MARIE FINCH (DOLYNCHUK)

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MARIE FINCH (nee DOLYNCHUK) December 4, 1913 - November 12, 2009 Surrounded with love, Mom passed peacefully in the arms of her family on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at the Fisher Personal Care Home in Fisher Branch, MB. Mom was 95 years old. We will miss her dearly, love her forever, and always and never forget her. Our beloved and cherished Mom God had a plan. With this, He decided He would create a most beautiful soul with all of the finest virtues. She would have a heart of gold. She would be caring, loving, and tender. She would be unique. She would be joyful, peaceful, and full of grace. She would be very special. She would be an angel on earth. Her name would be Marie. Mom was born and raised on the family homestead in the Caliento area of south eastern Manitoba. Mom was of Ukrainian heritage and came from a loving home where family was very important. When Mom was a child, times were very hard. Mom knew the difficulties of growing up in an era of absolute poverty. It was difficult to barely scratch an existence. At a fairly young age Mom left her beloved family to obtain work to help provide for them. Mom and Dad met in 1941. Mom was working in a restaurant in the Port Arthur/ Fort William area (Thunder Bay). A certain young man walked in to have breakfast. His name was Ken. It was love at first sight. They were married three weeks later on November 13, 1941. Dad joined the Air Force on Mom's birthday, December 4, 1941. At the end of the war they returned to Dad's home area of Marble Ridge to life on the farm with their baby daughter, Bonnie. Linda, Glennie and Cindy followed to complete their family. Mom, alongside Dad, worked very hard on the farm. There was not a job that Mom did not or could not do. Besides the farm work, there was her family to take care of, along with all the cooking, cleaning, gardening, and yard work. There were many times when Mom got by on only a few hours of sleep. To supplement their income during the early years on the farm, Mom would join Dad in the logging camps to work as the camp cook. The camp boys were fed well, as Mom with her wonderful cooking abilities, could whip up the most amazing meals with even the most basic of ingredients. After selling the farm, Mom joined Dad in The Pas where Dad was working as a Millwright. Mom worked in a local bakery where her baking talents were enjoyed by all. Mom also worked as a seamstress at Kerr's Furs where she helped to create the beautiful Northern Parkas. Mom and Dad returned home and eventually retired in Hodgson. Mom was the most wonderful person. She was a remarkable woman whose devotion in helping others was life long. Mom was devoted to her family, her friends, her neighbours and her community. She would have done anything for anyone to help them in any way. She touched the hearts of many. Mom was a lifelong, devoted member of the St. Philips Anglican Church in Hodgson. She was also a lifelong member of the St. Philip's Ladies Auxiliary. Mom was associate member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #158 Hodgson. As well she was a lifelong member of the Branch #158 Auxiliary. In later years, Mom was also a member of the Hodgson Golden Age Club. All benefited from Moms tireless dedication. From providing cooking, baking, cleaning, sewing, creating crafts to visitations of the sick and elderly. Mom was also devoted to the dearly departed. She was instrumental in the initial cleanup and maintenance of the Hodgson Community Cemetery. She tended to the family plot with the planting of flowers and cutting grass. She, along with Dad extended the care to the surrounding area. Mom also worked alongside Dad to help establish the Early Settlers Lodge (senior housing) in Hodgson. Mom had been a spotter for Search and Rescue. She would fly with the Search and Rescue team to help locate lost victims. She was also a Red Cross blood donor. Mom's family was most important to her. She loved and cared for her children, her husband, her parents, her parents-in-law and then her grandchildren. She cared for us all with her gentle hands, her warm embrace and her most beautiful smile. She was always there for us. She created a loving home where she made sure everyone felt at home. Relatives, friends, neighbours and strangers were always welcome. Mom's hospitality was enjoyed by all. First came the hugs and kisses, then the tea. Then the mountains of delicious food started to roll on to the table. Traditional Ukrainian fare (perogies, cabbage rolls...) was a mainstay, but Mom never forgot Dad's roots as roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding was also on the menu. Marie Finch's name was synonymous with her ability to create the tastiest of meals, seemingly effortlessly. Then of course there was always dessert. Her baking was phenomenal. Homemade bread and buns (her garlic buns were famous), cinnamon buns, donuts, pies, cakes and cookies were all incredibly delicious. No one ever left her table without being stuffed to the gills. Mom's door was always open to everyone and a comfortable bed was always offered. There were many happy sleepovers with relatives, friends, neighbours and sometimes complete strangers who left as friends. Mom held a special spot in her heart for her neighbours and friends. She did whatever she could to help in any way. Mom remembered everyone's birthday and many times would make a birthday party in their honour. She wanted everyone to feel that they were very special. Mom loved all people. She particularly loved children and children loved her. She was a kid magnet. She loved to give and receive hugs and kisses. She would play and entertain children for hours upon end. When living in The Pas, the Finch apartment was the playhouse of the block. Oodles of candy were always available for a kiss and a hug. Lifelong bonds were created with many of these children. One in particular never forgot his Aunty Marie and stayed in touch with her until just a day before she left us. When her grandchildren arrived, she was in heaven. Cuddling, hugging, kissing, playing, cooking, and baking. She loved her grandchildren endlessly and did everything she could for them. Mom loved all creatures large and small. We had many pets on the farm, from dogs and cats to deer, fox and house trained jackrabbits (which would sleep in her bed) to (believe it or not) skunks. Unknowing guests would get quite a start when a mother skunk and her little ones would walk by Mom to caress her leg. For some reason that we will never know or understand, they did not smell. Mom had a way with animals, she probably asked them to be polite, dear. Even the livestock on the farm was special