Dorothy Edna De Groot

Carrying on with her smiling and caring ways are her children, Dan De Groot (Cindy), Ken De Groot (Trudy), Linda Miller (Rick), Gerry De Groot (Susan), Debbie De Groot (Dennis), Lynne Garagan (Doug), 18 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren and sister Kay Creelman in Nova Scotia.

Mum’s life journey started in Nova Scotia in 1923 on October 7, traveling west at the end of WWII to marry her true love and friend Robert De Groot. Throughout her life she has touched the hearts of countless family and friends.

Her last 7 plus years were spent at River East Personal Care Home where she made many friends.

Mum will be missed by all.

Mum will long be remembered for her love of life and family, her ability to find beauty in the simplest things and her contagious sense of humour.

Funeral service will be held at Green Acres Funeral Home on Monday, July 4, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow in Green Acres Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dorothy’s memory to a children’s charity of your choice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will love you forever Grandma,

My Grandma was such a funny, loving, caring person.

I will miss you always.

The things I Love the most about you.

Was when I was growing up going over to your house on weekends.

Grandma you always had things to do and play with.

All the dress up dresses Grandma had were beautiful.

Also picking vegetables was fun too.

Christmas, Easter and special holidays were fun.

Our De Groot family would be together and celebrate.

My Grandma cared about her family and took very good care of her family.

She always had a smile, most of the time, even whentimes were hard.

She was there for all of us.

I will miss you Grandma, you are in my heart, and may the Angels take care of you.

Love from your Granddaughter Donna

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To My Parents:

I cannot walk in your shoes,

But I can stand in them and try to be

where they have taken you.

I cannot know what your ears have heard,

But I can listen to you with mine.

I cannot speak your words.

Only you can do that.

But I can try to find words that you need to hear.

I cannot feel what you hold inside your hearts,

Or see what your eyes see,

But I know what is in my heart for you,

And it will stand in your shoes,

So I can hear you, understand you, and feel with you.

Written with love,

On December 15, 1998

Debbie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, Dorothy, Auntie Dot.

Our mother answered to many names. To each she gave a lifetime of love and commitment.

Our mom began life in Nova Scotia on October 7, 1923. She passed at the age of 87. She did not quite make it to 100 as she told us often she would. Her body was tired and still she stayed lovingly with us as long as she could, but she knew it was time to go. We told her it was okay, she had done her job well and that she would live forever in our hearts. Her passing was peaceful and she was surrounded by those that loved her.

Mom was a lady who said it like it is. She didn’t live with fancy or frills. Her proclaiming “Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, or that’s just the way it is” reminds me always that life is not for worrying, life is for living. Enjoy life, the good times and the bad. Mom understood that after some bad there will always be a lot of good. Mom gave us strength to deal with the day to day living and she made sure we did lots of laughing as we went along.

She knew how to make a great soup out of a little piece of meat and how to add a potato to the pot and make enough so that anyone stopping by could join the family table. She made the best cinnamon buns, a good cup of tea and the worst bologna sandwiches, she spent hours chopping fruit and nuts to make the most delicious fruit cake for her granddaughters’ wedding. She taught me how to put a crust of bread in brown sugar to keep it soft, just last week I passed that trick on to my granddaughter. Mom will live through the generations of our family because of all the simple lessons she taught us.

She loved animals, rejoiced in her children. Always made us feel wanted and loved. She kissed dad passionately before he went to work each day. Took pictures of everything and anything . Cut out and saved every poem or article that caught her fancy in the newspaper. Kept cards, letters, and pictures. Held onto them so that she would never forget a face, an address or words that she felt were moving or inspirational. She couldn’t resist a sick or lost animal, and many lucky pets found a home with us on Springfield Road.

Country life can make for some interesting memories. Our family can share countless stories about mom that have us laughing and crying and feeling so blessed that she was our mom.

