HENRIETTA ROSS -

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HENRIETTA ROSS 1918 - 2011 Peacefully on December 25, 2011 Henrietta, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away at Tuxedo Villa in her 93rd year. Born in southern Manitoba in 1918, the eldest of six children of John and Katherine Klippenstein, Henrietta moved to Winnipeg as a young woman where she met and married Cyrus Grant Ross. Winnipeg was their home throughout their 50 year marriage and it was here that all four of their children were born and raised. Predeceased by her husband in 1991, Henrietta is survived by her sister Dorothy Jansen of Sherwood Park, AB; her four children: Welton (Frances) of Sylvan Lake, AB, Anita of Greenwich, CT, Judy Merrell of Winnipeg, and Lovette (Donald) Merrell of Delta, BC, as well as eight grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren: David Ross (Garth) of Calgary, AB and children, Matthew, Stephen, Kelsey and Graham; Kathy (Mike) Golka of Ardrossan, AB and children, Ryan, Cole, Brett, Katelyn and Luke; Grant (Rebecca) Heindl of Kelowna, BC and children, Abby, Zachary and Maya; Scott Heindl of Delta, BC and daughter Billie; Darryl Ross of Edmonton, AB; Jennifer Merrell (Kevin) of Winnipeg, MB; Karen (Lee) Sims of Fernie, BC and daughters Lauren, Audrey and Grace; Douglas Merrell of Winnipeg. A number of nephews, nieces and cousins also survive her. Henrietta was a proud and loyal employee of Eaton's for 35 years, working in both the Service Bureau and the Lingerie Department. Affectionately called Henri , she was recognized for her friendly and professional support to both customers and management. In her leisure time, Henrietta enjoyed reading, doing word puzzles and watching sporting events, especially hockey. She was always eager to travel across the country to visit her ever expanding family and took special pleasure in the four-legged family members also. Her Winnipeg grandpuppies , two handsome Golden Retrievers, Simon and more recently, Wesley, never left her side whenever they were together. Henrietta delighted generations of Rosses and their friends with delicious baked goods and will also be remembered for the fine quality of her needlework. We are forever grateful to her for passing these same skills and interests on to us as they bring us pleasure every day. Henrietta had begun her volunteer activities decades ago as a young mother, assisting first in the Winnipeg Public School System and later in the local community centre where all four of her children participated in sports and social events. It was, however, in her unwavering commitment to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, starting in her mid 70s, after her husband Cy had died following a major stroke, that Henrietta made one of her most important contributions, both to her community and to her entire family. She never thought that advancing age and physical infirmities should ever keep one from doing something useful. She felt that each donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation should be recognized with a personalized handwritten note in a timely fashion. Completing up to 2000 In Memoriam cards a year, Henrietta was known for her elegant handwriting and appreciated for her strong work ethic. She was honoured at age 90 with a BIG HEART AWARD for her years of volunteer work during the Foundation's 50th Anniversary in 2007. We have all been inspired by her fine example. The family wishes to express their appreciation to the kind and cheerful staff at the Sturgeon Creek Retirement Centre where Henrietta lived for five years until August 2010. They also wish to thank the nurses and aides at Tuxedo Villa for their care and consideration during Henrietta's last three months. In accordance with her wishes, Henrietta has been cremated and there will be no formal funeral service. Those wishing to make a donation in Henrietta's memory are asked to consider the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, or a charity of their choice. For those who wish to sign the online Guest Book please visit our website. Chapel Lawn www.chapellawn.mb.ca 885-9715

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 31, 2011