FREDA ROSE BATLOWSKI

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FREDA ROSE BATLOWSKI

(nee ELLIS)

Freda Rose Batlowski (nee Ellis) was born on June 17, 1942, in McLeod, Alberta. Parents Harvey and Violet Ellis and “little Freda” as she was affectionately known (her aunt was big Freda) relocated to the family farm in Miami, Manitoba and subsequently to Winnipeg.

Freda passed away peacefully with family by her side on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, at the age of 83 at the Assiniboine Centre, Palliative Care Unit, Brandon, Manitoba after a brief illness.

Freda contracted polio at age 11 and was hospitalized. The virus mostly affected her throat, which in her later years severely restricted her ability to swallow solid food, and to a lesser extent her mobility. Freda attended various schools in her youth including Miami School, Earl Grey, Churchill, and Tec Voc High School in Winnipeg. She participated in a wide variety of sports throughout junior high and high school, took baton and tap-dancing lessons under the instruction of respected dance teacher, the late Angela Lake; Freda also taught dance.

She met her partner in love, life, and business, Wally, in her teens, and they subsequently married in 1964 and had two girls, Cheryl and Charlene. Freda worked as a secretary/bookkeeper at legal, accounting, and jewelry establishments in Winnipeg and Alberta, at Super Thrifty Warehouse in Brandon and supported Wally with many community engagement activities while he served as Pharmacist with Shoppers Drug Mart in Winnipeg, Brandon, and with the Canadian Military in Cold Lake and Calgary where Freda was a member of the CWL (Catholic Women’s League).

Freda was an active community member and volunteer, serving as Past President of the Kinette Club of Brandon, delivering meals on wheels, canvassing for various organizations, and bookkeeping for Relay for Life events. She was a Mary Kay Consultant and devoted caregiver to her first grandson and to Wally for many years when he developed Dementia. Freda’s typing skills came in handy when assisting her kids with editing and typing papers; her sewing skills and creative flair were evident in some of the costumes she made for her kids and for Kinette skits. For many years Freda enjoyed ten pin bowling, clogging/tap and line dancing. Freda had many small animal companions over the years including a cat, poodle, dachshunds, budgies, and turtles. Freda will be remembered by her family as having instilled in them the spirit of hard work, perseverance and resilience and will be dearly missed.

Freda is predeceased by her parents, Harvey and Violet Ellis (nee Huehn), father and mother-in-law, Samuel and Julia Batlowski (nee Rosko), her husband Walter, sisters-in-law, Irene Comber, Phyllis Batt, brothers-in-law, Vern Comber, Ted Batlowski, Eddy Batt and most recently, her sister Ardith Farand (nee Ellis) with whom Freda, Cheryl, and her partner Ken had the pleasure of visiting last summer in Calgary.

Freda is survived by her daughters, Cheryl Batlowski (Ken Stelmack), Charlene Kiszczak (Paul), grandchildren, Devan, Bryce and Sydney Brown, Justin and Camryn Kiszczak, her brother and sister-in-law, John and Carol Ellis, nephews, Kyllan and Trenton Ellis, brother-in-law Eugene Farand, nieces, Carla Farand Brennan (Ken), Nicole Cruickshank-Farand (Todd), niece Julie Comber (daughter Jenelle), nephews, Dwight, Dennis, Darrell, and niece Debbie Batt, cousin Pat (Sandie) Ellis and other extended family members.

A memorial service with family and close friends will be held at a later date, where both Freda and Wally’s cremated remains will be interred at Brandon cemetery.

The family wishes to thank close family friends Yvonne and Greg Skura, Roman and Carol Ann Odwazny for their longstanding friendships, Rotary Villas staff, especially Bonnie, JC, and Tanis, PMH Brandon Homecare and Seniors Mental Health Services, Dr. Sandra White, St. Boniface Hospital ICMS Nursing staff Christine, Michaela, Sidra, and Melissa, ENT and 7A South Staff, Companion Staff with Homecare Solutions for Everyone in Winnipeg, the staff of the BRHC Palliative Care Unit including Dr. Nazir, Dr. Barron, Dr. Bello, Pastor Joe Ball, and the Palliative Care Nurses and Health Care Aides who provided exceptional care and compassion during mom’s final days, most notably Nurses Jennifer, Devon, Charlotte, Kenedee and Cindy, and HCA Cindy.

Expressions of condolences may be left on the Memories website. Donations may be made to BRHC Palliative Care Unit and/or Hospice fund or a charity of your choice.

Condolences: www.memorieschapel.com

As published in Brandon Sun on Apr 18, 2026