Obituary of Shirley Brandvold

BRANDVOLD: Shirley Mae Brandvold passed away in the Lloydminster Hospital, Lloydminster, SK on Friday, March 30, 2007 at the age of 71 years. Shirley is survived by: her loving husband, Delmer of Lloydminster; eight children: sons: Duane of Whitehorse; Wade of Grande Prairie; Wesley of Yellowknife; Bradley of Monterrey, Mexico; daughters: Debrah of Lloydminster; Wendy of Yellowknife; Sandra of Grande Prairie; Julie of Bonnyville; and their families; Sisters: Myrtle Jordan & Iris Nelson; Sisters-in-law: Amy Campbell, Kae Campbell & Helen Brandvold; Brothers-in-law: Bob Smith & John Willoughby, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. The memorial service for Shirley was conducted from the Grace United Church, Lloydminster AB on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at 2:00 PM with Rev. Norm Laird and Pastor Anne Laird officiating. The eulogy was given by Wes Brandvold. A tribute “Footprints” was read by the grandchildren. Special music was “On Eagle’s Wings,” sung by the Grace United Church Choir and the Lloydminstrels. Hymns sung were “In the Bulb There Is A Flower,” “How Great Thou Art,” and “Amazing Grace,” accompanied on the organ by Kimberly Sonnega. Honorary pallbearers were all those who shared in Shirley’s life. Urn bearers were Duane, June, Richard & Linda Brandvold. A private family interment followed in the Lloydminster City Cemetery. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster, administered the funeral arrangements. On behalf of the family, we’d like to thank each and every one of you for coming today. Special thanks also to Lois Sonnega, Dr. Naude and the nursing staff at the Lloydminster Hospital. Your presence and support is greatly appreciated. Shirley Mae Richards was the youngest child born to Blanche & Clifford Richards on July 19, 1935 in Mrs. Jensen’s Nursing Home in Meadow Lake. The log house the family of eight lived in was a one bedroom log cabin with a clay floor and moss roof. She had two brothers, Victor & George, and three sisters, Myrtle, Iris and Virgie. When Mom was a baby, the log cabin became infested with bedbugs & flees, a common occurrence in that day and age we are told, so Grandma took Mom to the barn in an apple box to sleep. She was known as the baby that slept in the manger. The cotton mattresses had to be dowsed with coal oil and left outside to air. She rode horse back to school and lunches consisted of jam sandwiches, the jam made from wild raspberries & blueberries which was sometimes picked and crushed that morning before heading off to school. Mom seemed to like the outdoors as she looked forward to the haying season ~ we’re not sure what kind of mischief she got into during this time, because her two brothers were said to have led her astray a time or two. Money was made in those days by having chickens and selling eggs, milking cows and selling the cream and also by cutting wood in exchange for groceries. Winter fun growing up was card parties, skating on sloughs, and dances in the school house. Desks were pushed aside and babies slept under the teacher’s desk. Her Dad played the violin, with her two brothers & Iris playing the guitar. Her Mom could play the piano, but the school house in their district, didn’t have one. When Mom got a little older, she learned how to play the guitar, and us older kids remember Mom playing the guitar and singing. When Mom was growing up, their home was a gathering place after a ball game or a funeral. They had enough dishes for one sitting at the table, and many a time dishes were washed for a second or third seating, but there was never a shortage of food. Grandma did the washing on Monday and the ironing on Tuesday. In the winter, the clothes would be brought in frozen as there was room in the house for them to thaw before ironing. One time, Mom was sent to bring in her Dad’s frozen long johns. She banged the leg on the side of the porch and broke it off. Sad part of this story was that they could only afford one pair of long underwear per winter. I’m sure Grandma with her wisdom of sewing, rectified the situation. Mom started school in 1941 at a country school. With the desks all one size, and Mom being a small girl, she sat on a Webster’s Dictionary. When pencils got to be too short to handle, the end was put into a shell case, enabling use until the very end. We recall the many stories of the boys sitting behind her placing her blonde ringlets in the ink well on the desk behind hers. Mom finished Grade 8 in the country school, and then went to Meadow Lake for high school. With being quite shy, and a country girl, she didn’t like it too much, so finished up by taking her schooling by correspondence. Her family moved to Lloydminster in 1950, when her Dad started to haul oil. They lived in several houses in Lloyd before Grandma & Grandpa moved to Edmonton in 1958. Mom did not go to Edmonton, she