Jeanne Therese Small
December 12, 1926 – April 3, 2021
Jeanne Small passed away April 3, 2021 at the St. Boniface Hospital. She was born in St. Boniface on December 12, 1926 and lived her entire 94 years there. Jeanne has been greatly loved by all her family, relatives and friends and is survived by her son, Larry, daughters-in-law, Cathy and Carole, grandchildren, Britt, Stevan (Kim), Michael (Hayly) and her many nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews of the Cariou clan as well as her sister Alice (daughter Gail). She was predeceased by her husband Ed and son Rick.
Jeanne’s life was far greater than a single page and was defined by her love for her family, relatives and friends and the joys and pleasures she shared with them. She especially cherished her time with her grandchildren and the Carious. She always talked about every visit or visitor and how special it was to see them. Jeanne encountered a number of hardships, like many others of the ‘Greatest Generation’, who grew up and survived the difficult times of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. During the war years she left school at 15 and belonged to the Red Cross, writing letters to the ‘boys’ overseas, and helped support her family delivering telegrams by bicycle. Numerous times she felt the horrors of war when her telegrams delivered news of injured or killed soldiers.
She was married in 1946 to war amputee, Edward Small, and had Rick in 1947 and Larry in 1948. Their first residence was in a six unit two story building, called The Norwood Terrace, on Goulet Street across from the Norwood Hotel. Her flat had only cold running water and a Quebec fireplace complete with a stove pipe that ran through the second floor bedroom to provide heat. She woke up one winter night to find Rick’s blanket touching the pipe and beginning to smoulder. She used to tie her sons to trees in the front yard in order to do her housework. She never understood why we laughed at that and would answer, “Well I had to get my work done….and they were in the way.” Like her mother, Georgeline Fisette (nee Joyal), and sister Louise (Cariou) she worked hard and long without complaint to raise a family with care and love until the end. She was excellent at sports (St. Vital Curling Club, golf, lawn bowling, swimming and chasing down grandson Mike and son Larry). She loved Crow Lake, her dog Ginger, was a great cook, seamstress and voracious reader (Wilma’s library). She understood building and was a good carpenter and enjoyed wood carving (Jack Motyer taught). Jeanne loved sports and travelled by train in the early years to Toronto to watch the Bombers play in the Grey Cup. Mom loved watching the NFL and had many favourite teams, all based on how great and good-looking their quarterback was. Shauna Cariou said this of her Aunty Jeanne, “Yet if I am convinced of anything, it is the fact that she – my thoughtful, kind other-centered and fiercely brave Jeannie Beanie would want me to do this: To move forward with hope and with courage and to remember to look for and to notice the ways and the times that I can continue her legacy of love and hope and damn spunk ‘cause my Aunty Jeanne lived that way and I want to honour her life by trying to live this way too. Because, this is her example and legacy for me.”
Thank you to all of Mom’s relatives and friends for their love and friendship over the years and her home care workers and all the wonderful staff at St. Boniface Hospital who made Jeanne’s last days truly peaceful and without worry. Thank you to E.J. Coutu Funeral Directors for their caring and professional services.
And thank you Jeanne from all of us. We were truly blessed to share a life with such a wonderful and loving person who will be forever in our hearts.
“Tell everyone that I am fine, don’t worry, I love you.” – Jeanne Small, March 31, 2021
There will be no funeral service at this time and if you wish you can make a donation to a charity of your choice.
E.J. Coutu & Co. Funeral Directors
204-253-5086
ejcoutu.ca
Read Less
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jeanne Therese Small (Fisette), please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Jeanne Therese Small Fisette Saturday April 3rd 2021..
Décès pour la Ville: Winnipeg, Province: Manitoba