FERN MACPHERSON

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FERN MACPHERSON It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Fern MacPherson (nee Bolger) on December 10, 2017 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Fern was born in Rosetown, Saskatchewan to Bert and Mae Bolger and raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan with her sisters Bev and Bonnie. In 1954 she moved to Vancouver to live with her grandmother Mary Jamieson. In Vancouver, she worked at MacMillan Bloedel, and in 1956 she met her future husband Eric through their volunteer work with the youth at the United Church. They married in 1957 and had three sons, James, Glen, and Bruce. A natural athlete, following in her father's footsteps, Fern was an outstanding curler and skipped teams in BC and Manitoba. They won many events and achieved the rare feat of scoring an eight-ender. The family moved to Winnipeg in 1974 and settled in Fort Richmond near the University of Manitoba. Fern and Eric were avid bridge players, playing for decades with their core group of friends. She quickly became a vital member of many organizations ranging from the Schoolmasters' Wives to the Gourmet Club, and later to several service organizations. Just recently, Fern celebrated her 20th year of service with the Canadian Red Cross. She rose to be one of the senior Red Cross volunteers in Manitoba, first participating in flood relief and eventually coordinating evacuation centres for people fleeing forest fires, often working 14 hour shifts. Because there were still a few unscheduled hours a week, she joined the Pembina Active Living group and served on the organizing committee. The same day her youngest son started Junior High School, Fern started work on becoming a realtor. She earned her Real Estate license in 1979 and quickly became a top seller and rose to Manager at The Permanent, Canada Trust, and Bachman and Associates. After retiring from Bachman, Fern joined Remax to help train new agents who were studying to acquire their Real Estate license. She is considered a mentor by many agents working in the real estate profession. Fern spent as much time as possible with family and friends at the family-built cottage in Lake of the Woods. She was never afraid to join in on construction projects or other activities like spirited board and card games, tubing, riding the jet ski, or hiking across the island with her grandkids. The younger family members often referred to their grandma as "The Adventure Lady". One of her favourite things was the time she was able to spend with her sisters on their annual cruise. Fern is survived by: son James (Susan), their daughters, Megan, Jennifer, and Lauren; son Glen, his daughters, Scarlett and Desiree; son Bruce (Cindy), their sons, Kyle and Liam, and predeceased by her husband Eric and granddaughter Mariah. A Celebration of Life and reception will be held in Winnipeg at the Canad Inn Fort Garry, 1824 Pembina Hwy. on Saturday, January 6, 2018 beginning at 2:00 p.m. in the Ambassador Centre. Join the family in remembering and celebrating the life of this wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Red Cross.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 16, 2017