STELLA CAROLYN HAMELIN

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STELLA CAROLYN HAMELIN
August 25, 1936 - March 16, 2021

Just after sunset on Tuesday, Stella, our beautiful star, passed into the good night at Stettler (Alberta) Hospital.
She leaves her husband Ron, daughter Shannon (Mitch) and son Gilles; grandchildren, Savannah and Matt Moneo, and many nieces and nephews. Stella was predeceased by her son Ron Jr., parents, Nicholas and Mary Ogibowski, sisters, Annie Warken and Frances Leganchuk, and brother Tony Ogibowski.
Born close to the family farm in Elphinstone, MB, Stella very early learned about hard work, persistence, frugality and independence, a testament to her Polish roots. Like many females who were part of the farm's survival, Stella never got the chance to enjoy higher education beyond the rural schoolhouse. It's a shame because Mom was very intelligent and a perfectionist of the highest order. Vegetables for her wonderful soups were cut small and uniform; windows never had a streak; closets were in precise order; paperwork was always faultlessly completed.
Married in Elphinstone, four days after her 23rd birthday, Mom sometimes barely unpacked before having to relocate again. During her 61 years of marriage, she lived in Winnipeg, Fannystelle, Benito and Dauphin; in Saskatchewan, Regina, Moosomin, Montmartre, Estevan, Whitewood, Swift Current, Cupar, Kamsack and Melfort; in Alberta, Calgary, Delburne, Crowsnest Pass and Stettler; in BC, Port Coquitlam, Revelstoke and Creston. Through all of upheaval, Mom managed to raise her children, work with Ron in his many businesses and have an immaculate home, be it an apartment, bungalow or mobile home.
In 2015, Stella was diagnosed with breast cancer and since that time, her health relentlessly declined. Mom's very strong Roman Catholic faith and support of her family and friends, notably Natalie Kerpelman (Frederick, Maryland), Alice Faye and Russell Watts (Stettler), Bonnie and Jim Potter (Delburne), Christ-King Catholic Church staff and parisioners sustained her. She will be profoundly missed by Gilles, Shannon and Ron, not only for the complete love she gave her family but for the noble, selfless example she set.
Thank you to Dr. Willem Pretorius, Father Roger Niedzielski and home care nurse Kelly Kruger.
A memorial will be held in Stettler in summer 2021, with interment later in Red Deer's Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery.
Take a moment to remember and recognize all the women of Stella's generation, and earlier, who like her, did not have the opportunity to explore where their talents could lead them. Instead, they put their wisdom, perseverance and strength into home and family.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 20, 2021, Mar 22, 2021