Obituary For Elsie Iona Thomas
Elsie Iona Thomas, resident of Grande Prairie, AB, passed away on Friday, April 2, 2021, at Prairie Lake Hospice, at the age of 84 years.
Elsie was born in Spirit River, AB, on August 16, 1936, the 2nd of 7 children for Harry and Vera Thomas. She attended school in White Mountain and then continued her studies in Calgary, AB, and graduated as a Certified Nursing Aide in 1957 with honours. Her nursing career spanned 50 years, and during that time, she continued upgrading, always trying to expand her knowledge so she could give the best care to every patient. She worked in many hospitals in British Columbia and Alberta: Spirit River, Claresholm, Edmonton, Chetwynd and Grande Prairie, to name a few. Early in her career while working at the hospital in Grande Prairie, she met her future husband Peder Loberg. Together they had five children: Everett, Elaine, Norine, Carl and Kelvin. She was an amazing woman, working while raising her family. She always put their needs before hers, a truly selfless person.
In 1967/1968, the family moved to a lumber camp near Finley Forks, B.C. They lived in a house with no power or running water. Elsie became the teacher for her three older children, while her youngest son, Kelvin was just a toddler. She would wash the clothes by hand in a large round tub and then hand them out to dry. It was an adventure for her children but hard work for Elsie.
She had large gardens with lots of fruits and veggies, which she canned. If you ever misbehaved, your punishment was weeding the garden! Her children all spent many hours weeding. As a family, they would often spend their summer hours picking berries and fishing. Once again, Elsie canned these, ensuring her family always had nutritious meals.
Elsie was a gifted cook and baker and had many recipe creations of her own. Everyone knew that whether she was at home or out camping, a visit always guaranteed you a meal, finished off with dessert. She always had an ice cream bucket or two filled with cookies for “snacks.”
She loved music, especially country music. Elvis Presley, Geoge Jones and Charlie Pride to name a few. She listened to it wherever she went, whether she was camping, fishing in the boat or cleaning house. She videoed a trip that Ted and her took from Grande Prairie to Vancouver one year and in the background you could hear her music playing.
She was multi-talented but always so humble when someone complimented her. She made her girls some nightgowns, which was no small feat considering she didn’t have a pattern, yet somehow, they all fit perfectly. She did all of this on a treadle sewing machine. She taught her daughters to sew on the same machine, a hobby that they still continue to enjoy.
In 1989, Elsie met an old friend, Ted McInnis at a family event. Soon after, she moved back to Grande Prairie, and the rest as they say, is history. She loved the outdoors, and together, Ted and her spent many hours camping, fishing, boating, quadding, sledding and bicycling. They would pack up their tents and food, cycling and camping all around the Grande Prairie area, and even as far as Dawson Creek, BC. They loved to camp off the beaten track, often with no cellphone coverage. As they got older, this became a concern for her children, particularly after one time they were cut off from civilization after a rainstorm washed out the forestry road they had used. Luckily, they were located and given a ride out by a local forestry company helicopter.
Sometime shortly after that, Don purchased property south of Grande Prairie and convinced his dad and mom to “camp” there. Soon, that became the go-to place for the whole family. Many hours were spent swimming in the pond, quadding or sledding in the area, and oh yes, Elsie had a garden out there too.
In 2005, the Municipal District of Greenview had a contest, looking for a design to represent the District. Elsie entered this contest, and out of 30 or more entries, she was the successful entry. She was presented with a cash prize and flag for her efforts.
Elsie was the family photographer and historian, She enjoyed capturing ‘the moment’. No one was safe when she had her camera or phone around. She made a photo album for each grandchild capturing all the special times over the years, each uniquely crafted to ensure that every grandchild knew how special they were to her. She was proud of her family history, keeping her children up to date on the latest family events. She regularly communicated with cousins from all across North America, sharing family tree information with all of us, ensuring the family history was passed on to each generation.
Elsie loved animals of all kinds. Horses, dogs, cats, and squirrels were among her favourites. She would often tell her family about her favourite horse, Nancy, who she would ride to school on. In recent years, there was a dog, Ginger who “adopted” Elsie. They were inseparable. She took her everywhere, boating, quadding, etc. When Elsie became ill, Ginger would lay on the pillow beside Elsie’s head, her constant companion.
She was an exemplary mother and grandmother. Hardworking, humble, compassionate, and kind. The memories of her warm heart and selfless deeds will forever be in the hearts of those who love her. Her family wishes to thank her for the wonderful legacy she left for them and will try to honour this for the rest of their lives.
Elsie is now resting in the arms of God, in a garden surrounded by her favourite red roses, and reunited with her children Carl and Kelvin, and the family she loved so much.
Elsie will be dearly missed by her partner/husband Ted McInnis, children: Everett, Don, Elaine (Gary) and Norine(Jack); grandchildren: Melissa(Troy), Gary Jr. (Rachel), Adam (Dana), Carlyn (Kelly), Andrea, Michelle (Todd) and Teanna; great-grandchildren, Everley, Kanen, Addison, Forrest, Ashton and Bentley, brothers Orville, Roy (Lynn) and Ken (Sherry), brothers-in-law: Allen and Calvin, sisters-in-law Jean, Nora, Linda, Shirley and Carole as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was predeceased by her sons Carl and Kelvin; great-grandson Daemon; parents Harry and Vera; brother Gordon; sisters Bernice and Leona; brothers in-law: Dan, Ben, Art, Sandy, Eric, Jack and Arvid; and sister in-law Judi.
A joint Celebration of Life for Ted McInnis and Elsie Thomas will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at 3:00pm, at The Pond south of Grande Prairie. Luncheon to follow. Please bring a lawn chair.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Elsie Iona Thomas August 16 1936 April 02 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Grande-Prairie, Province: Alberta