July 28, 1924 - March 23, 2021
Mildred Sinclair (nee Haskell) was born on July 28, 1924, at the hospital in Islay, AB, and passed away March 23, 2021 at Stettler, AB. She was the ninth of eleven children born to Christen Haskell (Hassinggard) and Dorthea Neilsen and the last surviving member.
Mildred was raised on the family farm at Dewberry, a home "filled with music and lots of activities." At age four, Mildred was back in the Islay Hospital from August of 1928 to April of 1929 due to appendicitis. She received all her education at Riverton School and enjoyed attending Sunday School, family picnic suppers, dips at the swimming hole, Christmas Concerts, the Greenlawn Oldtimers Picnic, the Vermilion Fair and dances at the Dewberry Orange Hall. Mildred quit school at the start of World War II, and moved to Vermilion to work for a family as "a hired girl", she was just fifteen...
It was in the Riverton District she would meet her future husband, Cecil Sinclair. They were married in November of 1942 and started out with a raw quarter. They moved a house on and built a barn, "all set to make our first million."
Due to the botched surgery on her appendix, Mildred could not bear children. They adopted Jerry in 1947 and Leotta in 1949. As the family grew, in 1951 they bought a half section in the Tring District. "We always had a lot of chores, milked cows, slopped pigs, raised chickens and sold many fryers." Mildred was community minded and belonged to the Farm Women's Union of Alberta and played an active part in the Home and School Association.
In November of 1964, they sold the farm and moved to Lloydminster. Mildred ran the lunch counter at Woolworth's and worked retail at McLeod's and The Bay. It was during this time they also leased and bought places at Paradise Hill, SK, prior to returning to Lloydminster in the early 70's. Retirement brought moves to Red Deer in the '90's to be closer to family and eventually to Stettler in the spring of 2001.
Mildred always had cookies in the jar and some candy in the dish for the grand and great-grandkids. She was an excellent cook, no one went away hungry and she was a heck of a seamstress.
Mildred and Cecil loved baseball and rodeo; following Leotta to tournaments and Jerry to rodeos across Western Canada. They loved to travel and camp, with both a motorhome and a conversion van they used for many fishing trips to places like Ministikwan and Pierce Lake. Mildred and Cecil were always up for visiting and a game of cards.
The TV was usually tuned to baseball or curling and the radio to CFCW. Mildred was the historian of the family and knew the name of every child and who belonged to who. She had an amazing memory and a heart for friends and family.
Mildred was predeceased by her daughter Leotta (2003), husband Cecil (2014) and son Jerry (2020). She is survived by daughter-in-law Lana Sinclair, grandchildren Tana (Kent) Nixon and children Joshua, Brittany (and her children Lydia and Kayden), Ian and Logan; Lee (Heather Getz) Sinclair and children Dakoda, Teal, Cooper; Lana Sinclair (Bob Edelman) and children Jayden, Denver and Austin; Keenan (Shannon) Sinclair and children Chelsea (Nathan Millman) and Kaelin as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other family members and dear friends.
A Funeral Service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Stettler Library or to a charity of the donor's choice. Condolences can be sent to the family at www.stettlerfuneralhome.com
Stettler Funeral Home & Crematorium entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements. 403-7422
Stettler Funeral Home & Crematorium