EVELYN MAY BUCKELS

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EVELYN MAY BUCKELS Peacefully, in the arms of her loving daughter, Evelyn (Evie) May Buckels (ne Notation), passed from this world to the next, on March 5, 2015 at the age of 90 years in the comfort of her Winnipeg home, drifting away to re-join her soul mate, Bill (Willie) on their journey of eternal love together. Evelyn and Bill, who predeceased her by six years, were married 65 years ago (March 3, 1950), and leave behind their children Nancy, Edward, and Bill, and their partners, grandchildren, Ashleigh and Jack, Carey and Edward, and Bill and Erin, and their great grandchildren. Evelyn is predeceased by her grandson Brendan. Evelyn was born in Moosomin, Sask. on November 22, 1924; the youngest girl of eight children in small home by a loving strong mother (when the depression came her father was seldom home). Evelyn passed on the strength and determination she learned from her mother, along with her own love of books and life-long learning down through her own family along with her many other good qualities. She enjoyed competition, always trying out-do her brothers and sisters in everything from climbing trees while herding her mother's cattle, to the many athletic awards that she won while in school. After skipping grades and graduating early, Evelyn soon left Moosomin for Brandon, where she first worked as a housekeeper, polishing her lifelong passion for "the finer things in life", then, learning her lifelong passion for the food industry both passions passed along through her children, she worked for a time as a butcher before moving on to Winnipeg after the Second World War eventually meeting and marrying "Willie". Evie and Willie lived their entire lives together in Winnipeg except when traveling together, building two homes, and settling in St. Vital in 1956 where they would spend the rest of their time working together raising their family. As a working mother beginning in the 1950s Evelyn carried on her entire working career in the food and meat industry in Winnipeg beginning at Eatons, in the Meat Department. After leaving Eatons to have her sons, by 1959 she worked for a time with Dominion Meats, and soon joined Safeway. She spent the early 60's at home with her daughter, returning to work in the Safeway Meat Department until she retired at 65, to pursue her other passions full-time. For the almost 20 years after both retiring (Evie and Willie were both born days apart and Willie retired from CN at the same time Evie retired from Safeway) they were free to pursue their lifelong love-affair surrounded by family and friends, travel, always together until Willie left on March 25, 2009. Now they are together again forever. Despite the disabilities Evelyn encountered in her final years with us she never complained and in fact with Willie's passing he seemed to have left behind his sense of humour along with her own. Nancy cared for Evelyn during those final years while Willie waited for her. Often thinking about the years that had past she would joke that she ran home to herd the cows on their family farm at lunchtime and back to the high school and that is how she became both an athlete and was able to finish her schooling; Evelyn always strove to better herself, taking piano lessons, computer programming in the 1980s, even learning to swim at 55 years. On March 5, 2015, Evie reunited with Willie, they are dancing again. The comfort in knowing that they are together and our happy memories of Evelyn/Mom/Granny will help us get through this difficult time. Mom we will miss you and love you forever XOXO A Remembrance Ceremony will be held 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, at Green Acres Funeral Home, Hwy #1 East at Navin Road. Donations may be made in lieu of flowers to the charity of your choice. GREEN ACRES Funeral Home and Cemetery Hwy #1 E at Navin Road, Winnipeg, MB (204) 222-3241 Condolences may be sent to www.greenacresfuneralhome.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 09, 2015