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VERA MARTA COCKBILL (MONSON)
Born: May 06, 1917
Date of Passing: Feb 12, 2014
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryVERA MARTA COCKBILL (MONSON) May 6, 1917 - February 12, 2014 Vera Marta Cockbill (Monson), wife of the late Frank William Cockbill, died peacefully in her sleep on February 12, 2014 at the age of 96. She is survived by her nieces and nephew: Pat (Charlie) Leung, Ron Orpin, Brenda (Brian) Lanoway, Linda (Ross) Taylor, Wendy Monson, and Donna (Bert) Arthurs; great-nephews and great-great-nieces from Winnipeg: Brad (Tanis) Leung, Brent (Kelly) Leung, Jordan (Meagan) Lanoway, Kristofer (Chelsey) Lanoway; Hannah, Emma, and Linnea Leung, and Taylor Hewitt; and many great-nephews and nieces in Canada, England and the United States: Jeff, Steve and Lorne Orpin and their families; Jason and Jamie Miller and family; Jared, Amy and Joel Arthurs and family; Andrea, David and Tanis Taylor and family. Vera was predeceased by her parents, Malte and Linnea Monson; her husband Frank; and her three siblings and their spouses, Agnes (Pete) Orpin, Chec (Audrey) Monson, and Eric (Rose) Monson. Born in 1917, Vera was the third child of Malte and Linnea Monson, Swedish immigrants who lived on a farmstead near Culross, Manitoba. With the loss of her father at the age of six, Vera and her siblings drew incredible strength from one another as they forged ahead with their mother to successfully run the family farm and make a life for themselves in the close knit community. During those years, Vera and her siblings attended Giltedge School. As young adults, her brothers stayed to run the family farm, her sister moved to a farm nearby with her husband, and Vera left to live in Winnipeg, where she worked first at the Cordite Plant and then at Bristol Aerospace. While living in Winnipeg, Vera met and married her husband, Frank. They bought their first home in Fort Garry and spent a number of happy years there before Frank's work as a city assessor took them to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in 1965. Vera and Frank enjoyed tenting and camping in the summer and over the years they spent many weekends exploring Manitoba in their pop-up trailer and later their Boler camper. After Frank's untimely passing in 1974, Vera continued to live and work in Portage la Prairie until 1983, when she moved back to the Fort Garry area and renewed her friendships with neighbours and friends. She loved gardening, enjoyed her long walks with her dogs, Whitey, and later Buddy, and was always ready to offer her family and friends wonderful lunches or afternoon tea with her famous buns and delicious white cake . Independent and capable, Vera maintained her own home until 2007 when she moved into a senior's apartment block. Always there for her family, Vera was a marvel to everyone as she remained active, and healthy well into her 90s. After moving into Riverwood Square on Pembina Highway in 2010, she continued to enjoy her crossword puzzles, keep up with current events, follow curling and baseball on TV, and spend time visiting with family and friends. Even as her physical health began to fail in the last few years, her mind was sharp and her memory remarkable. The family wishes to express their gratitude to the caring staff on the 6th floor at Misericordia Personal Care for their compassion and support of Vera over the past year. According to Vera's wishes, cremation has taken place and a private family service will take place in the spring. Chapel Lawn in care of arrangements. Condolences may be left at passages.winnipegfreepress.com
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 22, 2014
Condolences & Memories (2 entries)
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Auntie Vera was a very special lady. All of my special memories growing up have always included her. Camping with her and Uncle Frank, playing Cockbill store, summer visits in Portage La Prairie, buying me my first dog, family dinners, birthdays, holidays, spending time on the farm, gathering the honeycombs from their bees and making honey, being at my graduations and convocations, making my wedding cake, visiting at the hospital when both of our daughters were born, and of course baking her buns and white cake with coconut icing. After Nan passed away (Auntie Vera's older sister) she really became more like a grandmother to us and was like a mother to my mom and my aunt Brenda. She was very independent but lived her life showing all of us the importance of family and always made us feel very loved. I know she missed my uncle Frank terribly and I smile thinking that they are together now looking down on all of us and knowing that they were such a big part of our lives. - Posted by: Brent Leung (Great Nephew) on: Mar 06, 2014
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My mother, Del Sommer, was a friend of Vera. When I was 18, I moved in with Vera as a boarder. I still have the cookbook she gave me as a shower gift when I got married. My husband and I would visit her in Wpg. and he updated her plumbing in her house. I kept in touch after we moved to NB and would visit when we came home. Vera was an amazing, independent woman for as long as I knew her. I remember enjoying her home made rolls and soups. I lost contact just in the last year. - Posted by: Gail Houle (Family Friend) on: Feb 23, 2014
