Tribute

The family of Dorothy Tomlin is saddened to announce her passing on November 30^th, 2021. She passed away peacefully, with family by her side, just two weeks shy of her 102^nd birthday.

Dorothy was born in a farm house in Langenburg, Saskatchewan on Dec. 11^th, 1919, the eldest of five, and spent her youth growing up on the farm during the tough years of the Great Depression. The lessons she learned during those years stayed with her the rest of her life and she never forgot how to stretch a dollar.

She started school late because she had to wait until her younger brother Leo was old enough so they could go together. It was three miles to school and they walked in summer and took a horse and cutter in the winter. Her dad would hook up the horses in the morning and the older boys would unhook them at school, and hook them up again at the end of the day. The one room schools were dotted around the countryside so that no child had to walk more than three miles and every school had a horse barn. Mom and her sister Laura were fortunate to get the job of sweeping the school house at the end of every day, a task for which they were paid the joint sum of $5.00 for the year.

Later on the family moved so they were only one mile from the school. Among mom’s chores before school were milking the cows, putting the milk into the cream separator, and feeding the livestock. The sale of the fresh cream was the family’s only source of cash income until harvest time. It was a work ethic that ran deep, and forever the beneficiaries of that were the people she helped the rest of her life. She felt she was put on earth to help others, and she not only talked the talk but she walked the walk.

In 1937 the struggling family left the prairie dust bowl and moved to Oliver in hopes of finding more opportunity in the fruit industry. After a couple of years the family returned to Saskatchewan, but Dorothy, having met her future husband, stayed. In 1941 she and Fred were married and enjoyed 77 years together before his passing in 2018. In 1943, with Dad in the army and stationed in Halifax, Mom boarded the train with infant son Lorne and made the cross country trip to Nova Scotia and lived there until Dad’s discharge in 1946. In 2016 there was a large celebration for their 75^th wedding anniversary.

After the war they established the farm 3 miles north of Oliver, and that is where Mom was still living until two days before her passing. There they raised four children, enjoyed the visits of grandchildren, great grandchildren and even great-great grandchildren. Family and friends were always welcomed into their home, and were made to feel that way.

Mom was devoutly religious and a bible believer, and read her bible every day. In the earlier years she was a driving force with the Christ the King Catholic church CWL, until changing religious affiliations later in life. Wherever she was she worked hard for the church and supported both spiritual and financial objectives. The buns she made for church bake sales would number in the thousands and it would not be unusual so see her baking buns at midnight because she only had ten dozen ready to go and maybe they could use a few more.

She was a woman of the highest moral standard and lived her life accordingly.

Dorothy was predeceased by her husband Fred, her son Dennis, her granddaughter Lois, and her four siblings Leo, Laura, Rose and Mary.

She is survived by her son Lorne (Kathy), her daughter-in-law Jean, her son Ralph (Michele), her daughter Teresa and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

Cremation has taken place and a celebration of life will he held at a later date, possibly next summer.

Condolences and tributes may be directed to the family by visiting www.nunes-pottinger.com