With profound sadness we announce the passing of Fleurette Marguerite Marie Geirnaert (nee Desrochers) of Mariapolis, MB, our loving and devoted Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother. She was the beloved wife to Marcel, sister and friend to all the lives she touched.
She left us on Thursday December 17, 2020 after a three-month battle with a non-operative cancerous brain tumour in the Glenboro Health Centre Palliative Care Room at the age of 79 years.
Born on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1941 to Honore and Marguerite Desrochers in a small log house near Greenway. She was delivered by her paternal Grandmother in the RM of Argyle. She was the eldest of five children. Roger, Lucille, Ernest and Margaret.
When Mom was two, they moved to the Gillis farm, five miles southeast of Baldur. Mom remembered that day well: Uncle Roger, aged two, bit Mom because he could not ride with Grandpa.
As a little girl the house she lived in on the farm was an old wood-framed two story. She remembered the worn linoleum, kitchen cupboard hand-made by Grandpa, and the wood burning stove that smoked like a chimney when the wind blew from the east. There was a pail with a dipper for drinking that froze solid during the bitter winter nights.
Mom loved to read and learn. She went to Welsh school, which was a one room country school with a single teacher for sixteen kids from Grade 1-8. The school did not have many books so Mom would read the same ones over and over. Mom had no one else in her grade till she moved to Baldur High School in Grade 10. The only school bus Mom got to ride was in Grade 12. It was a Volkswagen and had room for six kids. Mom was always an A Student – good grades but not so good at sports.
She graduated in Grade 11 and in Grade 12. The first time she saw real roses was in her corsage. That is where her love for roses came from. Mom always wanted to be a teacher, but ended up taking a six-month course at Wheat City Business College in Stenography and Secretarial. Mom went from farm girl to city girl and wrote her provincial and federal service exams.
She became employed at Shilo taking the bus every day from Brandon. She was top secretary to the Commandant of the Royal School of Artillery KCSA for a few years.
After meeting Dad at an auction sale in 1959, she found the love of her life and became a country girl again.
Mom and Dad were married June 30, 1962 where they worked hard and made their beautiful home together at Ash Creek Farm. Mom and Dad’s favorite place on Earth with its country rustic charm.
Flowers made Mom happy. She loved her colorful array of endless flower beds and her vast vegetable garden. Her and Dad spent countless hours working and renovating, and landscaping to beautify their house and yard. When mom wasn’t outside helping with chores, she was inside keeping an immaculate house. She cooked, baked, pickled, canned, and made homemade jam and jellies from the berries Dad would spend hours picking for her.
Mom and Dad worked endlessly on their farm together milking cows, grain farming, stacking bales, shoveling pig manure, raising chickens, etc. They spent every second they could together at home (their happy place).
In 1963 they had Randy (the good baby) and in 1965 I came along. I had awful colic and there were several occasions when Mom said I cried and screamed all night. Poor Mom didn’t get much sleep, as she still had to go and get the cows and help milk them. How she must have wanted to put me in a basket and float me down the creek.
Mom loved education. She had an abundance of energy, enthusiasm and optimism. Her love for helping children and special needs students started when she became a teacher’s aide and 4-H leader. She shared her patience and caring with elementary students for over 15 years in Mariapolis, Bruxelles, St. Alphonse, and Indian Springs Schools.
Anyone who knew mom knew of her infinite love of helping kids in 4-H. Her goal was to be a volunteer leader for over 50 years, but unfortunately cancer put an untimely end to her dream. She received the 4-H Manitoba Volunteer Leader of the year award and was presented it by Mr. Brian Pallister. Mom’s favorite part about being a 4-H leader was teaching new skills to all her members. She has motivated and helped hundreds of 4-H members in the past 49 years with their public speaking skills. She spent years canvassing and collecting for the Heart and Stroke association.
Mom was also the Treherne Times correspondent for over 30 years where she was able to put her writing talents to work, becoming the Mariapolis correspondent at the paper’s inception.
Mom was also known far and wide as the “dough lady.” For 33 years she designed and molded thousands and thousands of her beautiful salt dough ornaments. When she got home from working at school it would be nothing for her to stay up until 3am working on her creations. Customers would stand in line at craft sales to purchase Mom’s newest masterpiece to hang on their tree each year.
Her first ornament was a rocking horse dated 1987, and her last creation was dated 2019. 33 years of beautiful hand rolled ornaments that will be hung this year with tears and heavy hearts.
Mom was far beyond a remarkable and gifted lady. She was and always will be my hero. When dad ended up in Baldur PCH, Mom’s plan was to move to Baldur so she could be closer to Dad and focus on volunteering at the care home to be with him. Unfortunately, Covid struck, and then cancer attacked, and Mom’s plans were derailed.
With broken hearts you will be forever missed and never forgotten by your best friend Dad, Randy and Deborah, Garry and I, your seven grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, sisters, in-laws, friends and fellow 4-Hrs.
Fleurette leaves to mourn her passing her loving husband Marcel of 58 years, son Randy (Deborah Murray) of Mariapolis, MB, daughter Shelley (Garry) Hacault of Mariapolis, MB, seven grandchildren Stephane (Monica), Christopher (Megan), Chantal (Dustin), Carlie (Mike), Vanessa (Tyler), Zachery (Danielle), Joshua (Riana) and nine great grandchildren Sarah, Alice, Avery, James, Emerson, Lucas, Jensen, Charles & Mavrick.
She is also survived by her sisters Lucile (Murray) DeBaets of Baldur, MB, Margaret Sigvaldason of Baldur, MB, sisters-in-law Bonnie Desrochers of Baldur, MB & Doreen Andries of Baldur, MB, brother & sister-in-law Donald & Marlene Geirnaert of Mariapolis, MB, her pet “Minou” as well as numerous nieces, nephews & extended family.
Fleurette was predeceased by her parents Henry & Marguerite Desrochers, brothers Ernest & Roger Desrochers, sister-in-law Lynda Desrochers, and by brothers-in-law Bob Sigvaldason & Leo Andries.
Due to Covid restrictions, a Family Funeral Service will he held on Wednesday December 30, 2020 at the Willmor Chapel with Father Vincent Lusty officiating. Service will be available to view on line later in the day at www.willmorchapel.com. Interment will take place at a later date at Our Lady of Assumption Parish Cemetery, Mariapolis, MB.
Memorial donations can be made in Fleurette’s memory to the Canadian Cancer Society, 415-1st St. Brandon, MB R7A 2W8 or to your own community 4-H Club.
Friends may sign the memorial register book by emailing jamiesonsfuneral@gmail.com or call 204-827-2480 and we will insert your name. Condolences may also be sent by visiting the website. Jamieson’s Funeral Services of Glenboro-Holland in care of arrangements. 204-827-2480.
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Fleurette Marguerite Marie Geirnaert Desrochers Thursday December 17th 2020..
Décès pour la Ville: Holland, Province: Manitoba