Tribute

In the early morning hours of August 10, 2019, the laugh that turned so many heads and instantly identified Elsie Mauws was silenced. She was an extremely kind and generous person, but let there be no doubt: it’s that incredible laugh that many will miss the most.

Elsie was the only child of Yvonne and Remi Rigaux. Her earliest years were spent on a farm near Mariapolis, Manitoba, but she grew up in Winnipeg where she attended Holy Cross School. There she met Janet Kapelus (St. Germaine) who would be her best friend until geography eventually separated them in their 20s.

In 1960, Elsie married Larry Mauws, with whom she had two children, Susan and Michael. Shortly after Susan’s birth, the family moved to Portage la Prairie, MB where Larry had secured a job with Case Power & Equipment. It was there that Elsie would spend most of her adult life.

One of the best decisions Elsie and Larry ever made was buying a house on Yellowquill Drive. It was a dead-end street with many young families, many with children the same age as theirs. They quickly became friends with Marg & Garry Cobbe, Jeannie & Bob Demman, Betty & Jack Ediger, and Cathy & Bob Francois. Through them and other neighbours, they met many other people that would become close friends.

Life on Yellowquill Drive included countless get-togethers both large and small. When the group was large and the hour late, the result was almost always a singalong with Elsie taking the lead on piano. Many songs were sung (often badly) and, most importantly, many laughs were had together. Those were magical moments for her, her children, and everyone else that was there.

For work, Elsie spent many years assisting Larry in his entrepreneurial efforts. Larry may have had the ideas for new business, but it was Elsie’s organizational talents that kept them running. That said, in her eyes, her most important job was raising her children. She was always shuttling them from one activity to the next, cheering them on in everything they did, and supporting them any way she could. She was then and would always be the very best mother her children could have hoped for.

During those early years in Portage, Elsie had the good fortune to meet Pat Mutala. She and Pat quickly became inseparable friends. So close, in fact, that Pat and her family eventually ended up moving to Yellowquill Drive. The two of them travelled together, shared meals together, and looked for any other excuse they could find to get together. One of those reasons was their weekly “stitch and bitch” club, whose other regular members were Eva Shewchuk and Dawn Crabtree. For many years, its meetings were a consistent highlight in Elsie’s weekly calendar. Sadly, Pat’s life ended prematurely in 1997 and, despite making many new friends, Elsie never found anyone to take Pat’s place in her life.

In the mid-1990s, Elsie and Larry started easing into retirement by building a home in Cartier, MB. They loved their home and its location on the Assiniboine River. But after living there a few years, what they loved most about it was their new neighbours, especially Rose & Albert Overwater and Laurie Mitchel, with whom they shared many drinks, laughs, and adventures. It was also during this time that their first grandson, Christopher, was born. And with him just a short drive away in Winnipeg, Elsie was able to see him often.

Elsie was also fond of the friends she made in Arizona in recent years. Friends from Portage lived in and near the park where they lived, but Elsie also made many new friends there with whom she maintained regular contact.

Elsie’s final move came in 2017 when she and Larry followed Susan to Oliver, BC. Her new home was only five doors away from Susan’s, so she savoured the increased time she was able to spend with her daughter. And with Michael driving distance away in Calgary, she was able to see more of him and his two children, Meredith and Gibson. Elsie’s parents lived well into their 90s, so she looked forward to many more years in Oliver sharing her distinctive laugh with family and all the new friends she was making there. Unfortunately, that was not to be.

Surviving and very much missing Elsie are her husband Larry; daughter Susan (Dave) Clubine; son Michael; grandchildren Christopher Clubine, Gibson Mauws, and Meredith Mauws; sister- and brother-in-law Henriette & Elmer Mauws; nephews Ken, Kelly, Dan, and Don Mauws; and her many cousins. She was predeceased by her parents, Yvonne & Remi; her parents-in-law, Alma & Leon Mauws; her sister-in-law Lorraine; and her brother-in-law George. As per Elsie’s wishes, there will not be a funeral service.

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