ALETA LORENE MAGNUS (SAMPSON)

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ALETA LORENE MAGNUS (nee SAMPSON) After 93 well lived years, Lorene completed her life journey on Monday, November 3, 2008. Lorene enjoyed life and made the best of everything. She spent her early years with six siblings (Dolph, Lola, Nita, Vesta, Ila and Vivian) in Glenboro, Manitoba. At a young age with the support of her sisters, she moved to Winnipeg to attend Business College, which led to an executive secretarial career. During this time, she married Herman from her home town of Glenboro and raised her two sons, Dale and Dean. Lorene had a wide variety of interests and made close friends wherever she went. She valued her family and friends and cherished every opportunity to be with them. Lorene had loving relationships with her daughters-in-law Lorraine and Sandra and was extremely close to her dear sister and lifetime best friend, Vivian McLeod. One of the most joyful times in her life was the arrival of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Dale and Lorraine's three children, Michelle, Brett (Lynette) and Blair (Wendy) added six great-grandchildren: Kai, Merrik, Cole, Reid, Peter and Ann, who affectionately referred to her as Gigi . She adored Sandy and Dean's three children, Deanne (fiancé Brant), Derek and Dylan. Lorene had wonderful relationships with all; reinforcing good grades and accomplishments and always wanting to play any game with them. Lorene excelled at many different activities. Through persistence and a strong guiding hand she got her sons educated and reveled in any of their successes. She was an accomplished tennis player and avid curler which became a life time passion. She skipped many winning teams and participated in bonspiels locally and internationally. Lorene was a driving force in establishing the Thistle Ladies Business Curling League and served as the founding President. When Herman's passion was golf, she took up the sport and became a long time member at Southwood Golf and Country Club, serving as President of the Niners league. She actively participated in a number of women's groups including the Beta Sigma Phi sorority, the American Ladies Club and the Stitch and Chat group. Lorene was a member of the McKinnon Guild and put years of voluntary service into the Nearly New Thrift Shop on Portage Avenue, whose proceeds support the Children's Hospital Foundation. Lorene and Herman danced together as young teens at the Glenboro community dances and were married in 1939. They functioned as a team in the homes he built. She took an active role in seeing that each one was just right for the new owner and played a significant role in the Magnus Built reputation. They went on several car trips over the years, singing as they went. Herman and Lorene spent many happy times playing bridge with their close friends and bridge club night was always a highlight at 321. In her later years, she participated in duplicate bridge tournaments and enjoyed the challenge of improving her standing. Lorene was a very keen competitor, striving to win and excel at every aspect of life whether at work or play. Following many years of family and community participation she decided in 1972 to update her skills and took the Medical Secretarial Program at Success Commercial College. She then worked for the Province of Manitoba for 10 years in Community Services and Corrections until mandatory retirement, at which time she received the Meritorious Award for her services. After 51 years of marriage, Herman passed on in 1990. In this phase of her life, which she referred to as her Sunset Years , Lorene moved into her condo at 77 Swindon Way in which she took great pride and spent the rest of her days there steadfast in her independence. There she connected with many friends of all ages who provided her with friendship, support and laughter when jokes mysteriously appeared on her windshield or under her door. She maintained her ties with the organizations she had been involved in and was always pleased to be invited to help celebrate their many endeavors. She took pleasure in small things such as driving her car to McDonald's for an ice cream cone, joyously telling her family that she had done so and falling asleep to music that Herman had taped and catalogued. Lorene took enormous delight in Vivian's volunteer services and truly remarkable life while trying to keep up at every turn and of course beating her for money at cards which she dutifully recorded in her log book. She ensured that Lorraine and Sandy carried on the tradition of holding family celebrations for all events and enjoyed each such occasion. Lorene was a wonderful person who was an inspiration to us all. We as a family have always admired her strength of character, positive outlook on life and joyful spirit. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all her family and friends. Her family would like to extend an invitation to her friends and relatives to attend a reception celebrating her life on November 15, 2008 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at 103 Powder Ridge Drive in Linden Ridge (call 488-2115 for directions). Anyone so inclined may give a donation to The Children's Hospital Foundation Inc. at CE 501-840 Sherbrook St., Winnipeg, MB R3A 1S1 or a charity of your choice in lieu of flowers. One of her later passions was Cryptoquotes as they took imagination and thought. In closing, Derek picked one of her favourites which she kept in her memory box: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 08, 2008