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Dorothy Low
1930 ~ 2011
Dorothy was an amazing lady. Dorothy was born in Margo Saskatchewan, moved to Flin Flon, Manitoba in 1930 with her dad (Jack) mother (Jenny) and younger sister Alice. She met Vic Low and was married in April 1942. These were the Second World War years and Vic was in the RCAF. For a time it was a long distance relationship. When the war was over Vic started a trucking business in Flin Flon, which was a dangerous and challenging endeavour in northern Manitoba. Part of the business was hauling freight over the frozen lakes to remote villages. Dorothy was happy and working for Keddie’s Hardware store and in June 1945 their son Robert John was born. This was an extremely happy time for Dorothy and Vic with the start of their family. Then in December 1946, when Bob was 18 months old, tragedy struck. Vic was on a trip far up north with his cat swing (a cat pulling a series of freight sleighs) when he and his fellow worker in the lead truck broke through a patch of thin ice on the Rabbit river. It was a terrible loss for Dorothy. For Bob’s sake she lived together with her Mom and Dad so he had a loving family with him while she went off to work in the Flin Flon Medical Clinic.
Aunty Alice and Uncle Jim (Vic’s best friend) with their two sons Percy and Harvey lived nearby and they always included Bob as part of their family. Dorothy lived in Flin Flon up until 1991 and then moved to Dawson Creek to be with Bob his wife Betsy and her 3 grandchildren Vincent, Rochelle and Greg.
As I was preparing this eulogy, I was trying to find a suitable description for my Mom. To me she was a kind and loving mother who was always around for help, guidance and support. The most common description I have heard from other people who had met my mother, was the word, Amazing. And looking back from that perspective, she truly was an amazing lady.
She was always involved with helping others. She was a leader in the Girl Guides. I remember the stories she told about taking the guides out to Girl Guide camp. Camp was on the other side of Athapap Lake. They travelled over in boats and canoes, and then cleaned out the cabins and Dorothy taught the young girls how to survive on their own in the bush. The leaders made sure the weather was good to cross the lake so that they all arrived back to the other shore safely. This was done without GPS, cell phones and satellite weather forecasts, just confidence and knowledge to guide her.
In Flin Flon the Anglican Church played an important role in her life. As long as I can remember, she was always involved in the WA, Alter Guild, Choir and other church organizations. When she moved to Dawson Creek in 1991, she continued with her involvement with the church - church suppers, the soup kitchen, helping with the fresh fruit sales. I am sure there was an extra B Train re routed from Florida to Dawson because of Mom’s involvement selling fruit.
I remember while in Flin Flon, she was always visiting the seniors in the Care Homes. She was often visiting and taking people out about town when they were no longer able to do it on their own. When she moved to Dawson Creek, she was part of the Adult Day Away program; again helping people whenever she could. Our family was very proud to see Grandma’s picture in the paper, showing her participating in the first Anniversary of the program at Rotary Manor and other events helping seniors.
Dorothy also donated much of her time and effort to the Cancer Society. Before she left Flin Flon the Manitoba Cancer Society recognized her efforts by giving her a Canadian Cancer Society “Certificate of Merit “for her outstanding service and extraordinary dedication to volunteer work. The quote from the society in the paper citing “Service and Dedication to volunteer work,” was one of Dorothy’s main traits ... unselfishly helping others throughout her life.
We as a family had great memories with Grandma.
While she was in Flin Flon it was an annual summer vacation trip to see her. We were always at the cabin on the lake out of town. The kids and grandma had a great time fishing, catching frogs, picking berries and playing in the water. Just like any proud grandma she would take them all around Flin Flon to visit her many friends in town.
In 1991 she sold the Flin Flon house and cabin and moved to Dawson Creek. The children had a great time looking for a house for grandma. Fortunately one was found 4 blocks away.
That turned out better than I ever thought. Immediately a garden was planted, flowers planted, and she was signed up on Vince’s paper route. This route by the way was passed down to Rochelle and Greg. Grandma got to see her kids and treat them every day besides reading the paper and voting for her favourite paper carrier.
Her grandchildren were her life. As the children grew up Grandma was a willing witness to all their special events - hockey games, synchronized swimming, piano recitals, soccer games, first rides in all their new cars, graduations, and Rochelle’s wedding.
Rochelle’s wedding was another example of how the word amazing and grandma seemed to naturally go together. By this time Grandma had to move from her home to Rotary Manor. She was not very mobile, but she and the physiotherapist (Jordana - Rochelle’s bridesmaid) worked tirelessly so grandma could get her legs moving so that she could attend the wedding in Grande Prairie. She worked hard at getting those legs moving again. And in time for the wedding, she could transfer from the car to the wheel chair. She thoroughly enjoyed the wedding.
The next day she amazed me again as only grandma can. At the gift opening she slumped over, the EMS guys showed up and I rode with her to the hospital in the ambulance. For years earlier she had her affairs in order, so I knew what my job was. A long story short, she recovered quite quickly. (Like a block from the Greg’s house). The medical staff wanted to keep her for a couple days observation, tests etc. She wanted to go back to Dawson Creek with me in the car. The Doctor did his best pitch, she waited until he was finished, she smiled thanked him politely and said she would not be staying and not be riding back to Dawson in some bumpy old ambulance. She then was informed that she would have to sign a release form. Again she smiled and asked him to get her purse as she had a pen in it and needed it to sign herself out. She certainly didn’t need me to help her deal with the “System” We were talking on the way home and she said it was way more comfortable traveling in the Buick than some old ambulance. She was tucked in bed at Rotary Manor at her regular bed time that night.
That was basically Grandma, throughout her life she had many trials and tribulations but she always exuded confidence and style no matter what the situation.
Dorothy, Grandma, Aunty Doris or Mom as she was called by all who had the privilege of knowing her at the various stages of her life’s history, always described her as an amazing lady.
It is extremely sad for all of us to not have her here with us. She was as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar and will be greatly missed by myself and our family.
When we were together at the lake in Flin Flon, especially in the evening when the lake was calm we would always listen to the loons together.
She said that her and my Dad loved sitting on the lakeshore listening to the loons calling.
So Mom I know you are happy up there with Dad and I know you and he are enjoying the evenings, and listening to the call of the loons once again.
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