Obituary of Muriel Willard

Eulogy ~ Muriel Lilian Willard March 19th 1921 - August 30, 2007

 

Muriel Willard was born in Lloydminster on March 19th, 1921, the fourth child of Joseph and Emily Hill. Her parents farmed in the Trafalgar district for many years.

In August 1940, she married Graydon Willard and they went to live in British Columbia in the Maple Ridge district.

In November of 1941, they were blessed with a baby girl, Jean. This was wartime and Graydon had joined the army and was sent overseas. Jean was a very ill baby and Muriel endured many a hard times being a new mother on her own.

After Graydon's discharge they returned to Lloydminster in December of 1946, where they both worked for many years at a variety of jobs.

Then in 1954 a 'chosen' baby girl, Kerry came into their lives bringing much joy into their home.

Muriel helped run the Texaco Service Station (Smiling Service which was located where Joey's Only Seafood is). Then she went to work as a dental assistant for Dr. Lloyd Skoretz. After many years of working with Lloyd she went to work as a clerk in the ladies wear at Fishers Department store. She made many great and long time friends working there. Some of which she still visited.

Muriel and Graydon decided to semi-retire in 1977 and move to Penticton. By this time both daughters were married and they had three grandsons. Muriel worked as a seamstress in a drapery store while living in Penticton.

In 1981 the sad news came that Jean's health was deteriorating, so they again moved back to Lloydminster where they remained.

Muriel helped care for Jean with many trips to the farm and to Edmonton while Jean was in the hospital.

Muriel then worked at Zellers as a store clerk until she retired.

After Graydon passed away she took over his duties as being the number 1 sports fan for Troy. Although she disliked hockey she still went to as many of his hockey games as she could. While Troy played football all through High School, she attended every game and became a real football fan. She even made Baron's flags to take to cheer with. She always took her lawn chair and sat close to the action. At one of the games she almost had a couple of the players ending up on her lap. After that she moved her chair back a few feet.

Muriel had enjoyed traveling and had taken several trips around Canada and the USA with friends. Several trips to Alaska with Ralph and Mary and Vern. And several trips with Kerry and Rick to Hawaii and BC.

Muriel's heart was always open for everyone. She loved to help and care for anyone that needed it. She always joked that she was always taking in strays - Kids and Cats. Everyone always said she should have been in nursing because she was so compassionate and caring with anyone who was ill. She seemed to thrive on being helpful to people and doing anything that she could to help out.

In 2005 it was decided that she would move in with Kerry and Rick. The new house was built and set up to accommodate Muriel so that she could have her own privacy and space, with easy access to everything she would need.

She was so happy when moving day came. Finally she stated I don't have to go grocery shopping and cook meals anymore. Which she had came to frown on as a necessary task that she would rather not do.

She wanted to keep involved with all of the daily tasks of looking after a home and picked what she wanted to do to keep her days filled. She always referred to them as her chores. Which included making tea several times a day.

She was still sewing and doing the alterations for anyone that dropped by with pants and shirts to shorten. Mending or missing buttons. Troy would always be bringing all his repairs home for 'Gran' to fix.

She loved to bake cookies and bread, but mostly the bread. She loved to bake bread every week. She always said it was because she liked her own bread better than the store bought bread. The only reason she really needed to bake every week was that she would go around and give half the bread away to friends, neighbors and relatives as soon as it was cool enough to put in bags. Many times Kerry would come home to find a note saying gone to the farm to deliver the bread.

She loved to bake cookies every week for Rick's lunches. Who she always referred to as 'The Boy'. Well I see that 'the Boy' is getting low on cookies I had better make some, she would say. And 'the Boy' always knew to put the empty cookie pail out for her to see when he had eaten the last of them, just in case she had not noticed the cookies were running low. Apple pie was another favorite thing that she would bake for 'the Boy'. If there was a bet made and she lost she would say. Well how many pies do I need to bake for that one.

She also insisted in getting up in the mornings if Kerry was working all day to pack her lunch to take. She always said well what is there to get up for if I can't do this for you.

Her hearing had deteriorated in recent years which had gifted all of us with several amusing times. After all you have to make lemonade if you have some lemons.

One day Kerry had phoned to say she was coming to her house for lunch. Muriel asked what Kerry would like to have for lunch. Kerry had said a Grilled Cheese sandwich, which Muriel replied to, 'I am not grouchy', thus was the birth of grouchy sandwiches at lunch.

On many occasions in conversation something would be said to her and she would answer back with something that was totally unrelated. Then Kerry and Rick would laugh and she would say 'what did I say.' When we told her again her, she would say well at least you will have this to look back and laugh on when I am gone.

For Christmas 2004 she got a cat. This immediately became the love of her life. She had first named her Cindy because of the resemblance to an other cat that had been in the family for 22 years. The name quickly changed to Baby Girl. The love for her cat was so strong that she did not want to be gone from the house for more than a few hours because she had to get home to Baby Girl. Baby Girl followed Muriel every where, she would even get up in the night and follow her to the bathroom and sit outside the door and wait until she was done and then follow her back to bed. You would hear her at anytime of the day talking to each other. Muriel talking to Baby Girl and Baby Girl with softly meowing back to Muriel. They spent many hours together each day. Baby Girl on Muriel's knee or next to her while she slept. Muriel always referred to Baby Girl as her heating pad. When it was time to go to bed she would say "come on Baby lets go to bed now" and Baby would run in front of her to the bedroom.

The picture in the back ground on Muriel's funeral card is a picture of Baby Girl.

Muriel's sister-in-law from BC (Lily Willard) called Kerry the other night and told her that the last time that Muriel and her were together they had spoke of dying. How they wanted to go quickly and not lay and suffer or not know anyone. Then she said to Lily - You know Lily I would be quite happy if I died making bread.

Muriel had mixed her last batch of bread and had it in the pans ready for the oven and had made a batch of Cherry and Crabapple Jelly and had it in the jars ready for the cold room. Muriel and Kerry where sitting having their afternoon tea when she had a stroke. She passed away peacefully in Kerry's arms at the hospital.

Muriel was predeceased by: her father, Joseph Hill in 1964; her mother, Emily Hill in 1976; two sisters, Marion in 1913 and Phyllis in 1999; and her brother, Ralph in 2007; her husband, Graydon; and her daughter, Jean both in 1985.

Muriel is survived by: her daughter, Kerry and her husband, Rick DeJong and Kerry's son, Troy Biever and his wife Rebecca of Edmonton.

One sister, Joyce and her husband, Art Bexson of Lloydminster; and her sister-in-law, Mary Hill of Lloydminster.

Son-in-law, Walter Handel and his wife, Peggy of Salmon Arm, BC; two grandsons, Brad Handel and his wife, Kathy and their two daughters, Kelsey and Kristie of Salmon Arm; and Jerry Handel, and his daughter, Kyla of Lloydminster.

Sister-in-law, Lily Willard of BC; brothers-in-law, Cyril Willard and Roy Willard both of BC; and several nieces and nephews.

 

Muriel has requested this poem to be read.

 

When I Quit

When I quit this mortal shore,

And mosey 'round the earth no more,

Don't weep, don't sigh, don't sob;

I may have struck a better job.

Don't go and buy a bright bouquet

For which you'll find it hard to pay.

Don't tell folks I was a saint,

Or any other thing I ain't.

If you have jam like that to spread,

Please hand it out before I'm dead.

If you have roses, bless your soul,

Just pin one in my button hole

While I'm alive and well today;

Don't wait until I'm gone away.

 

Donations in memory of Muriel may be made to the Kidney Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation or to the Lloyd Region Health Foundation.