Last night we were talking about the morning a friend rode her horse over to see us and we chatted at the door, mom was standing at the kitchen table peeling carrots for the freezer. The horse noticing the carrots pushed past me planting two feet solidly on the kitchen floor and grabbed a carrot. Mom didn’t hesitate to push the horse back outside all the while mumbling,” well, if you show a horse a carrot, he is going to come and get it.” She went back to peeling carrots as though it was just a normal occurrence that horses were eating at her table.

As children, she and dad would load us all into the car and we’d go for a ride. It did not matter where, just somewhere to see something different. She and dad would sing and we would join in and I know that those songs still pop into our heads. I find myself singing some little song like “ Kay cer ra cer ra, whatever will be will be, the futures not ours to see, kay cer ra cer ra.” We would save ourselves many a grey hair if we chose to live by those words. Family spent hours at the care home, walking mom in her wheelchair, singing songs that made us happy just to be together.

Along the way mom would greet friends, give encouragement, pat a hand, share a smile and sometimes a grumble. Chicki chiki or Koutfulldoma became words I often heard used by the staff. I wonder where they learned that? So many of them loved and took such good care of mom.

Simple foods. A cup of tea and a cookie. Corn on the cob, an ice cream cone, pork and beans, baked potatoes, warm homemade bread, pickled beets, and fresh garden vegetables. These were mom’s comfort foods. She especially enjoyed them after a bump bump ride home with Rick.

Mom and dad always had a vegetable garden and even when it was just the two of them and they lived quietly in retirement she would have dad router up the BIG garden and she would lovingly plant her seeds. Planting beans, peas and carrots, she looked forward to the harvest she would bring from the good earth. Then she would spend hours in the hot kitchen making little bags of vegetables which she would instruct dad to put in the already overflowing freezer so “the kids can take some home when they visit.” “Take them, please,” dad would say. “What are we going to do with all these bleep bleeping beans, that woman; I don’t know why she thinks she still has to do this every year.”

Mom was someone who let you know how she felt about something. She was honest and sometimes even you might say she was blunt. She said what had to be said, so that we could learn from it. However, one secret she kept deep in her heart for a very long time, sharing only with our dad.

Two years ago we learned that we had a wonderful sister Lynn. As a young girl, mom had left her behind to be adopted in Nova Scotia. She wanted her to have the life she could not give her. Thanks to Lynn’s searching she and mom were reunited and mom’s heart was released from the yearning it had done for all those years. Though she was not raised with her birth siblings Lynn is so much like all of us. She is a precious part of mom that fits perfectly into our family.

Mom was always full of surprises. You never quite knew what she might try to do. She was spunky, smart, creative, funny and oh so sweet. There will never be another quite like her.

On June 28th, 2011 God’s perfect mold broke and one of earth’s treasures went to be with her beloved husband Bob so they could take Carol’s hand and rest in peace.

Our hearts are heavy but mom weaved a golden thread through our family that gives us the strength we need to endure.

Mom, we will remember and miss you until we are together again.

Thankfully, we rejoice in knowing that you are at peace.

“Love you mom. God bless and nite, nite.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Safely Home

I am home in Heaven, dear ones;

Oh, so happy and so bright!

There is perfect joy and beauty

In this everlasting light.

All the pain and grief is over,

Every restless tossing passed;

I am now at peace forever,

Safely home in Heaven at last.

Did you wonder I so calmy

Trod the valley of the shade?

Oh! but Jesus' love illumined

Every dark ands fearful glade.

And He came Himeself to meet me

In that way so hard to tread;

And with Jesus' arm to lean on,

Could I have one dought or dread?

Then you must not grieve so sorely,

For I love you dearly still:

Try to look beyond earth's shadows,

Pray to trust our Father's Will.

There is work still waiting for you,

So you must not idly stand;

Do it now, while life remaineth-

You shall rest in Jesus' land.

When that work is all completed,

He will gently call you Home;

Oh, the rapture of that meeting,

Oh, the joy to see you come!