Obituary of Margaret Denton

DENTON: Margaret Denton was born on March 21, 1922 at Turtleford to George and Connie Robertson. She passed away on October 20, 2006 at the age of 84 years at the Riverside Health Complex in Turtleford. Margaret is survived by her sister, Joan Usher of Thousand Oaks, California; daughter, Linda (Gerald) Spenst of Turtleford; daughter, Marilyn (Delon) Bleakney of Turtleford; granddaughter, Susan (Paul) Hamm of Livelong and great-granddaughter Adrianna; granddaughter, Donna (Alan) Corbeil of North Battleford and grandchildren, Adam and Joelle; sister-in-law, June Robertson of Quesnel, BC, brother-in-law, George Isford of Toronto; and several nieces and nephews. Margaret was predeceased by her husband, Dallas Maess; husband, Frank Denton; brother, Harold Robertson; brother-in-law, Frank Usher, sister-in-law, Laura Rosendahl; sister-in-law, Hazel Isford; and niece, Jennifer Isford. The memorial service was held on October 23, 2006 from the Good Shepherd United Anglican Church in Turtleford with the Reverend Canon Don Skinner officiating. Music ministry was provided by Bev Meikle as pianist and the hymns sung were “What A Friend,” “In The Garden,”and “Beyond The Sunset.” The eulogy was given by Marilyn Bleakney, followed by a “tribute to Auntie Pips” given by her niece, Marjie Robertson. Interment of her ashes will be held at a later date in the Turtleford Cemetery. The family requests that memorial donations may be made to the Riverside Health Complex, the MS Society, or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Eulogy for Margaret Denton Mom was born March 21, 1922 to Connie and George Robertson and she was raised on their farm just south of Turtleford. He dad nicknames her “Pips” and it stuck for life. Her side of the family still always call her Pips. Mom was “a middle child” with an older sister, Joan, and a younger brother, Harold. She was the responsible one, trying to keep those other two in line and out of trouble. She took all of her schooling in Turtleford and went on to work in the Civil Service in Ottawa starting in August of 1941. At the end of the war, she was assigned to the Canadian Delegation to the United Nations and traveled to London, England for that purpose. Dad was in England at this time awaiting passage home, but once he knew she was coming, he stayed back in order to meet her there and propose to her. He never let her forget however, that she was the reason he had to sail home on “some old tub” rather than the more stately “Queen Elizabeth.” They were married on June 29, 1946 right here, in the original United Church. They farmed in the Turtle Grove area for the next 25 years. Dad passed away suddenly in the spring of 1971. Mom sold the farm to Delon and I and she moved to Quesnel, BC living with Harold and June and their family. In 1973, she married Frank Denton. Frank passed away in 1977, and Mom returned to Turtleford to be closer to her family and take up her role as “Grandma” to Susan and Donna. She lived in her big house for 25 years until failing health took her to a suite in the Turtle Valley Lodge and then eventually to the nursing home here in town. Our family would like to use this opportunity to express our gratitude for the excellent care that Mom received from both the homecare staff while she was still living on her own and from all the staff at the Riverside Health Complex when she moved into that facility. Mom was always actively involved in the community. She was a member of the Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Ladies Tadra, the Figure Skating Club, Bridge Club, this church, and the History Book Committee. She served on Turtleford Housing Authority and on Town Council. She was always willing to lend a helping hand. Mom had a simple, practical and “no-frills” approach to life. She never got overly excited about anything. Patience was her virtue. She was always the calming influence, the steady rock, that her family and friends looked to for support. She had a quick wit and a dry sense of humor. She liked to have fun, with a twinkle in her eye and a great smile. She loved a good joke and wasn’t above playing the odd practical joke on others. She gave us a wonderful childhood. She sewed numerous outfits for our dolls and could always tell a great bedtime story without reading a book. It’s one of my favorite memories ... not knowing exactly when the troll was going to come out from under the bridge to scare you ... or when the bears would come home to find Goldilocks in their bed. Mom tried to guide us in the right direction, but she wasn’t above letting us suffer the consequences of our actions. One incident that comes to mind is when Linda was little, she decided that she wanted to cut her doll’s hair. Mom cautioned her that that probably wasn’t a good idea, as the doll’s hair would not grow back as Linda thought it would. Linda still has that doll with a brushcut as a reminder of what can happen when you don’t listen to your mother. She loved to garden. We all enjoyed her homemade jams and preserves. She liked to bake and she always was generous in turning out each family members’ favorite treat, whether it be ginger snaps or lemon meringue pie - she aimed to please! Mom loved to play cards and she was very good at it. You’d be hard pressed to beat her at a game of cribbage even a few months ago. She taught each of us kids, the nieces and nephews and the grandkids all to play at a very young age ... that way she could always get a game going. She had Donna playing “Spite and Malice” before she could even say it. Donna called it “Sprite and Alice.” She kept a deck of cards on her kitchen table, always ready in case you had a few minutes to spare. Susan and Donna spent many hours with their Grandma. Her house was a stopping place for them and their friends. She kept them well fed and entertained. Susan and Grandma were “kindred spirits: and enjoyed a very special relationship. They stuck together like glue. Mom watched these girls grow up, graduate, get married and have children of their own. She was their for every one of these special events. She delighted in watching the great grandchildren play. If she was hesitant about coming out to a family function - all you had to say was “Adrianna, Adam and Joelle will be there” and she was convinced to come. Mom liked her life simple and uncomplicated. She enjoyed all of her family including all the nieces and nephews and their families. Carole says “She was just always there for us ... doing what others take for granted.” She recalled an occasion when Mom stayed overnight with her in Prince George. Carole had to go to work in the morning, but