Dechief, Doris
(née Palin)
1918 – 2019
With sad hearts and happy memories our family announces the passing of our Mom, Grandma and Great Grandma Doris Dechief on April 4, 2019 at Newhope Pioneer Lodge, Stoughton, Sask.
Mom was born on February 8, 1918 on a farm near St. Claude, Man. and grew up there, the youngest of nine children. Although her parents Richard and Florence Palin were British, she attended French language school in St. Claude and was bilingual from an early age. During the Great Depression of the 1930s when Leon Dechief accompanied a traincar of cattle to St. Claude in search of better pastures, Mom met the love of her life as he rode on horseback through her farmyard. They were married on November 20, 1937 in Winnipeg, Man. and stayed at Mom’s family farm for five years. In 1942 they returned to Leon’s hometown of Forget, Sask. where they farmed until Dad passed away in 1977, mere months before their 40th wedding anniversary. Even though there were many hard years, Mom loved the farm life and the close connection to nature and animals that it brought. Both Leon and Doris enjoyed participating in the Forget community with many treasured friends and extended family.
In the 1950s with the birth of two daughters, Janis (Tom) Sangster and Diane (Ken) Ryalls, Mom’s focus became raising her family and we have lived, blessed by her unfailing love, care and attention. Her great regret was that Leon did not live to meet and know their beloved grandchildren: Jesse (Karen) Ryalls, Luke (Nicole) Ryalls, Matthew (Rhonda) Sangster and Sarah (Tyson) Sangster, and great grandchildren, Naomi,
Saige, Margot, Jaina, Townes and Baptiste.
After Dad’s passing, Mom stayed on the farm for ten years until 1988 when she became one of the first residents of the newly built Sunset Manor in Stoughton. She enjoyed her compact suite and the companionship of close neighbours for over thirty years. In January of 2019, at the age of 100, Mom qualified to move into Newhope Pioneer Lodge where she has received great kindness and care from both staff and residents for which we are deeply grateful.
Some of the great pleasures of Mom’s life have been gardens (especially shrub roses and flowers) but gardens of all kinds, horses (especially her childhood mare “Fly”), visits over the years with her sisters, brother, nieces, nephews and their families in Winnipeg, gentle country drives to pick berries or enjoy the hills, listening to and singing music from many eras, attending community dances – and reading! In recent years, suffering from loss of sight due to macular degeneration, Mom has been most grateful for the incredible audiobook services provided by the CNIB library, reading over 1200 books in the last five years.
A Celebration of Mom’s life will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. at The Happy Nun Café in Forget, Sask. with interment to follow in Our Lady of La Salette Parish Cemetery, Forget.
Those wishing to make donations in memory of Doris may do so directly to the CNIB Foundation, 2160 Broad Street, Regina, Sask., S4P 1Y5.
Dustin Hall with Hall Funeral Services, Estevan, is assisting Doris’ family.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Doris Dechief Palin Thursday April 4th 2019..
Death notice for the town of: Estevan, Province: Saskatchewan