OBITUARIES
Grace Gudrun Nunn
1923 – 2020
Grace was born October 15, 1923 in Lundar, Manitoba. Her parents Jon and Gudlang Halldorson (nee Finnbogason) were born in Iceland and had immigrated to Saskatchewan where they met and married. Grace was the second youngest of ten children and was raised in Lundar where her father was a fisherman and her mother cared for their family. They all worked hard and learned to live well with what little they had.
When Grace was 12 years old, the day after she was confirmed in Lundar, her family moved to Winnipeg and lived in the Broadway Avenue area for years. Grace graduated from Gordon Bell High School. She was an avid baseball player and enjoyed listening to radio shows with her family. With her weekly allowance Grace saved a nickel to see a movie. She rode the bus every week to St. Boniface and spent the night with her sister Olivia helping her with her nephew and niece George and Nancy. And when she was finally allowed, Grace would take the train with her friends to Winnipeg Beach to go dancing on Saturday nights. Grace became a secretary and stenographer, working full time and helping her family kept her busy during and after WW2.
Grace met Archie and they were married in Winnipeg at the First Lutheran Church on October 8, 1950. They enjoyed years of travelling on long road trips to the US, and raising and showing their two prize winning beagles, Pixie and Taffy. During these years, Grace and Archie built a new home in Windsor Park. It was here after years of wanting to start a family, they were ready to adopt a child when Grace and Archie were blessed with two children. January 9, 1961 their daughter Cynthia was born and soon after on February 3, 1962 their son Randall was born.
In 1967 the family moved to St. James to another home that Archie helped build. It was here they raised their children and kept busy with family and friends.
Grace was a loving mother and wife, always working hard to provide a comfortable home and wonderful home cooked meals. She enjoyed baking, and at Christmas created dozens of shortbread cookies, vienetartas, mincemeat and butter tarts for her family and friends. And of course, blueberry pies were a favorite every summer. Many jars of pickles, jams and jellies were canned often using ingredients from her garden or gathered from berry picking excursions.
Grace started working from home when the children were younger, typing for her clients in the evenings. Eventually she returned to part-time then full-time work for Canadian General Electric. Grace loved the people, took great pride in the work she did and of course the company itself. It was understood she would only have GE appliances in her home. The original 1970‘s spacemaker microwave and coffee maker live on today.
Grace and Archie were very involved in youth soccer and they helped organize and support the growth of the sport throughout Manitoba. She attended Randy‘s soccer games in all kinds of weather, bringing the cut up oranges when it was her turn. And at the end of every season, Grace loved dressing up in the gowns of the day and attending award ceremonies and banquets with Archie.
They also enjoyed visiting her sister Olivia and her family at their cottage at Brereton Lake. Once again, Archie got the itch to build and he decided his family needed their own place, so he built a cottage down the road. Many memorable summers were spent at Blk 9, Lot 23 Brereton Lake, MB.
Grace was lucky to have two months off every year and spent the entire summer vacation at the cottage with her children. She met her lifelong friend Catherine Shearer and together they enjoyed years of afternoons sitting on the dock watching over their kids swimming on warm summer days. Evenings and rainy days were spent playing games like scrabble and card games. Archie would be with them every weekend and holidays, and together they enjoyed their family, friends and lake life.
March 30, 1981 Archie suddenly passed away. Grace‘s faith and love for her family were an important part of her life and she persevered. She was a loving Amma for her grand daughter Jennifer, they shared many times together, and Amma made sure she went to Sunday school. Grace also moved to her own cottage at Inverness Falls, Brereton Lake and more summers were spent there. When her grand daughter Alison was born, she enjoyed time with both girls. She tried to cultivate a love of live theatre and symphony music in her granddaughters. Grace also loved her clothes, and frequent shopping trips were enjoyed with them all coming home with some new great find. And when her daughter Cyndy attended nursing school, she supported her helping in so many ways always believing in the importance of an education for her.
Grace had moved to 20 Fort Street, and it was here she met Laurie. He had moved in down the hall, and with their shared faith in God, and a little help from her baking their friendship grew, and they fell in love. Grace married Reverend Canon Laurence F. Wilmot January 23, 1995 in St. John‘s College Chapel. They enjoyed sharing their lives and spending time together and were fortunate to cruise in the Mediterranean and Alaska, and later years winter breaks in Victoria, BC. Summers were enjoyed with Laurie and her grandchildren at a family cottage in Pickerel Lake, ON.
December 13, 2003 Laurie passed away and Grace was once again a widow. She kept busy volunteering at the HSC Gift Shop, and became a founding member of the Whie Cross Guild Thrift store Just Like New To You on Portage Ave. Grace spent many days volunteering there and was proud of their efforts raising tens of thousands of dollars for patient care. She also enjoyed playing bridge and belonged to many bridge clubs over the years.
And Grace still loved to cruise. She especially loved traveling with a group led by her friend Henry Dellapenta and his wife Jo. As she was starting to have some difficulty with her vision and mobility, Grace invited her family to cruise with her, so she had companions and assistance. Cyndy, Jennifer and Alison have wonderful memories with her floating through the Caribbean and around Hawaii.
Grace‘s life was again blessed when she became a Lang Amma. She found joy in seeing her family grow, their love of life they learned from her and the deep care they have for her and each other are her legacy. Her love and presence was precious and she will be missed.
On Good Friday, April 10, 2020 after a brief illness Grace passed away in her home.
She will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by her daughter Cyndy Shaw (Jay Puff), Randall Nunn, Jennifer Wirt (Jeff) Kaitlyn and Kyle Wirt, Alison Shaw and Alexander Shaw.
A family Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, April 16, 2020 at Bardal Funeral Home, Pastor Michael Kurtz officiating.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, attendance at this funeral will be restricted to private family. This service will be live streamed via Facebook Live at facebook.com/bardalfuneralhome/
Please visit the Bardal Funeral Home Facebook site a few minutes prior to the service to view the stream.
According to her wishes, Grace will be cremated then buried Friday, April 17th at Chapel Lawn Cemetery beside her beloved Archie with her family by her side.
Good Night Amma
góða nótt
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Grace Gudrun Nunn 1923 2020..
Bardal Funeral Home and Crematorium
Death notice for the town of: Winnipeg, Province: Manitoba