LILAH (DELILAH) MAY SKINNER (CLIFFORD/BROTEN)

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LILAH (DELILAH) MAY SKINNER (CLIFFORD/BROTEN) The family of Lilah Skinner sadly announce her passing on February 13, 2004 at the Vancouver General Hospital at the age of 89. Lilah is survived by her loving husband of seven years Ray of Vancouver; her children, Marilyn (Wes Peters) of Westbank, BC, Jerry Broten (Renee) of White Rock, BC, Kathy (Bernie Thibault) of DeRoche, BC, Kurt Broten (Cathy) of Sparwood, BC, Dan Broten (Shari) of Fort St. John, BC; 13 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two stepdaughters, Bev Bligh (Mike Petrie) of Coquitlam and Janice (John Bennett) of Vancouver; and three stepgrandchildren. Lilah is also survived by her sister Nelda (Nev Carey) of Westbank, BC and Betty Borton of Regina, SK as well as many nieces and nephews throughout the western provinces. Lilah was predeceased in 1988 by her first husband of 49 years Oliver Broten, her parents, three sisters and four brothers. Lilah was born on July 25, 1914 in Transcona, MB, the sixth child of Charlie and Hattie Clifford who then moved to Teulon, MB. She quit school at an early age to help raise her siblings after which she returned to school to continue her education. In her late teens Lilah moved to Winnipeg to work as a housekeeper until her sister convinced her to take a housekeeping position in the Starbuck area for the Lewis Shirtliff family. It was during this time that she met Oliver, they married and raised their five children on the farm where Lilah had a huge garden and assisted Oliver in the everyday functions of mixed farming. When her older children left the farm, Lilah took on a new role as a cook for the Elie Hotel where she made many friends and at one time became a partner in the Double L Restaurant in Elie, MB. In 1974 Mom and Dad moved to Ladner and she continued her cooking career for CP Air until they decided to return to Manitoba in 1977 but in 1985 they moved to White Rock where they remained until Olivers passing. A year later she decided to relocate to Sparwood to be nearer her youngest grandchildren. Fate intervened again and Lilah renewed her friendship with Ray, a former classmate from Teulon. They married on December 28, 1996 and resided in Vancouver until her passing. Lilah and Ray loved travelling and was at last able to visit Hawaii and Islands, toured eastern Canada and enjoyed the ship cruises around the Panama Canal and just this past summer a cruise to Alaska as well as many trips back to Manitoba. Lilahs funeral will be held at Victory Memorial Park, 14831 - 28th Ave., Surrey, BC on February 17 at 1:00 p.m. Her pallbearers will be six of her grandsons. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Alzheimers Society would be appreciated. VICTORY MEMORIAL PARK FUNERAL CENTRE 604-536-6522

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 17, 2004