MARY ELIZABETH WESTON (PALMER)

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MARY ELIZABETH WESTON (nee PALMER) Peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, our beloved mother passed away after a brief illness on Thursday, December 4, 2003 at Selkirk General Hospital. Mom was born in Selkirk on February 12, 1915 and had lived most of her life in Selkirk. In 1937 Mary married Lawson Dillabough. Together they had four children, Lawson Jr., Merlin, David and Penny and in December 1944, Mary and her four children suffered the tragic loss of her husband and our father who was killed in action in Italy in the Second World War. Left alone with four children, Mom carried on and had to be both mother and father to us. In 1948, Mary married Lorne Weston. They had one son George and one daughter Linda, who died in infancy. On January 10, 1998, Lorne and Mary celebrated their 50th anniversary and on August 28, 1998 Mom lost her beloved husband Lorne to cancer. Lorne and Mary had a long and happy life together and they took many trips to California and Hawaii. Mom was a kind and gentle person who never had an unkind word for anyone. Her main focus was family. Sunday dinners and holidays were always special at Moms. She was a wonderful cook and she would spend days preparing so that everything was perfect. Christmas was one of her favourite holidays and she loved to shop for presents for her family and everything was always wrapped so beautifully. Mom took pride in her home and her personal appearance. She loved to do yard work and plant her flowers. She enjoyed the simple things in life. In her younger days she loved to dance and she and Lorne would go out dancing at the Legion as often as they could. She loved to play cards and going to bingo on Saturday afternoons with her granddaughter Candy. After Lorne died, Mom moved to Woodland Courts where she lived for two years until she suffered a broken hip and had to have a hip replacement that she never fully recovered from. The last four months of her life she lived at Red River Place Personal Care Home. Mary was predeceased by her first husband Lawson Dillabough; her second husband Lorne Weston and infant daughter Linda; her mother and father James and Margaret (Bella) Palmer; brothers, James, Leslie, Gordon, Cliff and Crawford; sisters, Amy, Rose, Vi and Clara. She leaves to cherish her memory her children, Lawson (Lynne), Merlin (Kathy), Dave (Brenda), Penny (Tom), George (Jerri) grandchildren, Ronnie, Wendy, Colleen, Lawson, Mary-ann, Merl, Wes, Debbie, Michael, James, Darren, Jeanette, Jody, Gaille, Lexi, Deena, Kaylee, Candy, Karyn, Tom, Pam, Josh and Jill and 28 great-grandchildren. Also survived by sister Lucy (Joe) Delaronde; sisters-in-law, Betty Palmer, Pat Sherlow, Gloria Palmer, Valmarie Johnston; sister and brother-in-law, Rene and Lorene Fraser and numerous nephews and nieces. Funeral service to be held Monday, December 8 at Christ Church, McLean Avenue, Selkirk at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Cannon Bryan Bjerring officiating. Viewing will be at Gilbart Funeral Chapel, 309 Eveline St. one hour prior to funeral. Interment will follow in the St. Clements Cemetery. The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to home care co-ordinator Pamela Carter, home care nurse Susan Norquay and case coordinator Teresa Hnatuik and all the home care staff who provided assistance, care and compassion when needed. Also to the staff at Woodland Courts for the kindness they showed Mom. Special thanks to Dr. R. Lindenschmidt for the compassionate care Mom always received from you. Thank you to the staff at Red River Place for the wonderful care Mom received the short time she lived there. It is comforting to know that you took such good care of Mom. Special thanks to the medical, surgical and palliative care nursing staff at Selkirk General Hospital. Words cannot express our heartfelt gratitude for the excellent care, kindness and compassion given to Mom and her family. You helped to make a very difficult ordeal a little easier to bear. Sleep sweetly in this quiet room O thou, whoeer thou art. And let no mournful yesterdays Disturb thy quiet heart. Forget thyself and all the world Put out each glaring light The stars are watching overhead, Sleep sweetly then. Good night. Author unknown Mom departed this world the way she lived her life, with quiet dignity. She was a wonderful mother and truly a lady. Rest in peace dear Mom. Till we meet again. From your loving family. Flowers gratefully declined. Donations may be made to Selkirk General Hospital Palliative Care. Gilbart Funeral Chapel in care of funeral arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 06, 2003