LORRAINE WEDEL

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LORRAINE WEDEL, B.Ped., M.Ed On Sunday evening, March 6, 2005 Lorraine Wedel, beloved wife, sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother died with dignity and in peace after again falling ill with cancer. She was predeceased by her sister Flora, her parents and Suzy the dog. She left her Locke Bay home on Sunday, February 13 and was marvellously cared for at the Lake of the Woods Hospital. The family was also tremendously supported by these compassionate caregivers and will always remember it thankfully. Lorraine was born in Miniota, MB in 1931, the first of the four daughters of Dwight and Amy Dahlgren. She grew up in Flin Flon where she learned to pick blueberries like a pro among other more scholastic accomplishments. Bean , as she was known to her friends, being 5'11 and skinny, finished high school and then took herself off to Winnipeg in 1949 to enter the Normal School for teacher training. There she met people who would be with her for her lifetime, especially when June Friesen introduced her to a handsome fellow student named Jack Wedel. The romance that began there continues today, as they have been the most important person for each other ever since. Jack and Lorraine taught together in a one-room school in Deleau, near Souris, MB. Their first child Ellen was born in Souris and was followed at two-year intervals by the three boys, Rick, Randy and Gordon. By then they were living in Winnipeg and Jack joined the Water Survey. Lorraine was a stay-at-home mom in those years. There were wonderful summer vacations tenting at Beaver Creek on Lake Winnipeg. Lorraine always forgot one item in the prodigious packing job (like the frying pan) and so we all learned to make do at an early age. Family trips to the east and west of Canada still remain highlights in the children's lives. Mom the teacher would be sure to fill us in on the stories of the places we visited. When the family moved to Transcona, Lorraine began teaching again and her career developed continuously from that point. She took University courses and eventually got her special education certificate and then a Master's degree in school psychology. She was the Resource teacher at Park Circle and Arthur Day Schools in those years. She had a full and happy life. Her sister and her parents lived nearby, she and Jack curled and had a great social life and the family eventually started up a new camp at Lee River. Those pioneer days were always wonderful for everyone and brought us all together. The children left home, got married and started producing grandchildren all together! Tyra and Alan, Elizabeth and Karen, Jimmy and Trisha, and Melanie and Jonathan arrived in rapid succession. Grandma loved her grandchildren and coming out to Grandma's house is one of their most cherished experiences. She also had her other important grandchildren at heart, Tracy, Jessica and most recently the triplets, Olivia, Madeline and Kate. Lorraine and Jack moved to Yellowknife until their retirement. By this time Lorraine worked as a school psychologist. They fully immersed themselves in the culture of that great northern capital, participating in many social occasions, including curling, and in the Yellowknife United Church. When they retired, pioneer days began again as the house at Locke Bay moved from Dad's imagination to a fully constructed beautiful home. Even though Lorraine was retired she continued to work at her job. She was a travelling school psychologist in Russell and Morden for several years. The last 12 years in Kenora have been a blessing for the whole family. We have gathered together many times and especially benefited from Mom's unparalleled cooking: Mom the only person who really knows when the potatoes are done. Lorraine and Jack joined the church, sang in the choir, and made their last lifelong friends. Lorraine was part of a women's study group, she played bridge, and she golfed all season for the last several summers. Lorraine's service to the church included being the Missions enthusiast, singing alto in the choir, and serving on discernment committees as well as being the person who phoned you to do a Sunday reading. Lorraine first developed breast cancer in 1979. She made a full recovery and was able to have 24 years before its recurrence in the fall of 2003. Even then, the latest treatments kept her able to have a full life until the last four months. Lorraine's time in Palliative Care in the Lake of the Woods District Hospital (unusual in that it was up in Maternity: a fact we all enjoyed) was made as comforting as possible by the many visits from friends and family and the dedicated help of the staff. The family deeply thanks Drs. Wehner, Loewen and Kroeker and each wonderful nurse for their thorough and loving attendance. Lorraine has supported the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Diabetes Association, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation as well as the Mission and Service Fund of the United Church of Canada. A funeral service will be held at Knox United Church (2nd St. S. and 5th Ave. S) in Kenora, ON on Thursday, March 10 at 2:00 p.m. BROWN FUNERAL HOME CREMATION CENTRE ENTRUSTED WITH ARRANGEMENTS.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 08, 2005