Bessie Myrtle O’Brien
1930-2019
Bessie Myrtle O’Brien passed away peacefully in her
sleep on May 13th at the Moncton Hospital.
Bessie was born August 2,1930 in Curryville, NB. She was the
daughter of Archie and Viola (Brewster) Hawkes.
Bessie was born into the large Hawkes family 7th in a family
of nine. She grew up in rural NB on a small family farm with all its
requisite responsibilities, planting gardens, bringing in the cows,
picking wild berries and fiddleheads, shelling beans for Sunday dinner
and making hay. She and her sister Mabel also had the responsibility
of walking a mile to their small rural school to start the fires early
in the mornings. Her education was cut short because of a teacher
shortage in Grade eight., so she joined the work force. Thus began her
long and varied work history. Shortly after she began raising her
family. With her last child in school, she decided to upgrade her vast
skills and was the 1st person to graduate from the NBCC program and
went on to become an accredited Chef. She worked for CN for a number
of years and subsequently operated her own restaurant, a Bake shop and
in later years a Second hand store. She was a member of the
Hillsborough Legion Branch #32 Ladies Auxiliary and was very active in
community events, hosting Christmas Daddies, Legion Christmas for
kids(even dressing up as Santa when she could not find anyone to do
it), being a Dart league chairperson and finally volunteering on the
Salem- Hillsborough Railroad.
Bessie had a great sense of humour and loved to have fun. She
smiled often and was content in life even when it was rough. She
brought the Hawkes determination and good will to everything she did.
The most important thing to her was her family. Her role as mother
deserves the most acclaim. All of her children can attest to her
“lovingness”. She was always there to listen attentively,
never judging but always able to give a nudge in the right direction.
Mainly because of her guidance her children have became successful in
their various lives. She cherished her grandchildren and great
grandchildren. She was a good friend to all. When you think of a story
of Bessie be sure to smile and this will help get you through her
loss. She really is only a smile away.
Bessie will be lovingly remembered by her children Belva
Carlin (Earl), Alida “Ida” Steeves (David), Bill Whalen
(Robin), Randy Whalen (Craig), Bryon O’Brien (Tammy);
son-in-law Clayton Steeves; her 13 treasured grandchildren and many
precious great-grandchildren; sisters, Mabel Knowlton and Marion
Nelson; her sisters-in-law, Muriel Hawkes and Irene O’Brien.
She will also be missed by several nieces and nephews.
Besides her parents she was predeceased by her first husband
Aubrey Whalen, second husband Weldon O’Brien; son Willard
O’Brien; daughter Deborah Steeves; brothers Howard (Doris), Bertram
(Gertrude) (Nettie), Reginald (Doris), and Vaughan Hawkes; sisters,
Lavenia Knowlton (Elmo) and Madeline Steeves (Austin);
brothers-in-law, Melvin Knowlton and Clark Nelson.
She will be resting at the Albert County Funeral Home with
visitation on Wednesday from 6-9pm. The funeral service will be held
at the Albert County Funeral Home on Thursday, May 16, 2019 at 2:00pm
with Pastor Paul Steeves and Barbara Haire officiating. Interment will
be in the Mountain View Cemetery, Lower Cape, NB.
Donations to the Mountain View Cemetery or Hillsborough
Legion Branch #32 (Ladies Auxiliary) would be greatly
appreciated.
Arrangements are in the care of the Albert County Funeral
Home, 4130 Route 114, Hopewell Cape, NB, E4H-3K2 734-2780
www.albertcountyfh.com
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Bessie Myrtle O’Brien 19302019..
Death notice for the town of: Hopewell Cape, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick