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James Francis Pleasance, also known as Jim Pleasance was born at La Riviere, MB on March 28rd, 1917. Millie Elsie Wiklund was born at Leney, SK on December 19, 1921. When Elsie was just a few weeks old, Elsie’s parents, Fred and Millie Wiklund, moved from Leney, SK to the Purves, MB area where Elsie’s parents worked as a hired couple for Elsie’s grand parents, David and Christina Scharf. Elsie had many mem ories from the farm. She remembered herself and her brother, Roy, hitching the horse to the wagon to go to school. She remembered her brother, Karl, falling off the wagon and she remembered (at seven years old) the horse kicking her face and being wrapped in a yellow blanket to be carried into the house. Here on after she had to eat and swallow very carefully. Elsie left home at an early age to work and later moved to Winnipeg where she work ed for the T. Eaton Co. Elsie married Jim Pleasance in Winnipeg on February 6th, 1943. Jim worked for the C.P.R. In 1955 Elsie and Jim moved to Vancouver, BC where Jim worked as a paint er and (wall) paper hanger for the Vancouver Hotel. Elsie worked in the bakery depts. of Eaton’s, Woodward's and neighbourhood shops. Jim and Elsie had no children of their own so they enjoyed the efforts of family, friends and brethren in their faith to visit them while they lived and worked in Vancouver. Sometimes the incoming visi tors arrived before the bed sheets had cooled from the outgoing visitors. Elsie and Jim were gracious hosts al ways eager to share a meal, their home and the tourist delights of Vancouver which always included a day at the beach, a dip in the ocean and a picnic lunch at Stanley Park. Visitors to Elsie and Jim’s Vancouver home would re member Elsie’s laughter, fresh fruit and seafood salads, and wallpaper on every wall. In 1983, Jim and Elsie re tired to a quiet seniors orient ed condominium complex in Surrey just three blocks from White Rock, BC. Their very first project was to hang wall paper on every wall. Jim was the professional paper hanger but on this job Elsie told Jim how to do it. They loved White Rock for its beach, parks and seniors friendly amenities. Elsie and Jim travelled as often as possible to Ellens burg, WA so Elsie and her sis ter, Florence, could play scrabble and laugh until the wee hours of the morning while their men (Jim and Harry) did the supper dishes and tried to sleep. They trav elled to Prince George and Kamloops and Ottawa to visit Elsie’s brother (Alvin and family) and sister (Ellen and family) but they looked for ward to their visits to La Riviere and Winnipeg, often considering when they might move back to La Riviere where many of Karl’s and Albert’s families reside. When Jim moved into the personal care home in White Rock, a friend paid Elsie a visit. It was pouring rain out side and a large portion of the building was shrouded in orange tarps. The friend ask ed Elsie if the seniors complex was one of those “leaky con dos”. Elsie promptly set the record straight, “There has been not one “leaky condom” in this building”. Too late, Elsie realized her error and the laughter that followed was memorable for all. Jim had wanted to live his retirement years in White Rock, BC and Elsie honoured this request. Jim died at White Rock on November 11th, 20038. Elsie stayed in the Surrey/White Rock area only long enough to settle their business and make moving arrangements. White Rock was growing and changing and people were concerned for Elsie’s safety. None had rea son to worry, for Elsie - the lady who always wore a skirt, a hat, dress shoes and a smile was armed with a hammer in her purse and a cane, both needed only for self defence and she was not afraid to “handle things her way” should a need arise. On March 10th, 2005, Elsie moved to Rock Lake Personal Care Home at Pilot Mound, MB. When asked “if she want ed or needed anything?” she asked for five or six rolls of wallpaper, a hammer and her cane. She enjoyed the handy van outings and the special one-on-one time with the staff, the volunteers and her PCH family. Elsie passed away peace fully at Rock Lake Personal Care Home with family and staff at her side on July 28, 2008. At Elsie’s request a pri vate gathering for the Rock Lake Personal Care Home staff and residents was held on Friday, August 8th, 2008. Elsie’s ashes will be buried next to Jim’s at the La Riviere Riverside Cemetery at a pri vate family gathering at a later date. Jim and Elsie wanted to be remembered for their hospi tality, laughter, kind gestures and deeds to those in need. Expressions of sympathy may be made in any form that follows their examples. Card of Thanks To the Rock Lake Health District Drs. and staff, thank you for your visits and consul tations and referrals. To the professionals they recom mended, thank you for your help when we needed it. To Smith’s Flowers and Dobson Foods and Pilot Mound Bakery, thank you for the deliveries that made the spe cial occasions memorable. To the family, volunteers and friends who visited regularly, thank you for your loyalty. To the co-residents and their families, thank you for your companionship and friend ship. To Claire and Alison and all of the Rock Lake Personal Care Home caregivers, thank you for being there with Elsie (when the family couldn’t be) during the difficult times. To Fred Graham and Graham’s Funeral Service, thank you for your understanding and efficiency to help us satisfy Elsie’s last requests. For all of the calls, cards and moral support, thank you. From Linda O’Reilly on behalf of Elsie Pleasance’s family KATHLEEN SIMMS December 4, 1909 - July 24, 2008 Kathleen (Kaye) Hatch was born in Birtle, MB to John George and Margaret Lind say Hatch, the 6th child in a family of 8. She loved the Birdtail Valley, taking to Grade XI there, earning extra money by working in a pho tographer’s dark room, and pumping the organ for silent movies. After Normal School in Winnipeg, Kaye began a long teaching career, first at Russell where she met and married Wilfred Thomas Simms, then the 5 years Wilf spent overseas 1941 - 1945, and lastly at Bell, Arbroath, Treherne and Rathwell Schools. Wilf and Kaye re tired from Treherne to Killar ney in 1972, and following Wilf’s death in 1984, Kaye moved to Manitou to be near her daughter and family be cause of failing eyesight. Kaye enjoyed friends and family, knitting to cover coat hangers, and talking books from C.N.I.B. Kaye was pre deceased by her husband Wilf, son-in-law Kelvin Wall craft, and all her brothers and sisters. She is survived by daughter Wilma Wallcraft of Manitou, son Steve Simms of Edmonton, 5 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren, plus many nieces and neph ews. The funeral service for Kathleen Simms was held in St. John the Baptist Anglican Church, Manitou on July 29, 2008 by Rev. Alvin Jacobs with burial following at Kil larney Cemetery. Card of Thanks We, the family of Kathleen Simms, are so grateful for the support shown to us since her death at Pembina Manitou Health Center. She enjoyed 19 years at the Kinsmen Haven and we all appreciated the friendships formed there. Her last 2 years were spent at P.M.H.C. where she received special care due to vision loss and use of oxygen. Although she could not participate in many activities, she appreci ated, as did we, all the T.L.C. she received. We truly appreciate the gifts of food, flowers (a special “Mum” from Edith Street friends), visits, cards and phone calls and the donations in Mum’s memory to C.N.I.B. because of her love of the talking books. This is a very caring com munity and Mum was proud and happy to spend her last years here. Wilma, Larry and Kathy Wallcraft Steve Simms and Family Edmonton JAMES FRANCIS PLEASANCE “Jim” 1917 - 2008 MILLIE ELSIE PLEASANCE “Hisie” 1921 - 2008
Newspaper Details
Manitou Western Canadian
Manitou, Manitoba, CA
Tue, Aug 19, 2008
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Ron W.
CA 28 Jan 2026
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