Obituary for Meryl Kathleen Fraser
Peacefully on Monday, December 13, 2022 at her Hillcrest Personal Care Home, Meryl Kathleen Fraser, with family at her side, went to celebrate her approaching birthday with her precious loved ones who have gone on before. “Meryly Pearly” was born December 14, 1957. She dearly loved her birthday celebrations and always planned well in advance to do it right.
As a child, Meryl attended school in Brandon at the Lion’s School, Sacred Heart and George Fitton Schools. While attending school, Meryl had the opportunity to board in a variety of Brandon homes —- she was consistently welcomed into their families and treated as one of their own. Meryl continued to stay in touch with those families for many years …. even being a bridesmaid for one of her dear “boarding room sisters", Holly Nelson. All of these families enriched Meryl’s life and left deep impressions on her. All of them brought joy and friendship. Several families taught Meryl to love God and she carried that passion throughout her life.
Meryl’s Mom, Grandma Fraser, was also an eternal source of love and instruction. Some Doctors told her Mom that Meryl would not be capable of reading, writing or living independently. Boy! Were they wrong!! Meryl learned to read quite well including the Bible and other stories. She spent many Saturday evenings writing out Bible versus for church the next AM. She could print slowly and methodically. For signing cards and cheques, she even used “cursive writing” for her name. Oh and Yes …Meryl wrote MANY cheques once she got the hang of that … Weekly she wrote a cheque to her church, to stores like “Woolco” and Safeway. She loved to buy gifts for family and friends. The clerks got to know her and waited patiently as she wrote her cheque.
Meryl regularly bought her own bus pass each month but ….she preferred ordering a cab grandma Fraser set her up with a charge account so that she could ride in comfort ….IF she was running late or it was stormy.
Needless to say, the account was well used because Meryl liked to sleep in and the cab got her to work quicker. Her Boss at Central Park Lodge, Donna Hamm called our Family one day to say that she had watched Meryl get out of her cab at the bus stop across the street & walk the rest of the way. She didn’t want anyone tattling to Mom that she had cabbed it, but Donna thought it was too cute not to share. Grandma Fraser encouraged Meryl’s independence in every way & showed Meryl that she had confidence in her ability to do things for herself.
After her school years, Meryl worked or volunteered at several locations including Venice House Restaurant, Fairview Home and Central Park Lodge Meryl cheerfully delivered the residents’ laundry to their rooms or transported them to and from the Hair Salon.
Grandma Fraser also taught Meryl to embroider; she would draw a pattern on a dish towel for Meryl to embroider and give as gifts at Christmas; her sisters still make use of some of them. Meryl also learned to hook rugs- she made a small rug for Marilyn with a butterfly on it because she knew how much she loved them.
Meryl was an active participant in the Special Olympics and regularly played in their Bowling Leagues. Many trophies adorned her display case especially for Most Sportsmanly Player and Most Improved Female Bowler. Meryl enjoyed companionship with her Beloved Heavy Evason, Roz, Keith and Arlene. Meryl would often call her family with delight to announce that she “Beat her Average score”.
Meryl loved to travel—she was nervous at first to fly but soon she came to love trips to Florida with family, trips to Calgary to see Marilyn, Rick and their dogs: Honey, Molly and Magoo For several years she made an annual trek to Regina aboard the Greyhound Bus to visit “her boarding sister” Holly and her family.
Meryl was a devoted Wheat King fan & a Season Ticket holder for many years. She could often be seen dancing & cheering during the music interludes. It was a toss-up whether she enjoyed the game or the canteen treats more. French fries with ketchup was a favorite ...well, to be honest.... anything with ketchup was a favorite
Singing & having fellowship with her church family at Bethel Christian Assembly were important components of Meryl’s life. Until recently Meryl LED the afternoon sing-song in singing “Jesus Loves Me” at Hillcrest Personal Care Home.
Meryl had 2 apartments in Brandon after completing school. She lived for several years in Richmond Oaks sharing her suite with young women who would oversee the daily routine. She enjoyed the companionship of many young women including Karin Boss and later Karin’s sister, Ingrid.
Meryl would come and go independently. Her room mates would do their best to keep tabs on her. Later, Meryl moved to a suite in the Towers where she enjoyed having tea with Forrest friends Betty Burton and the Gilmours. They all tried to watch out for her but she was an independent soul and was always on the go!!
Meryl kept her apartment tidy and organized at all times. Everything was in its place . Her favorite pastimes were watching game shows and phoning friends. WE are sure she had a full list of numbers to call each week. She had a remarkable memory for phone numbers and birthdays and she loved to call friends on their special days. If they weren’t home, NO worries...she would leave a detailed message with all the info including her full name and reason for call. She filled many a voice mail box.
For a few years, she enjoyed the companionship of her bowling and Wheat King Friend Merlin. The 2 of them made many trips to the Keystone Centre, Thunderbird Bowl, Chicken Delight and McDonalds… often by taxi. Meryl loved to offer her friends a ride so they could all make it on time!