when she got home that afternoon, all the ironing was done. And of course, she got Carole and her daughter Joanne hooked on the card game of “Spite and Alice.” On one of Carole’s visits back to Saskatchewan, when Joanne was quite young and not too keen on visiting her Mom’s friends, Mom suggested Joanne stay behind with her and they did more important things like pick flowers and watch T.V. Mom was never demanding, she always thought of others first. Even when she became a resident at the nursing home, she would try to tend to the needs of the other residents. One day when Linda and I were trying to cajole her into doing something we deemed to be of benefit to her, she stated “Leave me alone. I’m content!” Perhaps that sums it up best - she was content with life and where it took her. May her soul rest in peace. A Tribute to Auntie Pips Pips! I suppose that is an unusual name. Not for us Robertson kids however, we only ever knew this great woman as Auntie Pips, our Dad’s sister. You wouldn’t believe the looks I would get when I would tell my friends that I was going to “Turtleford to visit my Auntie Pips.” We always had so much fun going to Saskatchewan to visit Grandma and Grandpa Robertson and Auntie Pips’ family, we got to play in the granaries, chase the chickens, and hunt gophers (Well I thought I was hunting ... I had a stick and a wagon!), and in the summer, we would go to Turtle Lake. Sometimes I even got to go to the lake with the BIG girls. But the best part, was going to town to buy black jaw breakers and White cream soda, only available in Saskatchewan. When I was 12 Auntie Pips came to BC to live with us in our home. She was an amazing seamstress, she was always sewing something for someone. Auntie Pips was my idol, I had my little plastic sewing machine right there beside her and she would give me all her fabric scraps, there I learned to sew. Auntie Pips and our Mom were best friends, they worked together on many projects. One day I arrived home from school to find that they were wallpapering one of the bedrooms. Curious, I had to have a look. I was notorious for being a clumsy kid, so Auntie Pips immediately ordered me out of the room. As I walked down the hallway I felt an ominous shadow looming over me, Auntie Pips came to give me heck, apparently, some how I had already torn a hole in the fresh wall paper and she was not pleased. Auntie Pips would discipline us when she saw fit to do so. When she tuned you up... you listened. We always obeyed and respected her. Auntie Pips lived with us until she married Frank, and we weren’t giving her up that easily. Us kids gave Frank the once over, when he would come to pick her up to take her on a date. She said “she felt like a teenager when he would bring her home” as we were at the window watching his every move.” We gave them our blessing to get married, Mom was her bridesmaid, those two girls were beautiful. Uncle Frank and Auntie Pips built a new house and lived in Quensel, until Uncle Frank passed away. Then Auntie Pips moved back to Turtleford. Although the distance was great our bonds remained strong, and our families would visit back and forth whenever possible. As we Robertson kids grew up and had families of your own we would take them to Turtleford, and share our childhood memories and experiences with them. Auntie Pips was just as special to our kids, as she was to us. When you went to Turtleford you could always count on gaining about 10 pounds. The woman loved to feed people. As soon as the breakfast dishes were done she would begin to make lunch, no sooner was lunch cleaned up she would be preparing dinner. However between meals there was always some baked goodies on the table, and most likely a card game of “SPIKE AND ALICE” taking place between Auntie Pips and mom. After the feeding was finished, the activities would move to the living room, where Auntie Pips would most likely end up teasing the kids. She was as good hearted, and as playful as her little brother, our Dad. The evening would be finished off with the 11o’clock news. Auntie Pips ALWAYS watched the 11 o’clock news. One memorable trip to Turtleford, Dad decided he would take the grandchildren on a tour of his old stomping grounds. Val and I didn’t want to miss the fun, so we joined them. We all loaded into Auntie Pips Grand Marquis, not exactly your typical SUV, however we proceeded down the “old Chisholm trail” with Dad as our tour guide, after bounding through the wheat fields in fits of laughter, Dad decided we should return home, we pulled into the driveway with the Marquis adorned in samples, from the hay fields. One of the kids exclaimed that “Auntie Pips’ car smells like a lawn mower,” being as good natured as Dad, Auntie Pips just shook her head and laughed at her little brother. It was always an adventure to go for a ride in the Grand Marquis with Auntie Pips, she was a wonderful driver, she had to be, to drive that big car the way she did. Many times as a passenger in the front seat I anxiously anticipated returning home, as I always knew that she was going to park her very LARGE car in her very small garage. She would leave the pavement at a high rate of speed and launch that big car into that little garage and then spike! The brakes. Some how I always had visions of entering through the front door and exiting through the back wall. But she always managed to get stopped just in time. One of the kids once said “riding in the car with Auntie Pips is a lot like bungee jumping.” I am pleased to have such a close family, and I feel very fortunate to have had Auntie Pips, not only as an Auntie but also as such a strong influence in my life. Auntie Pips you will always be with us in our hearts and minds, we love you. And we’re gonna miss you. Card of Thanks The family wishes to thank Reverend Canon Don Skinner for officiating, Bev Meikle for playing the music, the Turtleford AUCW for providing lunch, friends and family for food brought to the house, and to everyone who phoned, sent flowers and cards. Your love and support is greatly appreciated. The family also wishes to thank the Turtleford Homecare Staff for the excellent care provided to Mom while she was still in her own home and to the Staff and Doctors at the Riverside Health Complex for the care she received in her two year stay there as a resident in Long Term Care. Finally, we wish to thank McCaw Funeral Home and Dale McCaw for their compassion and professionalism. Marilyn & Delon Bleakney Linda & Jerry Spenst Susan, Paul & Adrianna Hamm Donna, Alan, Adam & Joelle Corbeil Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Riverside Health Complex or to the Multiple Sclerosis Society.