1929 ~ 2019
On Wednesday, April 24, 2019, Shirley
Hazeldyne (Head) Finkbeiner died in the Pine Falls Hospital. Keeping her alive
in our hearts are her daughters, Lorie Finkbeiner and Lisa Botsford Dupler, and
grandsons, Jamie, Stephen, and Nicholas (Kailey) Botsford. She was predeceased
by her much-loved mother and husband, Earle Head McOuatt and Lorne Arnott
Finkbeiner.
Born in Strathclair, Manitoba on
November 22, 1929 to Lavina Earle (Halpenny) and Walter Head, Mom spent nearly
ninety years living up to her adamant belief that you can do anything you need
to do. When she was very young, her father chose death when he could no longer
cope with the demands of his life in the Depression. For the rest of her
childhood, she and her mother faced the world together as Grandma took jobs
housekeeping in Churchbridge and Hyas, making lifelong memories. Strathclair
was always home, though, and it was there that Mom met Dad. They married on
July 29, 1948 and moved to Virden for their first six years of married life
where Mom had her initial taste of being the school principal’s wife. In 1954,
they moved to Pine Falls where they made a home, raised their daughters, and
lived the rest of their lives.
Mom believed strongly in the
importance of contributing to the community in which you live, and she spent
most of her life practicing what she preached, working as a CGIT leader with
young women who remained important memories to her for years to follow, active
in both the United Church Women and the Eastern Star Lodge. After being a
stay-at-home mom while we grew up, she then worked in the hospital admitting
office, and one of her regrets about retiring was that she never had a chance
to work with computers. That didn’t stop her, though, as she bought a computer
and learned on her own. For her, retirement wasn’t a time to stop; it was
simply a time to work on other priorities. She became part of a group working
to raise awareness of domestic violence in our community at a time when many
believed things like that only happened in other places, sat as a board member
of the Allard Library, and was one of the founders of the Christmas Hamper
group. Posted on her desk . . . “Yes, I will be old one day — not today, maybe
tomorrow”.
Faith was important to Mom. She spent
many years as a regular churchgoer — beginning as a young girl in the Baptist
Church until her love of parties and dancing led to her being placed on a
prayer list (which delighted her in later years) and then in the United Church
until she felt that an internal restructuring had placed her “firmly on the
shelf”. But, even after that disillusion, spirituality was strong in her and,
as we wandered Ireland and Wales, she often rested her hand on the ancient
stone of church or monastic ruins, feeling the energy of centuries of prayer
and devotion.
Family was always an integral
cornerstone of Mom’s being, and one of the joys of her life was to have
everyone all together. First as a mother to two daughters, then as a grandma to
the three grandsons who captured her heart from the moment each was born, she
thrived on occasions that brought us all together; her love gathered us in.
From the home smelling of freshly-baked cookies where all our friends were
welcome — to the heart of the family for occasions, large and small — to the
special place her grandsons loved to visit, the house filled with a clutter of
memories. Mom was the keeper of memories, the teller of stories, and the
searcher for knowledge of our history and roots.
We will remember Mom for her
unwavering love, her ability to laugh even in difficult situations, her delight
at the antics of our ever-present cats, her strong opinions about politics and
world events, her love of books and music, the tender heart that cared about
homeless people, abandoned pets, wild animals, and abused donkeys. . . and so
much more.
In her hospital stays over the past
couple of years, Mom often said that she always felt so well cared for. For
that, we thank Dr. Ota and Dr. Ketawala, and all the staff at the Pine Falls
Hospital who provided compassionate care through the difficult days, both to
Mom and to us as well.
Mom’s funeral will be held at 1:00 pm
on Wednesday, May 1 at the Pine Falls United Church, with a gathering held in
the hall after the service. We will not be wearing black, choosing instead to
remember Mom with colours. Please don’t send flowers but, if you’d like, a
donation can be made to the Pine Falls and District Health Care Foundation,
D’Arcy’s ARC, or a charity of your choosing.
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
www.soberingfuneralchapel.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Shirley Hazeldyne Head Finkbeiner 2019..
Death notice for the town of: Beausejour, Province: Manitoba