JULIA (EDNA) KEIR (WOLFE)

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

JULIA (EDNA) KEIR (nee WOLFE) Suddenly, and peacefully, on January 1, 2007 at Victoria General Hospital, with her daughter by her side, Edna was called to sing in God's choir of Angels. Edna is survived by daughter Lois; stepsister Lillian (Ed) Taylor; sister-in-law Vera Wolfe; nephews and nieces, Frankie, David, Gordon, Tracy, Susan, Kathy, Wendy, Tom, Linda, and Kristine. She was predeceased by her husband of 59 years, George; father and mother Frank and Kate Wolfe; stepfather Pete Grandin; sister Minnie Kardys; brothers, Henry, Bill, Frank, and Philip; brothers-in-law, Ransome and Gordon; sisters-in-law, Jean and Barbara, and nephew Barry Keir. Edna was born in Theodore, Saskatchewan on May 18, 1917. Her father died when she was six years old leaving her mother to raise six children alone. This necessitated Edna to live with relatives in Tisdale and Yorkton for a few years. In order to complete high school, she returned to Tisdale to live with her mother, stepfather, and their daughter Lillian. Her dream was to become a nurse so she went to Prince Albert but was forced to quit nursing school for financial reasons. She then moved on to Winnipeg and worked at C.N. Station as a waitress, then to Toronto where she worked at the Harmony Grill and C.N. Station, and back to Winnipeg in 1943 where she worked at Picardy's as a bonbon dipper and the Jolly Canuck at the Hudson's Bay store. Edna fondly recalled meeting the servicemen who came into the C.N. Station on leave during the war. Although this was a sad time, she was happy to spend some time with three of her brothers who would surprise her on stopovers in Winnipeg. Another vivid memory from this time is her friend begging her to go to a dance one night. As fate would have it she spotted a group of sailors standing around, Edna boldly asked why they weren't dancing, and a handsome sailor named George, who was home on leave, asked her to dance. This encounter led to a ship-to-prairie correspondence while George was overseas. They were married in July, 1946 and settled in the Fort Rouge area of Winnipeg. Edna became a stay-at-home mom when Lois arrived in August 1947. Her favourite pastime then became knitting beautiful baby outfits for Lois and intricate embroidery. She spent the summers at George's family cottage in Winnipeg Beach and loved to visit with friends in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. She was a great cook and was famous for her Sunday dinners. Edna had a love for music. She played the piano and guitar, sang in choirs, and as a teenager gave solo performances mostly in churches in and around Tisdale and Yorkton. She also sang in the Riverview United Church choir in Winnipeg. Edna also had a love of shopping her vast collection of clothes can verify this. She also loved lunches out especially if the menu had egg salad sandwiches and cream pies. Over the last 30 years, Edna's vision deteriorated. For the last ten years Edna struggled with her blindness but remained fairly independent in her own home until her husband's death on February 27, 2005, and a hip fracture from a fall on April 2, 2005. For the past one and a half years, Edna resided at the Golden Door Geriatric Center. Thank you to all the wonderful staff that provided excellent care. A special thank you to Linda for her visits and her cheerful Hi, Aunty Edna , were always looked forward to. Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held on Monday January 8, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at Green Acres Funeral Home, Hwy. No. 1 at Navin Road. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CNIB, 1080 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 3M3 or to the Winnipeg Humane Society, 5 Kent St., Winnipeg, Manitoba R2L 1X3. Thomson Funeral Home 669 Broadway - 783-7211 www.thomsonfuneralchapel.com

Make a donation to

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 06, 2007