The following is the eulogy I spoke at Mom's service and would like to thank my sisters Lee and Lori for their contributions.
Hello everyone and thank you for coming here today to help us celebrate the life of an incredible lady.
My name is Craig and I am the youngest child of Wanda and Rene's eight children and it is my honour to say a few words here today.
Wanda Marie Lee was born January 30th, 1927 in Hebertville-Station Quebec to her mother Monica Devine and her father Edward Joseph Lee. Oldest of six, Mom had two sisters, Maureen and Jackie, and three brothers, Murray, Frank and Fred.
Mom's mother passed away when she was only eight years old and the family was separated shortly thereafter with Mom and Maureen being raised in Foleyet Ontario by there Irish Grandfather and French Grandmother.
At the age of fourteen she was working in Oba Ontario as a cook in a hotel. Shorty thereafter she and her sisters moved to Toronto to work for Bell Canada, but she wasn't there long before she decided that the city life wasn't for her and left..... arriving in Hornepayne early in 1947.
Once there Mom worked, for short periods of time, for Dr. Martin, Bradbury's Butcher Shop, The Hudson's Bay Company and Vogel's Restaurant. Also, and most importantly for us all, it was here that she met and married her husband of sixty eight years, our Dad, Rene. They married in April of 1948 and over the next fifteen years they had their eight children, Ron... Lee... Kim... Lori... Jackie... Murray... Mark... and myself, Craig.
Mom enjoyed knitting, crochetting and sewing and used these skills to make many of her own clothes, along with many items for us as well. She loved skating... curling... golfing... oil painting... reading... all genres of music... and of course, travelling.
It is no secret that her favourite place to be was near the water... and our family camp became the haven for the family members and anyone else who entered. Activities like crafting... cooking... singing...music, like listening to Mom's favourite, Mario Lanza... rainy days were for reading and card playing, but card playing was also done on all occasions, .. swimming on our shore as well as to the island... picking raspberries... watching thundrstorms out the living room window... viewing the Northern Lights and/or star gazing... Rumoli and of course, Canasta.
Mom extended an open invitation to her siblings, and their children, to visit the camp anytime they could and many did over multiple years. She also welcomed friends and neighbours to share a meal and of course her very, very popular peach pie... or to just come and sit and join the conversation. All of us can easily recall the many friends of ours who became regulars at that wonderful log camp on Second Government Lake.
Mom touched the hearts of everyone she met with her kindness... her welcoming spirit... her beautiful smile.. and her incredible sense of humour and left an unforgettable imprint on their hearts.
Mom's greatest accomplishment and joy; one husband... eight children... nineteen grandchildren... thirteen great grandchildren... and many, many friends....
