CARMEL PROKIPCHUK (CATELLIER)

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CARMEL PROKIPCHUK (nee CATELLIER) August 6, 1934 - March 31, 2011 Peacefully, with her family by her side, Carmel Prokipchuk, aged 76 passed away at Riverview Health Centre on March 31, 2011. Born on a farm in the Municipality of De Salaberry, her family later moved to St. Malo and then to a farm north of Vita along the Rat River. Carmel left her home at an early age to live with relatives so that she could attend school until the age of 12. At the age of 16 Carmel left the family farm and moved to Winnipeg where she lived with the Grey Nuns while working for them in the laundry at Tache Centre. Later she moved to an apartment so that her youngest brother could move to the city to complete his education and she was very proud when he graduated high school. She relocated to Vancouver to help her sister with her family and worked in the laundry at a hospital. She married her first husband John (Jackie) Matchett in Spokane, Washington then they moved to Ontario where her husband worked in the mines. They had two children, Diane and John. Tragically, in 1958, Carmel's husband, daughter and brother-in-law were killed in a car accident and she remained in hospital for six months recovering from her injuries, after which she and her son John relocated back to Manitoba. In 1960 she married John Prokipchuk and moved to Grand Point, which is when her second daughter Diane was born. They then moved to a farm south of Steinbach in Trantham. It was during this time that her youngest daughter Connie was born. After five years the family moved to Winnipeg and resided in St. Boniface. Carmel worked at Canada Packers Poultry Plant for 11 years. She enjoyed travelling to visit with relatives and especially enjoyed travelling to Sioux Falls, SD to visit with her son John Kolb and his family. Despite her disabilities, in 1995, Carmel moved to her own place where she took great pride living on her own, having an active social life and caring for her apartment until she suffered a major seizure in 2003. After several months in hospitals and her partial recovery she moved to Foyer Valade for four years until transferring to the Special Needs Unit at Deer Lodge and later Riverview Health Care Centre. Thank you to those who have truly cared for Carmel during her last eight years. Carmel's strong faith in the Catholic Religion began at a very early age and her faith helped her endure and overcome many difficult challenges throughout her life. Carmel was always a very hard worker who never hesitated to help anyone that she could. Her greatest joys were spending time with her family, baking her special date squares and peanut butter squares, going to dances, gardening, long walks, watching her daughters play softball and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She always had a quick smile and a ready laugh for those around her. Carmel will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by her children, John Matchett (Lorie), Diane McDonald (Don), Connie Grant (Robin) and John Kolb (Linda); grandchildren Jeremy (Belinda), Mike (Andrea), Jennifer (Jeff), Ingrid, Britta, Jayda and Jesse; great-grandchildren Ashley and Hailey; also surviving her are six sisters, Lucille, Imelda, Beatrice (Rolland), Yvonne, Lena (Richard), Eveline; two brothers, Aurthur (Alice) and Firmin (Evelyn) and sisters-in-law Rita and Elsie as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Carmel is also survived by John Prokipchuk the father of her daughters. Carmel was predeceased by her first husband John Matchett and her first daughter Diane, her parents Marcel and Donalda Catellier, siblings Rosaire, (little) Imelda, Marceline, Severe, Theresa, Noel and Laurent. Also, her good friend and dance partner Vic Lundstrom predeceased her in 2007. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Carmel's memory to the Lewy Body Dementia Association Inc., Alzheimer Society Manitoba or Epilepsy and Seizure Association of Manitoba. As per Carmel's wishes cremation has taken place and a private family memorial mass was held in St. Malo, with Father Chaput officiating, followed by the interment in the Parish Cemetery. We watched you suffer, we watched you sigh, But all we could do was just stand by, When the time came, we suffered too, For you never deserved what you went through, God took your hand and we had to part, He eased your pain, but broke our hearts, If you could have spoken before you died, These are the words you would have said, This life for me has truly past, I have loved you all till the very last. Gone, but never forgotten...Rest in Peace Mom.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 09, 2011