may have sewn the seeds for Verna’s later wanderlust as she often travelled both for pleasure and work.

Spending her formative years in Churchill, Verna’s childhood and teen years included the classic Churchill experiences of dressing in an insane number of clothes to stay warm and avoid frostbite during all her winter adventures. Winter included watching and playing hockey, snowmobiling and sledding, curling, participating in the winter carnival (smoosh-racing) and getting on with daily life during winter storms and whiteouts in weather that generally would “frost your socks off”. In summer she and brother Paul built rafts to sail on the ponds that collected between the rocky terrain (while Mom surreptitiously requested the ponds be drained as she lived in fear of her two youngest drowning). They rode their bicycles and popped wheelies long into the summer night. Through all these adventures trying to avoid contact with polar bears. As a teen and young adult, Verna and friends often participated in the annual dip and race dressing as devine creatures such as Wonderwoman, or the local “birds” aka mosquitoes. Summer saw Verna and friends playing baseball while doing the Churchill Shuffle (swatting mosquitoes) or enjoying get-togethers (parties) out on the rocks and tundra and giving her parents creative explanations for dents and cracks in the family car that was anything but an SUV.

Verna trained as a Computer Analyst Programmer but did not really work for long in the field. She worked for many years as a Travel, Promotions Coordinator with Northern Manitoba Native Lodges and later Big Sand Lake Lodge. Her work involved promoting Fishing and Hunting trips at Sports Shows throughout the U.S.A. and booking guests, expediting supplies to lodges, meeting and facilitating guest travel to the remote, fly-in lodges.

With over fifteen years of experience in tourism and a significant amount of sleep deprivation (flights often left or arrived in the wee hours of the morning), Verna embarked on a career with the Federal Civil Service. As an experienced and skilled worker, and through initiative and persistence Verna worked her way up from the mailroom to an Executive Assistant position in record time.

However, Verna’s most important “job” came just a few years ago when she become a mom to her adopted son, Messiah. With no hint of the health challenges to come, Verna embarked on parenting and found it to be by far the most rewarding experience of her life.

Verna enjoyed travelling and spending time at the cottage at Winnipeg Beach. With the boys, these pleasure were even more of a delight.

Family, friends and neighbours, past and present are invited to join us in a Celebration of Verna’s Life on Monday, March 25 at 2:00 PM at Thomson “In the Park” Funeral Home 1291 McGillivray Boulevard.

The family respectfully declines flowers and should anyone wish to make a memorial contribution, a trust fund has been set up for Messiah Bartlett. Please drop by any Winnipeg RBC branch, or make a donation to a charity of your choice.

The family would like to thank Cancer Care at St. Boniface Hospital and Palliative Care both homecare and Riverview Health Centre for their kind, professionalism and support. It takes very special people to work in this field and our appreciation and admiration goes out to each and every one of you. As well our heartfelt thanks goes out to friends who have tirelessly provide support in so many ways – visitations, helping with the boys, driving Verna to and from appointments, sitting vigil with family members – the list goes on and you know who you are. Thank you so very, very much.