FLORENCE ROSE-ANNA MIKKELSEN

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

FLORENCE ROSE-ANNA MIKKELSEN (née GRANDMONT) July 29, 1930 - December 8, 2017 Peacefully on December 8, 2017, Florence passed away at the age of 87 in Powell River, BC. Florence will be forever missed by her loving husband Walter Mikkelsen of 62 years; children, Karen (Scot) Eger, Susan and Paul; sisters-in-law, Ethel (Raymond) Grandmont, Darlene (Frank) Grandmont as well as many nieces and nephews. Florence was predeceased by her father Georges on February 16, 1945 and mother Rosalie on June 24, 1984, siblings, Yvonne (Marcel) Raffard, Leo (Mary Siska), Raymond, Emil (Lydia Krychuk), Frank, Lawrence (Irene Rothwell) and Cecile (Dave Oliver). Florence was the youngest of eight children born to Georges and Rosalie (Lange) Grandmont and was born in St. Norbert, MB. She is the last one of that generation. Later on when her parents moved to Argyle, MB, she had many fond memories of living in a large family on the East View Farm for five years, where the grounds around the house had been given a great deal of attention by the previous owners. They were surrounded by big Manitoba maples, rows of lilacs and caraganas. In 1940, they moved to the farm, presently owned by Darlene Grandmont. Quite memorable were the trips to and from school in summer in a horse-drawn canvas-covered wagon, and then in winter by sled with a small wood-burning heater. When her brother Frank took over the duties of van driver, they rode to school in style in his 1929 Custom Graham Paige. In 1947, Florence went to Success Business College in Winnipeg. She stayed with her sister Cecile in their Uncle Henri Grandmont's rooming house on Donald Street, just down the street from Eaton's. It was one room with a fold-out couch. They cooked on a gas burner and had to insert 25 cents in it to get so much gas. As typical of the times in rooming houses in Winnipeg, there was one bathroom upstairs, and they were allowed one bath per week, with a limit of four to six inches of water. While working in Winnipeg, she met the love of her life, Walter Mikkelsen, who was in the RCAF at the time, and they were married November 5, 1955 in St Mary's Cathedral, Winnipeg. In 1967 when Walter resigned from the RCAF, they moved to Argyle, MB where they lived for three years before moving to Winnipeg. In 1978 they moved to Powell River, BC. After the children left home, Florence always kept busy sewing or quilting and many of her beautiful quilted wall hangings or pillows were displayed in their home. Graveside officiant is Father Barry Schoonbaert of Christ the King Parish. Interment will be held Saturday, August 11, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. at the Argyle Cemetery. Everyone is welcome to a reception to follow at the Stonewall Hotel.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 04, 2018