to Mom. They all had names. Be it the horses, cows or pigs, they all would come when she called their name. She would lie down with the little piglets on their bed of straw and let them nibble at her ears. Mom loved nature and all of the animals and birds that God created. She enjoyed bird watching and listening to their beautiful song. She made sure the birdfeeders had lots of seed and the hummingbird feeders were full of syrup. She loved the hummers. Mom loved to commune with nature. She loved to be in the forest, she loved the smell. She loved picking mushrooms. She knew the mushroom varieties and which ones to stay away from. Once in a while, though, she would come across ones she was not quite sure of. She would pick them, clean them, and cook them up for herself. If all was well in the morning we would get them for supper. Mom was never afraid to be in the bush with the wild animals. At times she would be right behind the bears. She could tell because the grass under their footprints would just be lifting from their step ahead of her. She could also smell them. Mom loved nature so much, it bothered her to see litter thrown astray, and so she collected and disposed of litter. So please do not litter. Gardening and nature go hand in hand. Mom loved to garden. She loved to plant the seeds, watch them grow and nurture them to the healthiest plants. She always had the most beautiful gardens, flowers, and shrubs at their finest. She loved flowers. She loved pink roses. She would pick wild rose petals and make the most amazing rose petal jelly and wine. It was the most delicate of flavours. She also loved lilies and peonies. She had huge vegetable gardens that she would lovingly preserve for her family, friends, and neighbours. She would be picking, canning, freezing, and pickling all summer. Then she would give to her hearts delight. Mom had an absolute passion for fishing. Mom and Dad did a lot of fishing all over Manitoba and beyond. They would playfully tease each other about who was the better fisherman. Dad admitting, in the end, that Mom was the winner. After all she had the fish to prove it. Mom and Dad taught their children and grandchildren how to fish. We shared many happy times fishing with Mom and Dad and yes, we know how to tie a fisherman’s knot. Mom and Dad introduced the sport of fishing to many people, most particularly young individuals. They would take them fishing, sharing their knowledge, experience and of course a delicious lunch. Mom enjoyed traveling or just going for a drive. We did so as a family, be it a short trip to the lake for fishing or swimming and a picnic to long road trips to various locales. Mom would always have the most amazing picnic lunches. Just like Yogi’s, fried chicken, buttered buns and all the fixings. Later on in life Mom and Dad did travel, however, not as much as they would have liked to. They always found it hard to pull themselves away because of their strong work ethics. Although Mom was somewhat reserved and a little shy, she had a wonderful sense of humour. Mom had the most infectious laugh. She would giggle for hours about something, and you could not help yourself, but only giggle with her. She would like to tease just a little and she just loved to have fun. She loved to dance. Mom and Dad were most usually the first and last ones on the dance floor. Mom liked to play. One time Mom and Dad went to Winnipeg, Mom went shopping to Polo Park and they agreed to meet at a certain time on a particular bench. Mom bought a new dress, shoes, and a wig. Dad arrived on time and sat down on the bench beside a blond bombshell. Slowly, this woman started inching her way closer to Dad. Dad starting to get a little nervous did not have a clue it was Mom until he looked into the eyes and face of the woman who put her hand on his knee. Mom always took pride in herself. She always looked beautiful. Yet she never wore makeup, except for lipstick. She dressed to a T, always matching. Dusty rose was her favourite colour. Shoes, polished hair just so. Manners and politeness abound. She was a lady, yet a very modest one. There is so much to be said about Mom. There simply is not enough wonderful words to describe this remarkable woman. Mom was an amazing human being. She never found fault with anyone. She always looked for the good in a person and simply ignored the rest. She possessed a great strength and endurance. She was kind, considerate, compassionate, empathetic, and loyal. She was honest and trustworthy. She was a friend to everyone. She was everything we can all aspire to be. Mom loved us all deeply and unconditionally, her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren, and her son-in-law with whom she had a special bond with. She was our most precious person, our sweetie. She was our angel on earth who has now gone home. We can happily imagine God’s new assignment for Mom in heaven is playing with the little angels in a beautiful garden and smelling the roses. May God bless you Mom. Mom, we are so proud and honoured to have you as our Mother, Mother-in-law, and Baba. We will miss you more than words can say. We are heart broken, but your love will be our strength. We will love and miss you forever and always. Left to cherish her memory, daughters Linda Finch and Cindy Obszarski and son-in-law Robert Obszarski, grandchildren Jennifer de Delley and Stacey de Delley, great-grandchildren Isaiah and Abbas (J.J.), a very special person in Mom’s life Parker John (Brent) Lanigan, brother Bill (Josephine), sisters-in-law Alice Finch and Alice Finch, nieces, nephews, special cousin Iris (Tom) Yuswak, many dear friends and neighbours. Mom was predeceased by her parents Samuel and Tekla Dolynchuk, parents-in-law Reginald and Muriel Finch, sister Anne, brothers Mike (Nellie), John and Peter (Betty), children Bonnie, Glennie and two infant daughters, brothers-in-law Bill Finch and Jack Finch and her beloved husband Ken. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the M.M.F. Hall in Hodgson, MB. Interment will take place at the Hodgson Community Cemetery after the service. If you so wish, a donation may be sent to the Fisher Personal Care Home, Marie’s Memory Garden, Box 119, Fisher Branch, MB, R0C 0Z0. A Healing Garden is being created at the Fisher Personal Care Home. Mom lived at the Care Home since May of 2004. In honour of Mom and her love of gardening, a portion of the garden will be created in her memory. The family extends a heartfelt thank you to all the staff of the Fisher Personal Care Home for your compassionate care of Mom over the years. God bless you. Fisher Funeral Home Inc. In care of arrangements. Fisher Branch, MB (204) 372-6271 or 372-6803.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 19, 2009