Meryl had a great sense of humour! She loved to tease & be teased by her friends & family. She had quick wit and never missed a chance to tease her brothers-in-law, niece, and nephews! She had many favorite phrases like “Give me a break” or “Hey Now… I heard that!!
Meryl was a social butterfly by all accounts. Her regular visits to places such as Brandon Clinic took many hours as she wandered from station to station catching up with her favorite staff.
She delighted in Musical Shows at the WMCA especially for Tommy Hunter & the Irish Rovers. One night after waiting what seemed like an extraordinary length of time for Meryl to come out of the WMCA, her mom asked:”What in the world took you so long?” Meryl casually replied, “Oh... I was just visiting with Tommy” and held up her autographed photo.
Meryl was a careful and methodical packer. If she was spending the weekend with Our family, she would very carefully chose just the right outfit for every day and ALWAYS had the matching jewelry for each ensemble. Meryl was an avid player of games. When she packed for an overnight she always packed a game too. Her favorites were TROUBLE and SORRY but she also loved card games. She did want to win but was a cheerful loser.
When Grandma Fraser was in Fairview Home, Meryl often went to play Crokanole & they had some pretty good matches. Meryl would try to keep her disc in play even if she missed hitting one of Grandma’s, but ….even at age 97 Mom wasn’t letting her away with that saying “That one needs to come OFF"…much to Meryl’s dismay.
We will miss Meryl but… today we celebrate a life well lived, a life enjoyed and a life that gave much joy to many lives.
She was predeceased by her loving parents: Cam and Iowna Fraser of Justice, and brother in law, Rick Barry of Calgary; she is survived and will be lovingly remembered by: sisters Marilyn Barry, Judy (Doug) Marvin; niece Kristy (Mark) Agnew; nephews: Derek (Britt Hilton) Marvin; Jeremy (Kellie) Marvin; great nieces: Mila and Elliott Agnew; great nephews Beau and Benji Hilton Marvin and a host of extended family as well as special friends who crossed her path over the years.
The Celebration of Meryl’s Life will take place at Memories Chapel, 330-18th Street North on Monday, December 19, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. with Pastor Glenn Paddock officiating. A private interment will take place at Sparling Cemetery at a later date.
Flowers are gratefully declined. Donations in memory of Meryl may be made to a charity that was very important to her cherished family: The Forrest Special Projects Group, Inc., c/o Corynne Hutton, Box 156, Forrest, Manitoba, R0K 0W0 or etransfer to forrestspecialprojects@gmail.com.
As a child, Meryl attended school in Brandon at the Lion’s School, Sacred Heart and George Fitton Schools. While attending school, Meryl had the opportunity to board in a variety of Brandon homes —- she was consistently welcomed into their families and treated as one of their own. Meryl continued to stay in touch with those families for many years …. even being a bridesmaid for one of her dear “boarding room sisters", Holly Nelson. All of these families enriched Meryl’s life and left deep impressions on her. All of them brought joy and friendship. Several families taught Meryl to love God and she carried that passion throughout her life.
Meryl’s Mom, Grandma Fraser, was also an eternal source of love and instruction. Some Doctors told her Mom that Meryl would not be capable of reading, writing or living independently. Boy! Were they wrong!! Meryl learned to read quite well including the Bible and other stories. She spent many Saturday evenings writing out Bible versus for church the next AM. She could print slowly and methodically. For signing cards and cheques, she even used “cursive writing” for her name. Oh and Yes …Meryl wrote MANY cheques once she got the hang of that … Weekly she wrote a cheque to her church, to stores like “Woolco” and Safeway. She loved to buy gifts for family and friends. The clerks got to know her and waited patiently as she wrote her cheque.
Meryl regularly bought her own bus pass each month but ….she preferred ordering a cab grandma Fraser set her up with a charge account so that she could ride in comfort ….IF she was running late or it was stormy.
Needless to say, the account was well used because Meryl liked to sleep in and the cab got her to work quicker. Her Boss at Central Park Lodge, Donna Hamm called our Family one day to say that she had watched Meryl get out of her cab at the bus stop across the street & walk the rest of the way. She didn’t want anyone tattling to Mom that she had cabbed it, but Donna thought it was too cute not to share. Grandma Fraser encouraged Meryl’s independence in every way & showed Meryl that she had confidence in her ability to do things for herself.
After her school years, Meryl worked or volunteered at several locations including Venice House Restaurant, Fairview Home and Central Park Lodge Meryl cheerfully delivered the residents’ laundry to their rooms or transported them to and from the Hair Salon.
Grandma Fraser also taught Meryl to embroider; she would draw a pattern on a dish towel for Meryl to embroider and give as gifts at Christmas; her sisters still make use of some of them. Meryl also learned to hook rugs- she made a small rug for Marilyn with a butterfly on it because she knew how much she loved them.
