MARLENE WEBSDALE

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MARLENE WEBSDALE Beloved sister, aunt, storyteller, joker and family historian. Born in Smeaton, SK, April 16, 1936, Marlene moved to Flin Flon, MB, in 1944 with her parents Jack and Nellie and brothers Jim, Keith and Ron. Her younger sister Margaret was born there. After high school, Marlene attended Normal School, which became the Manitoba Teachers College before she graduated. Her teaching career took her to Fort Churchill, Cranberry Portage and finally Shilo, MB, where she taught Grade Two for many years on the military base. Marlene loved teaching and above all she loved children. She supported many foster children around the world and was always happy to spend time with her 15 nieces and nephews, 16 great-nieces and nephews and two great-great-nieces. She never turned down a request to help with babysitting or even extended periods of child care if a need arose. A few years after the death of her mother, Marlene sold the home they had shared in Brandon and moved to Winnipeg, where she lived for more than 20 years just down the street from her sister. She was a big part of the early life of Margaret's children Liz and Nick and living so close, enjoyed being part of an extended family that included Margaret's mother-in-law Connie Edmonds, who lived next door to Marlene in side-by-side townhouses at Crescent Gardens. She was a student of the Bible and active member of the congregation at St. Andrews United Church, where she made many friends and found another home in Winnipeg. Her volunteer work included delivering Meals on Wheels, helping out at Grosvenor School and working with the Brownie Pack at St. Andrews. Despite eyesight problems that grew worse with age, she enjoyed reading, travel, her collections of spoons and elephants and was rarely seen without a bag of knitting by her side. There are few family couches across Canada without one of her Afghans to snuggle under. "Aunty," as she was called by her family, couldn't give a birthday card without including a poem written specially for the occasion. She lost her battle with cancer May 15, 2015 at St. Boniface Hospital. She will be remembered by family and friends at a service starting at 1:00 p.m. on May 30, at St. Andrews on the corner of Oak Street and Kingsway Ave. in River Heights. NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 neilbardalinc.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 23, 2015