MILLER, Evelyn Ione
Born March 5, 1926, passed away on January 26, 2017 at the age of 90, at the Points West Care Home in Stettler, AB after an eight year battle with Alzheimers disease. Family members left to mourn are her husband Rod of 45 years. Her daughter Donna {Bill} Hayden of Nipawin, Saskatchewan, son Melvin {Sandra} Topp of Garrick, Saskatchewan. Brothers Donald Benson of Bell Plain, Saskatchewan and Gerald {Donna} Benson of St. Albert, Alberta along with grand-children and great grandchildren.
She was born on a farm near Rouleau, Saskatchewan and attended Prairie Lily School. She started her career working at Simpsons Department Store in Regina. In 1944 at the age of 18 she, along with other girls at the store joined the Army {CWAC} and was stationed in Ontario. She was scheduled to be shipped to Europe when VE day was declared. She soon joined the forces for the pacific front, after some more training; she was on the train to the United States to get her malaria shots when the war with Japan was announced as over.
After she was discharged she became a road construction cook, and later a camp cook for the Saskatchewan Department of Natural Resources program of building roads in the north, including the Hanson Lake road to Flin Flon, Manitoba. Working on the Hanson Lake road, she met the camp mechanic and in late 1965 they moved to Terrace, B.C. where they were married. There she worked at a jewelery store and at Bob's Shoes. After a time her husband was transferred to Vancouver Island, first to Campbell River and then to Nanaimo. They then moved to Abbotsford where they retired. But after a devastating home invasion they moved to Big Valley, Alberta and built a new home that she really loved.
Through the years they both became hooked on buying and selling antiques, and both loved to go to garage sales, auction sales, flea markets etc. It was a great pastime for her that kept her busy.
She was a great cook and a great companion to Rod. Sadly her memory started to fail as Alzheimers took complete control of her body. She suffered terribly without even knowing the reason why.
May she watch over her precious collections that are now in the Big Valley Tool Museum for all mankind to see and enjoy.
Memorial donations may be made to the Big Valley Historical Society c/o Stettler Funeral Home, Box 1780, Stettler, AB, T0C 2L0. Sympathies may be forwarded to the family by signing the guestbook at www.stettlerfuneralhome.com.
STETTLER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORIUM
403-742-3422, entrusted with
the care and funeral arrangements.