Marion Fletcher

Marion Catherine Isabelle Fletcher, née Sims, passed away on May 28, 2017, at the Red Deer Nursing Home.

Marion was born at Crane Valley, Sask., on February 8, 1928, to Charlotte and James Sims where they farmed. They moved to Chelan by wagon when she was six. The Sims family spent their first winter in a granary. After freeze up the next year, they moved to the Ranger’s cabin at Greenwater Lake. The following summer they built a log cabin on the homestead south of Greenwater Lake.

Marion attended Bell’s Hill School for five years. She started in Grade 3 and went to Grade 8. After school, Marion went to work for Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Newman at Perigord. She also worked at Greenwater Lake at the Hotel and Beach Café, cooking and cleaning. Marion went to Vancouver at the age of 19 to work at the Campbell Soup Factory for one year. She also attended Art School at Emma Lake for a year in her early 20s and has some of her original art in her house.

Marion married Jack Fletcher on her twenty-third birthday, February 8, 1951. To this marriage Iean, Iris, Ivy, Ivan and Corey were born.

Marion was a lady and a true farmer; she had her own land and did the seeding until the boys bought big tractors and a drill and she felt bad that she no longer was needed to seed. She actively helped with all farm activities, including picking roots and rocks, milking cows, feeding pigs, and looking after chickens. She was a hands-on farmer and could fix a fence with just a hammer. She and Jack raised purebred Shorthorn cattle.

Marion was also a great cook. She could make a gourmet meal out of eggs, potatoes and hamburger.

Although Marion loved farming, the greater love of her life was her family – husband Jack; children, Iean, Iris, Ivy, Ivan and Corey; nine grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; and five step-grandchildren.

Marion and Jack were life-time members of The National Farmers Union and The New Democratic Party. Marion served on the national, provincial and local boards of the NFU. She also served on the East Central Co-op Board for many years.

After Marion and Jack semi-retired, they did some travelling. The first trip was to P.E.I. with Lloyd and Ruth Wagner to visit Ann of Green Gables Heritage Place and with NFU president and friend, Wayne Easter and family. In 1988, they went to Cuba with Jack’s brother Harold and sister-in-law Ada Fletcher for 17 days. Two years later, they went on a bus tour to the Grand Canyon for two weeks with Harold and Ada again. They also spent two weeks in San Jose, California, with grandson Rick. Marion and Ivy attended the national show jumping in Calgary at Spruce Meadows for three consecutive years. The highlight of their trips was talking to Ian Miller and petting champion jumper Big Ben. A trip to Austin, Manitoba, with son Iean and his wife Cindy was enjoyed and often talked about. One of Mom’s last trips was to Vancouver Island with Ivan in 2015.

Marion survived two brain surgeries after she was hit by a horse in a pedestrian walkway in Regina at the Canadian Western Agribition in 1998. She and Jack loved going dancing, but this ended after her accident and brain surgeries because she lost her centre of balance and would get dizzy when dancing. Marion loved her little dogs. Over the years she had many chihuahuas. She always needed someone to look after.

Marion was predeceased by her husband Jack; parents, Charlotte and James Sims; step-father Cecil Dean; son Cameron; siblings, George and Alf; sister-in-law Tillie; brother-in-law Ken Chow; Jack’s siblings: Harold and wife Ada, Richard and wife Dorothy, Henrietta and husband Alvin, Ivy and husband Reg and infant son Robert and niece Barbara; and granddaughters, Amber and Brenda Bakken.



She leaves to mourn her sister Jean; sister-in-law Phyllis; children, Iean (Cindy), Iris (David), Ivy (Bruce), Ivan (Marlene) and Corey; grandchildren, Rick, Karen, Kim, Chelsey, Ashley, Kyle, Brook and James; great-grandchildren, (Rick and Myrna) Paije, Marli, Addyson, Bryn, (Karen and Trent) Taylor, Nicole, Avery, (Ashley and Ryan) Hudson, Emily, (Chelsey and Trevor) Jonathan; step-grandchildren, Le-Ann and Tyson; and many nieces and nephews.



In Loving Memory Of

Marion Catherine Isabelle Fletcher

February 8, 1928 – May 28, 2017

Funeral Service

Friday, June 2, 2017, at 1:00 p.m.

Greenwater Hall

Greenwater Lake Provincial Park

Officiating: Terry Tompkins

Special Music by Jack Lowndes

Memorial Book: Brooke Fletcher, Nicole Fedorychka

Ushers: Cecil Opheim, Ken Folstad

Honourary Pallbearers

All who celebrated Marion’s life

Active Pallbearers

Rick Fettis Kyle Bakken

James Fletcher Karen Fedorychka

Kim Bakken Chelsey Bakken

Interment

Bell’s Hill Cemetery

Lunch will be served

in the Greenwater Hall following interment.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to

the Red Deer Nursing Home, Porcupine Plain, Sask.,



or to a charity of your choice