JEAN ISOBEL MERLE POLET (NIKKEL)

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JEAN ISOBEL MERLE POLET (nee NIKKEL) Peacefully, on October 14, 2016, with her husband Bert by her side. Our beloved mother and grandmother passed into the arms of our Lord at the age of 75 after a lengthy battle with heart failure. Left to cherish her memory are daughters, Corinne (Bruce) Giesbrecht, Rachelle (Darwin) Kupchuk, Melinda Polet, and son Calvin (Jennifer) Polet. Also left to mourn are her adored grandchildren, Melina, Ethan and Graham Giesbrecht, Tanner and Tegan Kupchuk, Mikaela Polet, Beatrix Yang, Charlie and Jonah Polet. She was predeceased by her eldest grandson, Joshua Kupchuk, in 2014. Born in Eriksdale, Manitoba January 19, 1941 and raised in Clarkleigh, Manitoba, Jean enjoyed a blessed early childhood, the ninth of eleven children of Henry and Katherine (Tina) Nikkel. She often reminisced of life on the farm, a mixture of hard work, adventure & a lot of family love. Following the death of her mother when Jean was eight, life soon took on a dramatic change. Jean and her younger brothers, Winston and Elton, with whom she had a special bond, had to grow up very quickly, and were children living in a sometimes harsh adult world. Despite the hardships, Jean remained hopeful, determined, and fiercely dedicated to family. After moving to Winnipeg and finishing her schooling there, Jean began work at the Anglo Coffee Shop in Kirkfield Park, where her hard-working attitude and feisty spirit soon made an impression on her "most annoying" customer, Bert. Annoyance soon gave way to love, and they were married on December 7, 1963. She helped prepare the wedding dinner herself, and often joked she was wed with orange fingers from peeling carrots the night before, as they couldn't afford a caterer. Early times were tough, but together she and Bert started Advance Roofing, with Bert providing labour, and Jean running the office. Their family soon grew, along with their success. However, Jean never took good fortune for granted. She remained humble and thrifty, never forgetting her early beginnings and the value of hard work. Jean hosted hundreds of family gatherings, showers, and reunions, cooking and baking for all of them. One of her greatest loves was sewing. Not only did more than 100 great nieces and nephews receive a homemade stuffed animal on their first birthday, she also memorized each of their birthdates! It was this kind of loving devotion that endeared multiple generations to their "Auntie Jean". Later her passion turned to sewing crib bedding sets, which she would construct by matching accessories from shopping at thrift stores and building her own. She sold these sets at her cost, as a labour of love. She also crafted sets for charities, including the Pregnancy Crisis Centre, Nova House, Villa Rosa, and overseas missions. When her health began to fail, her dedication to sewing for others remained her last joy; she left for the hospital with a partially finished quilt on the sewing machine. Although she travelled the world and enjoyed the finer things in life and time at the family cottage, her greatest pleasures were derived from simple times with her grandkids; planting flowers with them, sipping Orange Crush at a picnic, and attending their concerts and plays. A fantastic story-teller with a passionate spirit, she will be remembered for her sense of humour, and deep love and devotion to family. She lived her life dedicated to the Lord, and sharing her blessings with others. Thanks to her hard work, sacrifice, and charity, the world is most certainly a better place because of her. It is through this example to her children and grandchildren that her spirit will live on. The family wishes to thank the incredible staff at St. Boniface Palliative care and Grace Hospital Hospice for their assistance these last few months. You ushered Jean into paradise at peace and with dignity. Funeral service will be held Tuesday October 18, 2016 at Eastview Community Church, 3500 De Vries Ave., Winnipeg. Viewing at 11:30 a.m., and funeral service at 12:00 p.m., Escorting his Gramma into heaven was grandson Joshua. Earthly pallbearers are grandsons Tanner, Ethan, Graham, Charlie and Jonah, and standing in for Joshua, son, Calvin. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of one's choice. God saw you getting tired, and a cure was not to be, So he put his arms around you, And whispered come to me. Bardal Funeral Home 204-774-7474 Condolences: www.bardal.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 17, 2016