Mabel Elizabeth Wagar
1931 – 2011
Mom was born in the old Pouce Coupe Hospital on January 31, 1931 as Mabel Elizabeth Waldie. She was one of 13 children born to Isabel and Raymond Waldie. Mom grew up on the old homestead in Landry with a large family. Mom went to school at the old Landry School. There were always lots of chores to do around the farm with a big family. Mom helped out on the farm driving teams of horses, Baldy and Prince; whom she was talking about during her last days.
Mom met dad when he came out to the farm to help with the threshing. They married on the farm on July 11, 1949. They moved to Dawson Creek after they married, where their first son Russell was born. They moved around while dad worked for the Alberta Government Telephone and BC Tel. Mom and dad’s family grew during this time to seven children: Russell, Wayne, Sharon, Frank, Barb, Gerald and Brian. Mom worked at Bings Furniture in Dawson Creek and at the Pouce Coupe Hospital as well as the Priory Care Home in Langford as a care aide.
Mom loved to get dressed up and go out to a dance or a party. Halloween was one of her favorite times to dress up and have fun. They loved having family get together’s at the house, where dad, Uncle Norval and Juste Hendricks would play music together accompanied by all of the kids on the spoons. Music, food, and good times with family and friends were what it was all about. Mom and dad’s door was always open to friends, neighbors and family. Mom always had a large meal on the table whenever anyone stopped by for a visit.
Mom liked to sew, knit, play baseball and curl. She had a passion for playing horseshoes, except that when she threw the horseshoe it always went the opposite direction as she let out a squeal. Everyone knew to duck or run, when she was playing.
Mom had a good sense of humor for all the practical jokes that we were always playing on her. We all took turns dropping worms or frogs on her while she was sleeping, because it was too much fun watching her come out of bed swinging! We always knew to drop the frog and stand back or run. Mom was usually chasing one of us around with the broom; with seven kids all a year apart, she had her hands full. There was never a dull moment around our house. When mom used to wax the floor, she would put us to work by giving us each a pair of dad’s wool socks to shine up the floor and we would have fun skating across it. She was very creative in keeping us out of trouble.
We made many trips in our station wagon. Mom and dad kept us singing to entertain ourselves while driving to Bear Lake to camp during the summers. We always took the time to stop at Crooked River to fish while mom cooked lunch for us. Other times we would stop just to play baseball as we had a whole baseball team including Uncle Alex who was always part of our holidays.
Mom and dad finally settled at the farm in Tupper after dad retired. Her heart and soul was her big flower garden at the farm. Her sense of humor and adventure was well known. She got the reputation for being bit of a dare devil by going for a motorcycle ride with Harry and once suffered a broken tailbone from being bucked off Lady.
Mom and dad were to souls connected in every sense of the way. Their love for life and passion for family has been passed down through the generations as we continue to be there for one another.
Mom moved to Pouce where her door was always open for family and friends when dad passed away. Mom and Betty Mitchell were never far apart. Where you found one, you found the other, either picking saskatoons or having coffee and having good times. Keith McLeod lived with mom during this time and mom always enjoyed Keith’ company. They always took care of each other.
Mom eventually moved into the Pouce Coupe care home and it soon became home to her. Her sense of humor and quick wit was known to all of the staff, who also became part of her family.
Mabel will be greatly missed by her sister Kathy, Mabel’s children, grandchildren and great – grandchildren who cherished her as the matriarch of her family.
A memorial service for Mabel was held on Friday, April 1, 2011 at 1:00 pm at the Bergeron Funeral Chapel, Dawson Creek, British Columbia.
Reverend Marilyn Carroll officiated. Eulogy was read by
Dave Hay.
Expressions of sympathy in memory of Mabel, may be made by donation to the:
‘South Peace Hospice and Palliative Care Society’
Room 101, 916-103rd Ave, Dawson Creek, British Columbia, V1G 3W2 or
‘ The Canadian Cancer Society’
1000 - 105 Avenue, Dawson Creek, British Columbia V1G 2B9.
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