THE REVEREND KERRY MARIE CRAIG -

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THE REVEREND KERRY MARIE CRAIG 1956 - 2004 On June 14, 2004 at home, surrounded by family and friends and her beloved dog Murphy, Kerry returned to God from whom she came. Kerry was born on March 23, 1956 to Jack and Shirley (nee Force) and grew up in St. Vital. She attended Dakota Collegiate and the University of Winnipeg (B.A. 1976) In 1981 Kerry married Dennis Wood and they moved to Saskatoon where Kerry worked on her Masters of Divinity at St. Andrews College. Joshua was born during her second year at St. Andrews. Upon ordination she was settled by the United Church of Canada on the LaRiviere Pastoral Charge where she served for five years at LaRiviere, Snowflake and Kingsley. She was called to the Pembina Parish Pastoral Charge in 1990, serving the congregations of St. Pauls, Morden and Zion-Calvin, Darlingford.. Daughter Hannah was born in 1991. Kerry served this pastoral charge until she became ill and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2001. Kerry was known for her quick wit, forthright manner, persistence, determination, and her passion and love for those with whom she lived and served. Never one to back down from a debate, she did not suffer fools gladly, but she did have enormous patience with her family, her parishioners, and those weighed down by the struggles of life. Her warmth, caring, and pastoral skill will be remembered by many. Kerry was generous with her time and brought a keen mind, common sense, love for the gospel and the church to her work in the local church, the presbytery, the conference and the national church. She will be remembered as a capable chairperson, a woman of conviction, and a dependable colleague. Although not formally trained, Kerry loved to sing and took great pleasure exploring the musical heritage of the United and Mennonite churches. Those who were close to her know how hard it was for her to keep from singing. The cancer diagnosis opened a new world to Kerry. Freed from the demands of a busy parish life, she was able to devote more time to her family and took great pride in the precocious independence and creativity of her children. It gave her great pleasure to watch her children grow and mature developing their God-given talents to share in the world. Kerry also enjoyed learning to quilt, walking with her dogs, discovering the enormous wealth of information on the Internet, contemplating the beauty of her yard and the birds which inhabited it, and learning how to garden. If her body wasnt always able to do the things she wanted, her mind was certainly active, seeking out information, organizing and planning. Throughout the course of her life and most especially during her illness Kerry was blessed by the support and encouragement of people of faith. These relationships strengthened her and contributed to the courage and humour with which she met her life and her death. We give thanks to God for them. In these last years members of the Pembina Fellowship Church have enriched our lives and the continued care of members of the Pembina Parish has been appreciated. Kerry regularly gave thanks for care and treatment she received from health care professionals. Drs. Dyck, Holmes, Menzies, and Lotocki were sensitive to her desire for both quality and quantity of life. The nursing staff of the Boundary Trails CancerCare Unit routinely went above and beyond the call of duty to provide excellent care through the many ups and downs of cancer treatment. God has a special place for chemo nurses, Cheryl Penner, Mary Ann Cram, Carolyn Wiebe, and Ken Froese. In the last months of her illness we experienced the benefits of rural health care provided through Boundary Trails Health Centre. Palliative care workers, Barb and Muriel, the nursing staff, health care technicians, and the cleaning staff worked together to ensure Kerrys comfort and well being. How blessed we were. Kerry was predeceased by her parents, Jack and Shirley. She is survived by her husband Dennis, son Joshua, daughter Hannah, stepmother Eileen, and many close friends. It was with regret that Kerry gave up her life, for she dearly wanted more time with her children, her husband, her friends, her church, and the activities she had come to enjoy so much. However, as was her practise and in accordance with her wishes we will praise our maker while we have breath. A service of thanksgiving will be held at St. Pauls United Church, 353 Thornhill, Morden, on Saturday, June 19 at 11:00 a.m. Please, no flowers. Friends may wish to make a contribution in her memory to Doctors without Borders, 402 - 720 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5S 2T9, Boundary Trails Palliative Care, or to South Central Cancer Resource. Thanks be to God in whom we live and move and have our being. Doyles Funeral Chapel of Morden in care of arrangements. (www.doyleschapels.com).

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 16, 2004