JANE RACHEL JESSIE ROUTLEDGE (LORIMER)

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JANE RACHEL JESSIE ROUTLEDGE (nee LORIMER) Jane Rachel Jessie Routledge (nee Lorimer) passed away on Thursday, May 13, 2004 at the Hamiota District Health Centre in Hamiota, MB. She was born almost 76 years earlier to Jim and Jessie (Lovatt) Lorimer on August 19, 1928 in the Souris Hospital. Rachel married James W. (Jim) Routledge on March 7, 1959 at her parents home in Souris. They had met while attending a United Church Young Peoples Conference in 1953, the beginning of an abiding friendship and partnership that spanned a half century. They farmed together for three decades in Oakner, MB where they raised four children, Elaine, Paul, Suzie and Ron, before moving to Hamiota. Rachel lived what she regarded as a quiet, ordinary life, unaware of how exceptional her reliability, loyalty, hard work and neighbourliness were. She loved God and shared that love with everyone she came to know. On first meeting, total strangers received the firmest of hand shakes. They returned as friends and were greeted with open arms and what one young friend remembers as "back breaking" hugs. Rachel was unselfish in giving her time and effort to do what needed to be done. She took the time to work shoulder-to-shoulder with Jim on the farm and tend large vegetable and flower gardens, giving special attention to her favourite petunias. She took the time to make dozens of quilts for the Samaritan House womens shelter, the Salvation Army and people in the community who were in need, using a trusty old Singer sewing machine to turn thrift store material into first quality gifts. She took the time to serve with United Church Women and other organizations that helped care for the community. She took the time to a share a lifelong love of music as a choir member and organist in churches in Carroll, Souris, Oakner and Hamiota. She also played the organ for the funeral home and church services for the residents of the Birch Lodge and Park Residence in Hamiota. She took the time to record the life of the people of Oakner as a correspondent for the Hamiota Echo and later, the Crossroads. She took the time to carefully record the births, marriages, and deaths of her extended family as the Lorimer and Lovatt historian. She took the time in 1957, 1982 and 1996 to stay in touch with her old country relatives with visits to Northern Ireland. She took the time to pour everything she had into the lives of her children, including a gift of her cooking, cleaning and gardening skills as each one established homes of their own. She especially cherished her time as a grandmother to Jack, Alyssa, Eve and Kaylee. Her time was limited only by a diagnosis of cancer in 2003. She had no time for pity, but took the time to be deliberate in saying goodbye to the people she loved, the people that had been blessed to know her. When her time finally did come, she died peacefully with family by her side, affirmed in the promise of scripture that she would be greeted by these words, "Well done, good and faithful servant...Enter into your rest." Funeral service for Rachel was conducted by Rev. Heidi Kosczeck from the Hamiota United Church on Thursday, May 20, burial followed to the family plot at Scotia cemetery. Rachel is survived by her husband, friend and companion Jim; children, Elaine (Paul) Taylor, Paul (Diane) Alyssa and Kaylee Routledge, Suzie (Ian) Scott, Ron (Pattie) Jack and Eve Routledge; sister-in-law Shirley (Glen) Spratt; nephews and nieces, Cheryl Ann (Don) Tufts and family, Ross (Maria) Spratt, Colleen (Dave) Wozny, Kevin (Cindy) Routledge, Brenda (Scott) Gerrand and family, Karen (Brian) Hopley and family, Cathy (Dennis) Lonsdale; an uncle Sam Lorimer in Northern Ireland; and, cousins in both Canada and overseas. She was predeceased by her parents, Jim and Jessie Lorimer; brother Bob Lorimer; aunt Ethel Ruth Lovatt who was raised in her parents home as a sister; parents-in-law, Jack and Lois Routledge; brother-in-law Ivan Routledge and his wife Mary.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 05, 2004