Jane Fafard

The funeral mass was celebrated in Holy Name of Mary R.C. Church, Broadview on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. by Rev. Tomy Mandapathil. Interment followed in Broadview Cemetery.

Jane Fafard Tribute

During one of our conversations of odd topics, Jane made me promise there would be no eulogy read at her funeral. She said she didn’t want anyone getting up and talking about her and then people wondering if they had been to the funeral of the right person as they were leaving, as eulogies often made the person sound so much better than they really were. After much conversation I managed to get her to agree to a printout about her life to be handed out. SO, let’s call this a tribute not a eulogy.

Margaret Jane Robertson was born near Whitewood on August 6, 1926, to Lexie and Fraser Robertson. She was their second child. Donald was the eldest and then three more daughters to follow: Dorothy (Goldwin Smith), Joan (Don Fockler) and Elizabeth (Robert Courchene). The only sibling left to mourn Jane’s passing is Elizabeth.

Jane, as one of the older siblings, was kept busy with farm and household chores as most children were. She helped look after many elderly relatives and children of relatives. The house was always full of people, so baking was always needed. Sewing was something she took to and enjoyed doing. Her sisters benefited from her natural sewing abilities. She made many garments, from dresses to coats for them, as well as herself and her mother. Many were fashioned from other items of clothing that were no longer current or no longer fit or were received from other relatives or friends. At age 17 she left to go to “Normal”- teacher’s college. She never finished her studies there, as there was a shortage of teachers and so at 17, they decided she was ready to take on a classroom by Wishart, SK. Some of the students weren’t far from her age and many were larger in size. Of course they were all ages, from grade 1 on. She had to be tough, but a few strokes of the strap “whipped” them into shape, and it became a little easier. Of course, in those days the teacher was boarded at a designated house and walked to and from school. She had to be there early enough in the morning to get the stove going to heat the building and write out the lessons on the blackboard - if there was one, and then had to carry whatever was needed to prepare for the next day home and get home before it became dark if possible. After a couple of years, learning that her mother needed surgery, she returned home to help on the farm. She then decided to stay closer to home and applied to teach at Elcapo school. The boarding place was at the house of Alberic and Cecilia Fafard. Alberic had passed on and so the only residents were Cecilia, her son George and daughter Louise. Cecilia didn’t care to speak English, so every day was a lesson in French for the young Scottish Lass. Here she met the love of her life, George Normand Alphe Fafard. Another problem arose, George was Catholic, and she was Presbyterian, oil and water in those days. But another hurdle cleared, and they went off to Winnipeg to visit a cousin of Georges and came back Mr. & Mrs. Fafard on December 28, 1946, and Jane became a very faithful Catholic. In 1948 Denis Gordon (Allan) was born, daughter Alysha (Eric and great-granddaughter Lillian Toots) was born, Robert James born in 1949 (Wendy and children Lowell- [Sherry - children, Jacob and Ryan], Colby (Liane - children Hunter and Madison) Joshua (Michelle - children Gibson and Adda) and Heather Fuller (Mitch); and son #4 Nathan. In 1954 Susan Jane entered the world to everyone’s excitement, girls are a rarity. (Craig Szafron and Zachary (Sydney) and Quin (Tayah). As well as stepchildren - Clayton and Amber.) A few years of peace and along came David George in 1962 (Chris and children Shelby and Dakota) and in 1965 Roger Patrick (Heather - children Devan (Stephanie) and Renae (Joe and newborn Bowyen…. whom she was hoping to see but time did not allow).

