Betty HEAMAN

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HEAMAN: Betty Heaman from Virden, Manitoba, born as Elizabeth Irene Hartley on June 7th, 1938, was the second child to Jim and Annie Hartley (nee Jones). She was raised on their farm six miles east of Elkhorn with older sister Lillian and younger brother Jim. Betty experienced illness and death early as her father died of appendicitis when she was only four years old. Managing on the farm was challenging for the young family, relying on good hired hands to help get the work done. However, there was always enough food to eat and the children had a horse to ride 2 1/2 miles to Victor School where Betty finished Grade 8. She lived in Elkhorn on weekdays to attend high school grades 9 and 10. When Betty was 16, her mother married John Halifax. Betty and Jim moved to Vancouver to live with them. Annie and John adopted another sister, Carol, completing their family. Betty found her way in the big city school to finish Grade 11 in 1955, then worked as a Telephone Operator. While growing up on the farm in the days of country schools, community picnics, concerts, school dances, and barn dances, Betty met Walter Heaman. During Christmas season 1955, Walter journeyed by bus to Vancouver and on Christmas Eve 1955, they became engaged. They were married in Elkhorn June 1956. In July 2015, Betty was diagnosed with colon cancer. The operation in August was not able to take out all of the cancer. She was able to be home on the farm where Walter looked after her, and palliative care nurses visited daily in December. She died in the morning on Wednesday, December 30th with her loving husband at her side and her family surrounding her. Betty and Walter worked together closely during their 59 years of marriage, to meet the challenges of operating their own farm. Betty helped in many areas for the farm to be self-sufficient, from milking cows, raising hens and turkeys and collecting eggs, to working in the garden to grow vegetables for meals. She provided for the meals by preserving some of the produce by freezing, canning, or turning into jam or jellies. Betty helped on the tractor, too, either to pull the hay rake to help put up hay or the grain wagon at harvest time. Farmwife duties included bookkeeper and secretary. Some of these duties expanded into the community as well where she was secretary of the Wallace Community Club for 40 years, organist for the Wallace United Church, and an executive member of UCT and The Square & Round Dancers. Although it looked like Betty worked all of the time, she did do some things for fun. Betty did needle work and sewing; she danced and travelled; and played cards. She prepared entries to display her wares in both Virden and Elkhorn Fairs. While growing the farm, Betty and Walter grew a family based on love! Betty gave birth to five children within the first seven years of marriage. They were grandparents before the age of 45, and have been great-grandparents for five years! Betty helped her family to grow up with good work ethics. This is just the way Betty was; she didn’t seem to work at it. She taught what she knew by showing how to do things and by encouraging others. As hosts for family members and for exchange students, she shared her values with other young people whom she accepted with loving arms. Betty always included others in whatever she was doing and took the time to explain why things were done that way. Betty was always very patient and nurturing.Betty was so proud of her family. Over the years her family has grown from five children, first adding spouses of her children, then twelve grandchildren, then spouses of her grandchildren, then seven great-grandchildren. Betty leaves a legacy in her family. What they have learned from her will be carried on. Betty is survived by her beloved husband, Walter, and their family, daughter Anne (Gordon) Smith & family, son Bill (Elizabeth) & family, son Doug (Linda) & family, son Bob (Cheryl) & family, son Ken (Kathy) & family. Also by her sister Lillian Heaman & family, sister Carol (Lyle) Hossie & family, and sister-in-law Emma Allison. Betty was predeceased by her father Jim Hartley, her mother and stepfather Annie & John Halifax, brother & sister-in-law Jim & Aade Hartley, and brothers-in-law Alvin Heaman, John Heaman, Cliff Heaman, and sister-in-law Lorna Rowan. It is always the quiet ones who are the centre of the family, the glue that holds us together. They live their lives by example to show us wisdom and always, always, LOVE.

As published in Brandon Sun on Jan 23, 2016