stayed in Lloydminster and worked in a laundry place where she ironed 20-30 white shirts a day, then worked at the OK Economy Store, waitressed at the Husky Lunch, and finally went to work at a mail order desk on and off for 27 years ~ that store as many of you will recall, was Eaton’s. Dad worked at Eaton’s before Mom, and took a shine to the new employee, They dated 1 ½ years before getting married on a Wednesday afternoon, September 15, 1954 in this same church by Rev. Morrison. They began their family of 8, fairly soon after the wedding – Duane, Wade, Debbie, Wendy, Sandy, Wesley, Julie and Bradley, all came along within the first 17 years of marriage. Even with a family of this size, we had many family outings. We especially looked forward to the Sunday afternoon drives in the country ending up at Seller’s Dairy Freez for soft ice cream cones or a weiner roast at Weaver Park and a ball game. Going to the drive-in with snacks of kool-aid and cookies, and playing on the swings in our pyjamas was always a highlight. Mom was a founding member of the Lloydminster St. John’s Ambulance Brigade. Dad says she has a pin for over 35 years of service, and has been recognized for her long service and dedication with numerous awards. She was invested into the Sisterhood of St. John’s Ambulance in Ottawa in 1979. She has taught First Aid and CPR for many years. Singing has always been a very important part of Mom’s life. She sang with this United Church Choir, Sweet Adelines and most recently, the Lloydminstrels at the Legacy Centre. The Grace United Church Fair Booth at the fair grounds, where she was known by her committee as “Kolonel Klink”, was also a very busy, but fun time in her life. As we all grew up, we were introduced to square dancing. Mom and Dad danced for years, and it just seemed natural for us kids to as well. We traveled around the local country side, plus made many camping trips to Penticton BC, for the jamboree. Mom & Dad have many friends here today who were a part of the great fun of square dancing. Besides being a working Mom, Mom always found time to sew. She loved to make matching outfits for Debbie, Wendy & Sandy (when they were little), square dance outfits, any costume that was needed, and a number of the grandchildren have received quilts as they have graduated from Gr. 12. She kept her hands busy while watching TV by croquetting doilies & tablecloths, knitting aphgans, doing ceramics, or crafts of any kind. She loved to play cards. She loved her flowers and was especially proud of their back yard with all the different colors from the flowering plants. The cabins we had at Perch Lake and Sandy Beach were very special to Mom. Mom & Dad spent countless hours and years building and fixing them, but they were always a restful place to be on a beautiful day. We kids have all grown up now, and Mom and Dad have become known to many people around the town as Grandma & Grandpa Bees. They have 11 grandchildren: Ryan, Brett, Richard, Cory, Kristi, Travis, Chrysteen, Tyler, Linda, Andy, Shelby and Jared. She was very proud of all of you; never doubt that for a minute. Her one regret was that she didn’t see you very often. Besides Dad, “Lucky” is the love of her life. He was the highlight of her day, occupied a lot of her thoughts and was a huge key player helping Mom through her radiation treatments. He seemed to know when she needed him close, and he was always there for her. Mom is predeceased by her Dad, her Mom, both her brothers and her sister, Virgie. Mom will truly be missed by Dad, Lucky, all her kids and grandkids, as well as the many friends and family that are gathered here today. Card of Thanks We’d sincerely like to thank everyone for their expressions of love and caring throughout Mom’s illness, with food, phone calls, visits, cards, flowers, donations and hugs. Special thanks to Dr. P. Naude, Dr. Tankel, Brenda Servold – Home Care, Lois Sonnega and the 3rd Floor Nursing Staff, for your compassionate care to Mom. Heartfelt thanks to the Grace United Church Choir, the Lloydminstrels, Kim Sonnega – our organist, Pastor Anne & Rev. Norm Laird for making the service so special and meaningful for us. And…last but certainly not least, thank you to Bob Jack’s Sheet Metal staff for your support to Dad, to Glenn McCaw and staff for your gentle professional guidance, and the UCW ladies for providing the lunch. The many acts of kindness bestowed on our family will never be forgotten. ~ Del Brandvold & Lucky ~ Duane, June, Richard & Linda Brandvold ~ Wade Brandvold ~ Deb, Dwayne, Ryan, Cory Lundquist & Kristi Quinton ~ Wendy, Duff & Travis Thompson ~ Sandy, Cam, Brett & Tyler McCoy ~ Wes, Roxanne, Shelby & Jared Brandvold ~ Julie, Chrysteen & Andy Sidloski & Bob Ball ~ Brad Brandvold Donations in memory of Shirley may be made to the Lloydminster Hospital Palliative Care, Grace United Church Choir or to a charity of the donor's choice.