Helene Booth

(Meisner, Havard)

Our ‘Tough Prairie Girl’ passed away peacefully at home. She was predeceased by her husband George Havard in 1959 and her husband Wilfred Booth in 2007; her son-in-law Kris Ramnawaj in 2018; her siblings (and in-laws): Eddie ( Helen), Martha (Herbie and John), Elsie (Ray), Tillie (Fred), Bill (Tillie), (Elmer), Harry, Carl (Grace), (Irma), Ernie, (Tom), Pete, Richie, Reinie, Raymond and Allie; and by marriage, Jim (May), Hilda (John).

Left to cherish her memory are her children: Shirley (Ray) Adam, Vicki Ramnawaj, Gwen (Lyle) Philpott, Tim Booth, and Darlene Wood; grandchildren: Jay Adam (Lisa) with Noah and Nicolas, Shamilla Ramnawaj (Robin Pelletier) with Teya, Brett Adam (Lindsay Dojack), Sabrina Buffie (Chris) with Elena and Gabriella, Michelle Sirett (Andrew) with Collin and Riley, Michael Philpott (Keralea), Dan O’Brien (Vanessa Swain) with Isabel and Emily, Wynston and Tracy Mat-an; siblings and (in-laws): Lydia, (Helen), Alfred (Rosemary), (Jackie), Myrtle, (Runi), and (Hap); by marriage: Beverly (Fred), Mary-Lou; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Helene was born the seventh child of the seventeen children of Emil and Emma, (nee Gall), Meisner in the family home ten miles NW of Moosehorn, Manitoba. Raised in a large family, on a prairie farm before there was electricity, work was their play as the siblings kibitzed and teased each other, while every chore was completed in the best way possible. Evenings were spent learning to crochet, making rugs from rags and playing one more hand of cards. Her childhood forged her values: Faith, Honesty, Generosity, Frugality, Efficiency, Toughness and Humour – always with a little ‘colour’ to spice up the joke.

When her husband George died in 1959, she had three little girls to raise. Her family stepped in to help her and she went to business school to become a bookkeeper, a job she loved, working for Gerry De Leeuw Construction, Crane Ltd., Wholesale Heating and finally in the reproduction department at Manitoba Hydro. In 1980, she and her husband Wilf began their own business: Booth Appliance, operating it on the same values she learned as a child.

Her family will remember she loved to laugh and she’d yodel in joy as Tim put his fingers in his ears; she loved her garden and she loved to clean (she loved to teach you how to clean); she loved numbers and balanced her cheque book to the penny; a dynamite card player —you could never rest on a big lead because she always won in the end; a fan of all sports —the Blue Jays would have won more games if only they’d called her; she loved her recipes and entertaining and she made every Christmas special; she dressed in style and was a woman of Faith who loved the Lord and her church but most of all she loved her family —a family that included everyone she knew —she wanted the best for every single one of us.

Her own words: I would like to thank Dr. Sharkey for the many years of care, Dr. Bshouty and Nurse Lynne, at HSC Respiratory Clinic, Dr. Rigato and the team at Seven Oaks Kidney Clinic, the Cancer doctors: Dr. Gillespie, Dr. Turner, Dr. Butler and my dentist, Dr. Lau. Special thanks to Brett for taking me in to live with him and to Deacon Kris Taylor and Pastor Chris Bishopp for their spiritual care. I thank my ‘Care’givers: Dominga, Janice, C.J., Zai, Sumaiya, Ainie and Miguela. With all my heart I thank my wonderful family who have loved and cared for me all these years.

If you desire, donations may be made in Helene’s memory to Faith Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 1311 Dakota Street, Winnipeg, MB R2N 1V8, or a food bank of your choice.