Obituary of Paulette Gratton

Paulette Jean Gratton passed away at the Lloydminster Hospital, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on Sunday, March 1, 2009 at the age of 50 years. Paulette will be sadly missed by her husband Phil; her children Cory (Cindy), Calvin (Bobbi) and Cameron; three grandchildren: Joah, Nolan, Ryden; Uncle Lloyd Barthel (Deb); brother Tony Barthel (Anne) as well as all her nieces and nephews. Paulette was predeceased by her mother Marlene Barthel and her sister Wanda Barthel. The prayer service was conducted from St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Lloydminster, Alberta on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. The Mass of Christian Burial was conducted from St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Lloydminster, Alberta on Friday, March 6, 2009 at 1:00 P.M. with Father Jan Sobkowicz officiating. Interment was held at the Lloydminster City Cemetery. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements. EULOGY Paulette Jean (Barthel) Gratton was born to Marlene Barthel on January 11th, 1959 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Paulette was a middle child with an older sister Wanda and a younger brother Tony who is with us here today. As a child Paulette was a good student in school receiving awards for perfect attendance and also becoming a teachers aid to assist younger students with their grammar skills. In spite of being a good teacher, after many attempts she felt there was very little she could do to help her younger brother to be a good speller. Paulette was sixteen years old when she met her soul mate Phillip. One year later in 1976 they were married. The young newlyweds began their life together in Lloydminster and didn't wait long to start their family. Their first son Cory was born in June of 1977. Calvin was born two years later and their youngest child Cameron was born in 1981. The boys meant everything to Paulette and her life was devoted to raising her three sons, all of whom have fond memories of their mom waking them for school, preparing lunches, and awaiting their return at the end of the day. As the boys grew up to become men and have families of their own; the comfort of being able to return home, enjoy moms cooking and listen to her sound advice was as important today as it was in childhood. Paulette's love of children led her to become a caregiver to numerous children within the neighbourhood. As the boys grew up Paulette and Phillip's home continued to be a place where all their friends could go and feel welcomed. Even if the boys were not home it was not uncommon for their friends to stop in for a visit. Paulette loved to visit, smile, and laugh. Her legendary birthday cakes will always be remembered and so will the day long birthday parties she liked to throw for the family. The celebrating continued with the birth of her three grandsons: Ryden, Joah and Nolan. Grandma always looked forward to their visits so she could spoil them with treats and kiss their bumps and bruises. She was so proud of being able to bath her newest grandson Nolan for the first time last week. It's been said that a mother is the glue that holds a family together. That has never been more true than in a house with a husband, three sons, and three grandsons. Paulette had all the patience and love that a mother needs to nurture the seven men in her life. The passing of Paulette Gratton is something we will always carry in our hearts. With this loss we are challenged to appreciate our time with family and friends a little more, hug those who are dear to us and say I love you more often. If we can do this we can all continue to give Paulette's life meaning and purpose. NOTE FROM FRIENDS & CO-WORKERS FROM HOMECARE, PUBLIC HEALTH & COMMUNITY COUNSELING We all thought so much of Paulette. Whenever we would have an office get together, tea or pot luck, you could always count on her to help set up and take down and to bring treats along with the recipe and join in. She would also surprise us with treats for coffee time. Paulette recently had her 50th birthday. We had a cake and gave her a $50 bill to spend on her holiday in Vegas. While she was enjoying herself in Vegas and Arizona our office was falling apart. When she returned she was told by many of us that she was no longer allowed to take vacations anymore. She did such a good job and took pride in her work. We were never sure of what her hours were, but we know that she would come to work early so that she could visit with us. She was always looking after us. She was so proud of her family, especially her grandchildren. She would often bring pictures to show us. When we would leave the office at night she'd lock the door behind us and tell us to have a good evening. If we'd known that we would never see her again, we would have given her a hug and told her that she meant the world to us. We will miss you Paulette, your smile and the sound of your laughter the kindness in your soul may be gone but they will never be forgotten. CARD OF THANKS The family would like to thank the staff at the Lloydminster Hospital Emergency for their compassion, Pat Hankey for the music during the services and the kitchen staff at the Exhibition for the wonderful lunch. We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of our family and friends for your support during this difficult time. Thank you for the cards, flowers, food, phone calls and visits. Your kindness and love is greatly appreciated. A special thanks to Dale McCaw and staff. Your professionalism and empathy has been a comfort to us through this process. Donations may be made in Paulette's memory to the Lloydminster Health Foundation. Phil Cory & Cindy Calvin & Bobbi Cameron Donations in memory of Paulette may be made to the Lloydminster Hospital Foundation.