MARJORIE IRENE HAGMAN (KEILBACK)

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MARJORIE IRENE HAGMAN
(nee KEILBACK)

We are very heartbroken to let everyone know that Marjorie has officially mailed off her last birthday card. At 95 years old, she's decided to take a leap of faith and will now dedicate her time to clipping newspaper articles in Heaven. She packed her bags and took the journey from her recent home in BC to meet her God on May 21, 2019.
Marjorie was born on January 15, 1924 in Beausejour, Manitoba to parents, Henry and Caroline. The eldest of three surviving children (baby brother Joseph passed away in infancy), Marjorie was a country girl who grew up on a dairy farm (a point which she emphasized was the reason she was so healthy and sharp into her 90s). As a young girl, she was known for reporting bad weather and being very studious. Her brother Clarence loved to tease serious Margie, refusing to let her tag along with him and his friends to barn dances. It's no wonder she was so thrilled when her baby sister Luverne was born! Although she was 10 years younger than Marjorie, they shared a special bond until Luverne's passing in 2018.
Despite her staunch upbringing, Marjorie met and fell in love with a real city boy and jokester, Harry Hagman, whom she married in July 16, 1949 and moved to Winnipeg. They lived amongst family and many good friends in Elmwood on Harbison Avenue for many years. In 1952, they brought their one and only daughter Deborah Lynn (Debbie) into this world. They spent many joyous times surrounded by loved ones at the family cottage at West Hawk Lake. The drive out was always an adventure, packed to the rafters with pies and people with no seatbelts - the gang laughing all the way. She always recalled those times with fondness after they sold it. She was so thrilled to be able to swing by the old cottage again in more recent years during her visits to the Bolton's cottage in Caddy Lake, recalling all those great times spent in the Whiteshell and having a quick pop in to see her old lake friends, the Bales.
She loved being with her family and that was clearly the most important thing to her. She was forever on the phone with relatives, writing down birthdates in her little notebook, and putting stickers of flowers and animals on greeting cards to make them extra special. She also took the liberty of scanning newspapers and magazines, selectively clipping articles tailored to everyone she knew. She was known for carrying them wherever she went, along with many photos of her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many other family, friends and acquaintances that were special to her.
Marjorie took her first full-time job in 1968 at the Eaton's Warehouse packaging up the catalogue mail orders. Eventually she found her real niche at Birks Jewellers packaging up beautiful and extremely fragile pieces. She was such a detailed and organized person, and apparently quite a natural packer! She was also a fiercely independent woman, taking the bus downtown for work every day even after Harry, the love of her life, had passed away when she was only 49. She faced many challenges, but continued on her journey without him and helped Debbie in raising her granddaughter Shay-Lee through adulthood. She was so determined that she pursued her first driver's license at age 50 allowing her to head out to the cottage alone with her faithful dog, Lady. In her later years, she was so proud to travel all the way to Australia to visit her sister-in-law Norma and her husband Alan, as well as niece Wendy and her husband Pat, which was so far away from her small town roots in Beausejour.
Marjorie was predeceased by much of her family seeing that she lived to the ripe old age of 95. This included her parents, Henry and Caroline, her brothers, Joseph and Clarence, her sister Luverne, her husband Harry, and many aunts, uncles, cousins and brothers- and sisters-in-law that were special to her.
Marjorie was known by many nicknames - Marge, Margie, and most notably, Grandma, even to many who weren't actually related but felt like she could be their grandma too. She always took an interest and worried about everyone, asking if they were okay, had they eaten enough, were they keeping safe, did they have all their belongings? Her focus was always on others. She wasn't one to complain or dwell on her own problems. She loved to socialize with people of all ages and lifestyles, most recently connecting deeply with her friends at the ComeShare group in BC.
Marjorie was a very genuine, honest and giving person. We know there are many people who have had the pleasure of a good chat with Marjorie - she could talk to anyone and she did! We also know that her kindness will be dearly missed by all who knew her. As her immediate family, we have had our lives impacted by Grandma in so many indescribable ways and will continue to celebrate the strong life she lived.
She will be missed by daughter Debbie, son-in-law Stan, and granddaughter Destiny who she lived with in BC since 2011; granddaughter Shay-Lee and husband James Bolton; and the ones that brought her the biggest smiles - her great-grandchildren, Atticus and Isadora, and stepgreat-grandkids, Jack and Luke. She always loved how you made her laugh!
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Winnipeg Humane Society to honour Marjorie's deep love of animals, a cause that was dear to her heart.
A celebration of her life will be held at St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church located at 315 Munroe Avenue on Friday, June 14, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.

E.J. Coutu & Co. Funeral Directors
204-253-5086
ejcoutu.ca

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 01, 2019