Anna FRANKLIN

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FRANKLIN: Anna Margaret Franklin (nee Rushton) passed away peacefully at the Deloraine Health Centre on Thursday, April 16th at the age of 91 years 6 months, with her sons at her bedside. Mom was born October 15th, 1923 at Dobbinton in Elderslie Township, Bruce County, Ontario to parents Arthur and Edna Rushton (nee Temple), a sister for her brother Glen. Her family moved to Waskada, Manitoba in 1927 and settled on the farm her father had purchased south of town – the north half of 7-1-25. Mom attended Hernefield School from 1930 to 1937 except for 10 months in 1934-35 when she attended school in Shoal Lake when her family moved there to get feed for the cattle in the “dirty thirties”. She attended Waskada School from 1937 to 1940 to complete her secondary education. The next three years were spent at home helping her parents on the farm after her brother joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. In 1943 mom attended Success Business College in Winnipeg, where she took her stenographer’s course, and in 1944 was employed by Mr. Glynn North, a lawyer in Deloraine. It was while working there she met her future husband, Peter Franklin, a partsman for International Harvester, and they were married on October 6th, 1945. From this union their family grew from two to five with the birth of their three sons Brian (1947), Lyle (1951) and Neil (1955). Mom dealt with much adversity beginning shortly after Brian’s birth when dad contracted tuberculosis and was committed to the sanatorium at Pelican Lake for a lengthy treatment and convalescence. This lasted for almost two years which made life very challenging and extremely difficult for a young wife and mother with little income and no transportation. She was especially grateful for the support she received from the community, and extremely grateful for the support and assistance of dad’s employer Odiel Rommelaere, and a dear family friend, Nanny Henderson. Upon dad’s recovery and release from “the San” life slowly returned to normal for him and mom. In 1959 they purchased the brick house at 302 Morton Avenue East and lived there until dad’s passing in 2001. Soon thereafter mom moved to Border Hills Housing where she resided until her passing. Dad and mom purchased a cabin on the eastern shore of Lake Metigoshe in 1957 and it was there that the family spent their summers, and their son’s learned how to swim, ski and golf. The cabin was a place to relax and appreciate family and life’s blessings, and as time passed it became a special place for all our families. No matter who was using the cabin Sunday was, and continues to be, Family Day – a day when all that could collected at the lake for a day of visiting, boating, skiing, tubing and swimming followed by a barbeque supper. As our family grew older and required less “guidance” mom became more involved in the community and was active in the Order of the Royal Purple Lodge, the Rebekah Lodge, the Agricultural Society, the United Church Choir and Women’s Group, the Deloraine Health Auxiliary, the Deloraine Border Festival and Border Hills Housing. She also enjoyed curling and watching her sons play baseball, football and hockey. In 1969 mom secured a position at the Deloraine Memorial Hospital as typist and admitting clerk in the Medical Records department. In 1971 she completed by correspondence a Medical Records Technician Course, and continued her work at the hospital until she retired in 1984. After dad’s passing and mom’s relocation to Border Hills she continued with her community interests and enjoyed the company of current friends and new friends she met at the block. She especially enjoyed “Family Day” at the lake and seldom missed an opportunity to join all who were able to come. She loved to watch her grandchildren and great grandchildren while they tubed, skied and played in the water, and enjoyed an occasional boat ride even when she was well into her eighties. Her family was everything to her and she was blessed with good health for almost 90 years, but she always felt that her greatest blessings were her 8 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. She planned for and thoroughly enjoyed every opportunity to be a part of their numerous activities as they grew older. Mom was predeceased by her parents Art and Edna Rushton, her husband Peter and her daughter-in-law Claudia, as well as her brother Glen and her sister-in-law Joyce. Left to mourn her passing and celebrate her life are her family: son Brian and Valerie Sando, and Brian’s two children, Tony and his wife Valerie and their children Abby, Grady and Hallie; and Carrie Jardine and her husband Rod and their children Dylan and Bauer: son Lyle and his wife Elaine and their three children, Brett and his wife Jen and their children James, Cody and Emerson; Jarrod and his wife Michelle and their children Brooklyn and Callie; and Jill Twordik and her husband Brad and their children Mason and Quinn: son Neil and his wife Pat and their three daughters, Riley Ryden and her husband Jason and their children Griffen, Kai and Rhett; Alissa Cheung and her husband Gil and their children Madden and Tate; Britney Forsyth and her husband Nick and their children Mardee and Hudson, and mom’s sister-in-law Margaret Mackie. Mom passed away in the hospital she worked in, and the community she loved and called home for seventy-one years, surrounded by her loving family. We know she will also be missed by several dear friends and acquaintances that were so very kind to her, and whose lives she touched over the years. A funeral service to celebrate mom’s life was held at Deloraine United Church on Thursday, April 23rd at 2:00 p.m. with Reverend Allan Gairns officiating. A private family interment in Del-Win Cemetery was held prior to the service. Mom’s eight grandchildren - Tony, Brett, Carrie, Jarrod, Riley, Jill, Alissa and Britney - were pallbearers. Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. If friends so desire donations in memory of Anna may be made to Deloraine United Church, Deloraine Health Centre Palliative Care or to a charity of choice.“Grief never ends…but it changes. It’s a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sense of weakness, not a lack of faith…it is the price of love.”Messages of condolence may be made online at www.wheatlandfs.comSmith Funeral Home204-747-2088 www.wheatlandfs.com

As published in Brandon Sun on May 02, 2015