ROSE LAVERY

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ROSE LAVERY February 11, 1920 - December 7, 2003 My mother, Rose, was born in Glasgow (Springbum), Scotland and spent the first 36 years of her life there. Rose spent four years in the British Army (ATS) during the Second World War and though she always claimed she was never a "joiner", she said the best thing she ever did was join the army. She met her husband Bernard Lavery at the Berkeley dancehall in Glasgow and he swept her off her feet. In 1956, we immigrated to Canada, directly to Winnipeg, and Mum always called Winnipeg her "real home town." Mum worked all of her life but her best remembrances are of the 20 years plus she spent at Reitmans at Polo Park. After her retirement she was in her element "being in charge" of our used book store part-time for three years. Mum was a great movie buff and avid reader, she enjoyed playing the harmonica, accordion and piano, and she loved to dance and to recite poetry. Rose spent many of her happiest times fishing and being "doon the water" at Sandy Hook and Gimli, and visiting her sister Agnes and brother Frank in California over the years. She had the pleasure of knowing and loving many dogs and cats in her life and they all had a special place in her heart. Mum had the best sense of humour because she laughed loudest at herself. She was hard of hearing all her life and her malapropisms and mispronunciations are legend. Mum was predeceased by her beloved husband Benny in 1968, and is survived and will be always remembered by her loving daughter, Rose-Ann of Winnipeg; sister Margaret Maxwell; nephew Jim (Janet) Maxwell and grand nephew Stacy, all of Winnipeg; grand niece Lindsay of Melbourne; brother Frank Teague and sister-in-law Winnie of Ventura, California; niece Elaine (Jim) Bennett and grand nieces, Morgan and Tierney of Bend, Oregon; niece Lorraine Eckmeder of Big Bear, California; sister Agnes Formica of Simi Valley, California; niece Elizabeth Cairns of Winnipeg; and many nieces and nephews in Scotland, especially Marie Reid and Peter Cairns in Glasgow, and special friends who knew her and loved her. My Mum was my best friend and I will be forever grateful that she was my mother. She taught me so much and was always my greatest supporter. My wish for her is that her little shih tzu Harry will be waiting for her in heaven, and my Dad and George Raft will be ready to tango. Heartfelt thanks goes out to the wonderful staff at Grace General Hospital for their care and compassion during Mums stay there. Flowers gratefully declined. If friends so wish, a donation to the Salvation Army would be appreciated. In accordance with Mums wishes, cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at Neil Bardal Inc., 984 Portage Ave., Aubrey St. entrance, at 2:00 p.m., Friday, December 12, with reception to follow. A private family interment will take place at Brookside Cemetery at a later date. It was the songs and ballads of Robert W. Service that first drew Rose to this land. This is a verse from one of her favourites: There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moll for gold; The Arctic trails have their secret tales That would make your blood run cold; The Northern lights have seen queer sights, But the queerest they ever did see Was that night on the marge of Lake LaBarge I cremated Sam McGee. NEIL BARDAL INC. 949-2200

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 10, 2003