Meryl was an active participant in the Special Olympics and regularly played in their Bowling Leagues. Many trophies adorned her display case especially for Most Sportsmanly Player and Most Improved Female Bowler. Meryl enjoyed companionship with her Beloved Heavy Evason, Roz, Keith and Arlene. Meryl would often call her family with delight to announce that she “Beat her Average score”.
Meryl loved to travel—she was nervous at first to fly but soon she came to love trips to Florida with family, trips to Calgary to see Marilyn, Rick and their dogs: Honey, Molly and Magoo For several years she made an annual trek to Regina aboard the Greyhound Bus to visit “her boarding sister” Holly and her family.
Meryl was a devoted Wheat King fan & a Season Ticket holder for many years. She could often be seen dancing & cheering during the music interludes. It was a toss-up whether she enjoyed the game or the canteen treats more. French fries with ketchup was a favorite ...well, to be honest.... anything with ketchup was a favorite
Singing & having fellowship with her church family at Bethel Christian Assembly were important components of Meryl’s life. Until recently Meryl LED the afternoon sing-song in singing “Jesus Loves Me” at Hillcrest Personal Care Home.
Meryl had 2 apartments in Brandon after completing school. She lived for several years in Richmond Oaks sharing her suite with young women who would oversee the daily routine. She enjoyed the companionship of many young women including Karin Boss and later Karin’s sister, Ingrid.
Meryl would come and go independently. Her room mates would do their best to keep tabs on her. Later, Meryl moved to a suite in the Towers where she enjoyed having tea with Forrest friends Betty Burton and the Gilmours. They all tried to watch out for her but she was an independent soul and was always on the go!!
Meryl kept her apartment tidy and organized at all times. Everything was in its place . Her favorite pastimes were watching game shows and phoning friends. WE are sure she had a full list of numbers to call each week. She had a remarkable memory for phone numbers and birthdays and she loved to call friends on their special days. If they weren’t home, NO worries...she would leave a detailed message with all the info including her full name and reason for call. She filled many a voice mail box.
For a few years, she enjoyed the companionship of her bowling and Wheat King Friend Merlin. The 2 of them made many trips to the Keystone Centre, Thunderbird Bowl, Chicken Delight and McDonalds… often by taxi. Meryl loved to offer her friends a ride so they could all make it on time!
Meryl had a great sense of humour! She loved to tease & be teased by her friends & family. She had quick wit and never missed a chance to tease her brothers-in-law, niece, and nephews! She had many favorite phrases like “Give me a break” or “Hey Now… I heard that!!
Meryl was a social butterfly by all accounts. Her regular visits to places such as Brandon Clinic took many hours as she wandered from station to station catching up with her favorite staff.
She delighted in Musical Shows at the WMCA especially for Tommy Hunter & the Irish Rovers. One night after waiting what seemed like an extraordinary length of time for Meryl to come out of the WMCA, her mom asked:”What in the world took you so long?” Meryl casually replied, “Oh... I was just visiting with Tommy” and held up her autographed photo.
Meryl was a careful and methodical packer. If she was spending the weekend with Our family, she would very carefully chose just the right outfit for every day and ALWAYS had the matching jewelry for each ensemble. Meryl was an avid player of games. When she packed for an overnight she always packed a game too. Her favorites were TROUBLE and SORRY but she also loved card games. She did want to win but was a cheerful loser.
When Grandma Fraser was in Fairview Home, Meryl often went to play Crokanole & they had some pretty good matches. Meryl would try to keep her disc in play even if she missed hitting one of Grandma’s, but ….even at age 97 Mom wasn’t letting her away with that saying “That one needs to come OFF"…much to Meryl’s dismay.
We will miss Meryl but… today we celebrate a life well lived, a life enjoyed and a life that gave much joy to many lives.
She was predeceased by her loving parents: Cam and Iowna Fraser of Justice, and brother in law, Rick Barry of Calgary; she is survived and will be lovingly remembered by: sisters Marilyn Barry, Judy (Doug) Marvin; niece Kristy (Mark) Agnew; nephews: Derek (Britt Hilton) Marvin; Jeremy (Kellie) Marvin; great nieces: Mila and Elliott Agnew; great nephews Beau and Benji Hilton Marvin and a host of extended family as well as special friends who crossed her path over the years.
The Celebration of Meryl’s Life will take place at Memories Chapel, 330-18th Street North on Monday, December 19, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. with Pastor Glenn Paddock officiating. A private interment will take place at Sparling Cemetery at a later date.
Flowers are gratefully declined. Donations in memory of Meryl may be made to a charity that was very important to her cherished family: The Forrest Special Projects Group, Inc., c/o Corynne Hutton, Box 156, Forrest, Manitoba, R0K 0W0 or etransfer to forrestspecialprojects@gmail.com.