Obituary for Fern Pfaff (Pospishell)
Fern Pfaff (Pospishell)
July 2, 1925-November 15, 2020
Peacefully in her sleep, our dear mother went to be with her Lord at the age of 95. Mom was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law Gail and John Holland, parents Ella/Louis, sisters Pearl, Verna and Doreen, brothers Lloyd/Delford.
She is survived by her children Garry (Sharon), June (Dan), Craig (Carol), St. Catharines, ON grandchildren Jeff, Joanne (Adam), Dylan (Zivile), Riley (Sabrina), Tiffany (Luke), Russell (Danielle) and great grandson, Jack.
She also has several nieces and nephews. Her niece Carole Thomas from Kitchener, ON had many nostalgic conversations with Mom over the years.
Our mother lived on a farm near Milverton ON and was the youngest of four girls before her two brothers arrived. She attended a one room school until Grade 8 and then instead of being able to further her education like her sisters, she helped out on the farm until she left home at the age of 16 to clean houses and then eventually work in a factory in Kitchener ON. She and her sisters loved to dance, and it was during one of these dances that she met her future husband Roy, who worked in the rubber factory. Once the war was over, he returned to Winnipeg and our mother came too. They were married two years later and after 12 years of marriage and four children (the youngest being two), the relationship ended. Life was a real struggle with no education and four children to look after, but her faith in God kept her moving forward. Even though Mom continued to clean houses, education was still very important to her and once we were all educated, at age 50 she too returned to school to get her GED and then took a clerk-typist course. After graduation, she got a job working at the Children’s Hospital even though it meant working the nightshift. Mom was still a farm girl at heart and walked back and forth to work every night, as she had walked back and forth to school every day. She loved her job and the friends she made there and was sorry she had reached 65, which meant she had to retire. She liked the routine that work provided, so after retirement, she would pack up her reading material, head off to McDonalds to socialize and read the newspaper, but only after she first checked out the Jumble for the day. She loved to be able to unscramble the words before anyone else.
What an inspiration she was, not only to her children, but to the many friends she had made at McDonalds over the years and to all the 1-800 number staff she called friends. Her cheery voice, bright blue eyes and upbeat personality were an encouragement to us all, as were her Happy Birthday greetings so beautifully sung to each of us on the phone when our birthdays rolled around. Mom loved to sing and often burst out in song when we least expected it. This often happened in conversation when some word reminded her of a song from her younger days. Music was always important to Mom and she frequently talked about her own mother’s being able to play by ear. As a young person she walked three miles down the railroad track into town to take a piano lesson. Later, when she earned her own money, she took Hawaiian guitar lessons. It was no surprise to learn that she was a real good jitter bugger in her day and still loved to watch Polklorama on TV even when she knew her dancing days were over. We know she definitely will be doing a lot of dancing now.
Even though our mother never learned to drive, she made several trips with her children. Many of these trips were by car, trailer or train to beaches, campgrounds and home to the family farm. She also made a bus trip to New York and the east coast, but the trips she remembered most were the ones to Hawaii, The Holy Land and Texas. When she was questioned about doing more travelling, she would say, “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.”
Our mother was well taken care of the last years of her life spent at Calvary Place Personal Care Home. All staff went out of their way to make our mother and us feel comfortable. A special thank you to Nurses Salud and Marie Ann for keeping us updated on our mother’s health with such a friendly and caring manner.
In accordance with her wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no formal service.
(This obituary was written by our sister Gail before she passed away.)
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July 2, 1925-November 15, 2020
Peacefully in her sleep, our dear mother went to be with her Lord at the age of 95. Mom was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law Gail and John Holland, parents Ella/Louis, sisters Pearl, Verna and Doreen, brothers Lloyd/Delford.
She is survived by her children Garry (Sharon), June (Dan), Craig (Carol), St. Catharines, ON grandchildren Jeff, Joanne (Adam), Dylan (Zivile), Riley (Sabrina), Tiffany (Luke), Russell (Danielle) and great grandson, Jack.
She also has several nieces and nephews. Her niece Carole Thomas from Kitchener, ON had many nostalgic conversations with Mom over the years.
Our mother lived on a farm near Milverton ON and was the youngest of four girls before her two brothers arrived. She attended a one room school until Grade 8 and then instead of being able to further her education like her sisters, she helped out on the farm until she left home at the age of 16 to clean houses and then eventually work in a factory in Kitchener ON. She and her sisters loved to dance, and it was during one of these dances that she met her future husband Roy, who worked in the rubber factory. Once the war was over, he returned to Winnipeg and our mother came too. They were married two years later and after 12 years of marriage and four children (the youngest being two), the relationship ended. Life was a real struggle with no education and four children to look after, but her faith in God kept her moving forward. Even though Mom continued to clean houses, education was still very important to her and once we were all educated, at age 50 she too returned to school to get her GED and then took a clerk-typist course. After graduation, she got a job working at the Children’s Hospital even though it meant working the nightshift. Mom was still a farm girl at heart and walked back and forth to work every night, as she had walked back and forth to school every day. She loved her job and the friends she made there and was sorry she had reached 65, which meant she had to retire. She liked the routine that work provided, so after retirement, she would pack up her reading material, head off to McDonalds to socialize and read the newspaper, but only after she first checked out the Jumble for the day. She loved to be able to unscramble the words before anyone else.
What an inspiration she was, not only to her children, but to the many friends she had made at McDonalds over the years and to all the 1-800 number staff she called friends. Her cheery voice, bright blue eyes and upbeat personality were an encouragement to us all, as were her Happy Birthday greetings so beautifully sung to each of us on the phone when our birthdays rolled around. Mom loved to sing and often burst out in song when we least expected it. This often happened in conversation when some word reminded her of a song from her younger days. Music was always important to Mom and she frequently talked about her own mother’s being able to play by ear. As a young person she walked three miles down the railroad track into town to take a piano lesson. Later, when she earned her own money, she took Hawaiian guitar lessons. It was no surprise to learn that she was a real good jitter bugger in her day and still loved to watch Polklorama on TV even when she knew her dancing days were over. We know she definitely will be doing a lot of dancing now.
Even though our mother never learned to drive, she made several trips with her children. Many of these trips were by car, trailer or train to beaches, campgrounds and home to the family farm. She also made a bus trip to New York and the east coast, but the trips she remembered most were the ones to Hawaii, The Holy Land and Texas. When she was questioned about doing more travelling, she would say, “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.”
Our mother was well taken care of the last years of her life spent at Calvary Place Personal Care Home. All staff went out of their way to make our mother and us feel comfortable. A special thank you to Nurses Salud and Marie Ann for keeping us updated on our mother’s health with such a friendly and caring manner.
In accordance with her wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no formal service.
(This obituary was written by our sister Gail before she passed away.)
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