Alice CHAMBERS

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CHAMBERS: The family sadly announces that Alice Christina Chambers passed away peacefully at Brandon Regional Health Centre on Wednesday, August 7, 2013. Mom was born on January 6th, 1926 to parents, Charlie and Alma Anderson at the family farmhouse in Orangeville. She was the oldest of the family of one brother and four sisters. Mom attended school in Orangeville. Upon completion at school she worked for George and Edna Bull. Mom met the love of her life, Clifford Chambers in 1946 and they were married on January 22, 1947. Dad and Mom farmed in the Pine Creek area in the early years of their marriage and later settled in Austin. Mom worked for Carnation Foods at Carberry where she made many lifelong friends. The majority of Mom's career was taking care of her family. Mom worked very hard as there were no conveniences like there are today. We all remember how she baked twenty-eight loaves of bread per week in order to feed her growing family of seven children. She made and iced the best buns ever. Mom had a huge garden and canned fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken. Mom made every kind of jam and jelly imaginable which we all loved. Mom sewed many of our clothes and was very thrifty. Family was everything to Mom and she helped us all with babysitting, home and garden projects, care packages, mending, etc. Mom always had a freezer full of baking and goodies and we all knew where to find them. She welcomed everyone with open arms and there was always room for one more at Mom's kitchen table. She was truly treasured and loved by all and will be missed so much. Every summer, Dad and Mom would load four or five kids in the car and travel west, camping in a tent throughout the mountains for three weeks at a time. We as a family were able to experience the exquisite beauty and peaceful wonderment of nature in Banff, Jasper and the Rocky Mountains before they became commercialized. As kids we all remember the fun times, eating in the cook kitchens in Banff, watching the bears and mountain goats, setting the tent up in the rain, making snowballs in July high up in the mountains, stopping at the Calgary Stampede for a few days every year as we travelled west, picking fruit in the Okanagan Valley, walking the paths in Stanley Park, visiting so many museums and places of interest throughout Canada and the United States. In 1987, Mom and Dad were thrilled to spend a month in England and Scotland and a few years later, Dad and Mom took a second trip to England. In her retirement years Mom enjoyed playing cards in the MB Senior Games, being involved in the Austin Senior Centre and T.O.P.S. Mom and Dad enjoyed their Sunday drives looking at the crops and stopping in Gladstone for a Chinese supper. In January 2013, Mom and Dad celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. They enjoyed their apartment and living at Lion's Manor in Brandon where they made many new friends. In July of 2012, Dad and Mom moved into Fairview Personal Care Home. Special thanks to the staff of Fairview Home for the loving care that they gave Mom. Mom was predeceased by husband Clifford in March of this year and son Rick in 1999. She is lovingly remembered by her children Gary (Rita); Gayle (Paul Ham); Merlin (Debbie); Darlene (Ken North); Doug (Melody); Joann (Grant Calvert). She also leaves to cherish her memory 18 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren. Also surviving are sisters Nellie Nelson, June Smith, and brothers in law Melford Smith, Jim Hanna, sister in law Rosnah Chambers and many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by parents Charlie and Alma Anderson; sisters Ella Kowalchuk and Ruth Hanna; brother Carl Anderson; parents in law Joseph and Mary Chambers; brothers in law Sidney and Lawrence Chambers, Norman Schneider, Jack Nelson, Nick Kowalchuk and her sister in law Olive Schneider and several aunts and uncles. In keeping with Mom's wishes, a private family graveside service and interment will be held in September, 2013 at the Austin Cemetery. Flowers are gratefully declined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association, A1 -800 Rosser Ave., Brandon, MB R7A 6N5 or the Manitoba Kidney Foundation, #203 - 42 McTavish Ave. East, Brandon, MB, R7A 2B2. Clarke's Funeral Home, Gladstone~MacGregor in care of arrangements. www.clarkesfuneralhome.com

As published in Brandon Sun on Aug 10, 2013