HELEN BERNADINE EHINGER (KANAROWSKI)

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HELEN BERNADINE EHINGER (nee KANAROWSKI) On October 16, 2002, after a year-long battle with cancer, Helen passed away at the Grace General Hospital, surrounded by the love of her family. Helen was born on May 12, 1923, at Fort Whyte, MB, the first child of beloved parents Wladyslow (William) and Frances Kanarowski. She grew up in Beausejour with her dear younger brothers, Edmund and Edwin in a bilingual English-Polish home. From an early age Helen showed a remarkable talent for music, beginning her piano-teaching career (from which she had only recently retired) as a young girl. After leaving school, she became a telephone operator in Beausejour, allowing her the opportunity to chat with her much-loved U.S. relatives. Her first big trip was to visit cousins in Toledo, OH, travelling alone by bus across the Midwest with 20 dollars sewn into her blouse and a watchful eye for gangsters in the Chicago bus station! At the end of the Second World War, Helen found that she had a new, and very serious, suitor in one Zigmund Ehinger, whom she had kissed goodbye as he left for combat in 1941. After a cinematic reunion at the Beausejour train station when Zig returned from the war, they became life partners in 1947, marrying at the St. Boniface Basilica. Throughout their 55 years of marriage, Zig and Helen loved travel and camping, with destinations from coast to coast and a number of visits to the UK and Europe. Helen spent her first 10 years of marriage as a "career girl," working as a stenographer and secretary, spending some very happy years at the Manitoba Safety Division. In 1957, things changed quite suddenly for Helen and Zig with the birth of son David. Helen became a stay-at-home mom, but continued to give music lessons to generations of Wolseley-area children. The sound of piano playing was always in the background at Zigs and Helens Lipton Street home. In 1962, while she was completing high school mathematics, second son John arrived, and the little family was complete (give or take a few crazy pets!). Helen loved music, gardening and dancing. She served as "choir mother" to the Junior Winnipeg Boys Choir and secretary of the Winnipeg Schools Orchestras. As a senior citizen, she went to university to study Spanish, having fallen in love with the language in Cuba and Mexico. She was very proud of the achievements of her two boys and her life was blessed by the arrival of adored granddaughter Sarah in 1992. She was looking forward to the birth of a new grandchild in November. Helen leaves to mourn, but also to rejoice in her life, husband and loving companion Zigmund of Winnipeg, son David of Ottawa, son John and daughter-in-law Heather Korlak of Beausejour, together with granddaughter Sarah. She also leaves brother Edwin Kanaroski of Beausejour and his family, as well as many cousins, nephews, nieces and friends across North America. She was predeceased by her brother Edmund in 1993. Helen will be missed by her many wonderful Lipton Street friends and neighbours. Funeral service will be held Wednesday, October 23 at 3:00 p.m. at Neil Bardal Inc., 984 Portage Ave., Aubrey Street entrance. Donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, Manitoba Division, 193 Sherbrook St., Winnipeg, MB, R3C 2B7. NEIL BARDAL INC. 949-2200

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 20, 2002