With the usual farm wife duties and some teaching, she was kept very busy. The home was always welcoming to anyone, family and friends. Always fresh baking to go with the tea or coffee or maybe a drink of a stronger kind if desired. New Year’s Eve was always a festive time and was still special to her even when it was a glass of wine with family in the nursing home. George and Wilfred would set up the band in the corner of the living room and people would dance around the kitchen, down the hall in the door through the living room and repeat the circle. Neighbors, relatives and friends would all have a large New Year’s Eve supper. Food was served to everyone who came. Dishes had to be washed between settings, which I’m sure Susan remembers. Even when in the nursing home she often said the thing she missed the most was not being able to put the kettle on when she had visitors. Even with all the usual work she found time to teach sewing to 4 H students and work on various committees such as: bringing a library to Broadview, setting up the Seniors Units and of course lots of work for the church. We used to jokingly call her Father Jane as she always had something she had to get done at the church. I also remember Bob taking her secretary book for some organization she belonged to and secretly opening it to the first blank page and writing a Huge NO on the page as he had told her she had enough on her plate, and she should remember to say No to new duties. She chuckled when she opened the book to record the minutes, but I doubt she actually said NO.

After losing George in 1980 life took a definite turn but she never stopped. She stayed strong for her family and kept being involved with a lot of projects. In 1996 she moved to Broadview as one of the units she particularly liked became available, so she decided she had better take it. The Happy Hours Club became another project that she enjoyed even though it was a place for “old people”.

She had a great sense of humor and never minded laughing at herself. She loved to make and eat “French Onion Soup”. It became a joke whenever she ordered it in a restaurant. She’d say it was good but not as good as hers. Truthfully it probably wasn’t, except maybe the time she was making it for Elizabeth and Bob Courchene at the cabin at the lake. As usual, she was very involved in conversation and put the soup in the bowl, put the bread and cheese on top and put it in the oven to melt the cheese. After a few minutes, she realized the bowls were plastic. That soup didn’t measure up, but she took it all in stride and laughed with everyone else. I said she loved to bake and cook and was very good at it even though her nieces, Don and Joan’s girls, often asked if dishes reproduced in the kitchen because there was always so many dirty ones to be washed. She rarely took short cuts in baking, but Josh may remember the pumpkin pie he took a big bite of and found a surprise layer of wax paper under the filling. She had run out of time and purchased a crust and being the first time, she did not realize they were covered with wax paper. I think the look on his face, and hers made everyone’s day. Even though she was a bit embarrassed, she laughed along with us. Caught in a rare moment.

When George passed away in 1980 and I went to work in 1982 she was a Godsend as she helped with her four grandsons, mostly the youngest Nathan. They always knew they could depend on Grandma if anything was needed. Everything from fresh cookies to a bit of conversation and some Grandma-wisdom perhaps. She was as loving a grandmother, as she was a parent. One particular heart stopping moment was when a police car pulled into the yard, the driver got out and opened the back door. Out popped a five-year-old Nathan. I was on the tractor; Bob was at work, and I forgot to make arrangements to pick Nathan up after an activity after school. He knew just what to do. He went across the road to the RCMP explaining that he’d been left at school, and they drove him home. “Did you know there are no door handles on the inside of the back seat of a police car?” was his first announcement upon seeing Grandma. I’m sure it took a while for Grandma Jane’s heart to settle down.

She loved her flowers. She grew many on the farm and moving to town never stopped that love. I can remember loading the back seat and trunk with flowers to take to the fall fair because they were all too beautiful and she couldn’t decide which ones to leave at home. Everything from geraniums and maple plants to pansies. Then of course, there were the jams and baking that had to go too. Many prizes happily accepted even though they were only a dollar or two. She always said if organizations and community projects weren’t supported, there wouldn’t be a community for long.

I could go on and on about different situations as could the rest of the family, but we are hoping you will do that with us today and share things you remember about her. Then I cannot be blamed for writing a eulogy. Eulogy or tribute, she is a person none of us will forget. By friends, relatives, children to the great-grandchildren she will be remembered fondly. Please stay for lunch so we can visit. Please have a glass of her next favorite beverage to tea, a glass of wine and tell us your stories and memories. Nathan will help you with that glass. Make a toast or two. Write down something you remember in the book of remembrance.

Thanks for sharing this day with us. She thanks you too.

Wendy