Elsie M. Wallace passed away peacefully on February 28th at the age of 102 with her family by her side. She was born September 10, 1912 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
She was predeceased by her husband Leslie and an infant son, her father Reginal J. Woode, her mother Jean (Woode) Sinclair. She was also predeceased by her brothers James and Archie Woode and Lloyd Sinclair and her sister Dorothy Arn and niece Dolores Vantassel.
She is survived by her daughter LaVonne Colussi (Saverio) of Montrose and her son Terry Wallace (Linda) of Vancouver. She leaves her four grandchildren, Cindy Nardi (Tom) of Windsor, California, Bruce Colussi (Pietrina) of Fruitvale. Damian Wallace (Lisa) of Vancouver and Martin Wallace (Shauna) of Vancouver.
Also left to mourn are her sisters Audrey Marcotte of Prince Albert and Lorraine Marcotte of Calgary and her brother Lorne Sinclair (Marge) of Kinistino,and her sister-in-law Bernice Sinclair. She leaves many nieces and nephews in B.C, Alberta and Saskatchewan and her niece Frances Doherty of Montrose.
Elsie came to Trail in 1942 to join Les who was working at C.M.&S. Her first job in 1937 was cooking for a 12 man grain threshing crew. She cooked three big meals a day on a small cook stove in a shack on wheels without running water and received $5.00 a month. She ran a room and board house for single C.M.& S. workers In Trail. Elsie played the piano in a band as a teenager and later in Trail. She also worked in the old Hospital and the present Hospital.
She won first prize for her flower garden from the Village of Montrose at age 85. She loved to do crossword puzzles and read Catherine Cookson novels which she did until her 102nd birthday. Besides Montrose, Elsie lived at Beaver Valley Manor, Rosewood Village and then Poplar Ridge Pavilion at the Trail Hospital where she made her home for the last two years. She was kindly and respectfully looked after by the wonderful staff at P.R.P. and we can’t thank them enough.
The family would like to thank Dr. C. Neil and all the staff at Beaver Valley Clinic for their many years of kindness.
By request there will be no service and cremation has taken place. Interment will take place at the Fruitvale Memorial Cemetery at a later date. Al Grywacheski of Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services™ has been entrusted with arrangements.
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence at the family’s online register at www.myalternatives.ca.