Merle Obst of Bengough, SK passed away in the Bengough Health Centre on Sunday, March 21, 2004 at the age of 86 years. A Funeral Service was held at the Knox United Church with Reverend Robin Osborne officiating. Arrangements in care of Ross Funeral Service, Assiniboia, SK. Interment at a later date in the Yellow Grass Cemetery. Donations in memory of Merle can be made to the Bengough Health Centre.

Mom was born, Merle Margaret Elizabeth Ferris on July 11, 1917. She was born at home on the farm at Yellow Grass, SK. Mom only had an older brother, William Earlby. Mom was two and a half when her Mother died and her Father died within the next year. So she never had a chance to known them. Uncle Earl and mom were raised by their Grandma and Grandpa Ferris.

Mom remembered her Aunt Lucy looking after them. She sewed her dresses out of flour sacks. One of her earliest memories was playing on the woodpile with Earl. Another time she remembered Earl locking her in the chicken coop. She tried to crawl through the chicken hole and got stuck. He didn't tell anybody so she stayed there for quite awhile.

Mom enjoyed going to school and told us once that she got a licking for laughing in class. She said, "All the older pupils felt so sorry for her that they cuddled her up." Dad remembers her as a little girl who rode on the wagon with her Uncle Carl and Aunt Lucy to get water from the Obst well.

Mom graduated from grade 12 at 16-years of age. She could have graduated sooner but they held her back because she was too young. She was in a youth group led by Tommy Douglas and thought the world of him.

Mom worked in a grocery store in Yellow Grass after Grade 12. Dad was a good friend of the Renas boys who owned the store. He took a real liking to Mom and eventually she and Dad began a two-year courtship. They were married on February 7th of 1940 in a small, simple wedding ceremony. Dad says Mom's wedding ring cost $15.00. They had $25.00 to spend on a three-day honeymoon in Regina. Dad often told us the story about eating at the Hotel Saskatchewan. When it came time for dessert Mom ordered prunes, of all things! Dad was horrified. They grew up on prunes, and he couldn't get over that.

Mom and Dad spent 64 wonderful years as husband and wife. They had four children: Ronna, Garnie, Jo-Anne and Patti. Ronna still has her first ration book as she was born in the war years. Garnie the second born, died at a year and a half of meningitis at home in Bures, snowed-in in the middle of January. Mom talked about Jo-Anne crawling under the kitchen table and when asked to come out, telling her to "keep her shirt on!". Apparently, she had to be kept on a leash when they went to the city. And finally, along came Patti, who grew up around the animals she so loved, especially horses, which was quite an accomplishment for a town girl!

Mom was always there. She was a faithful participant in the daily routine of home, school, church and community life. She never complained; she loved it all.

Mom had a wonderful sense of humor. She loved to laugh at everyone's stories and jokes, and Dad always had plenty of them. She could always laugh at herself, and we all had such fun because of it. Some of our best memories were cleaning up in the kitchen, giggling and sharing stories, often at the expense of each other. We never let Mom forget about: going through the foothills in the Rockies and exclaiming over the mountains getting bigger and bigger the closer we got and Mom asking "Do mountains grow?". Also when she spilled the pan of gravy two Christmases in a row, shaking the tomato juice with the lid of the can opened and spraying juice all over the ceiling, which had everyone in gales of laughter, golfing at Katepwa and Mom picking up the golf balls all over the course.

One of Pat's favorite stories is about going to the bathroom at Wascana Park in Regina. By the time they finally found the washroom and got in, Mom had been waiting and waiting. She started to tinkle and tinkled and tinkled. They started to laugh and she tinkled and tinkled. They laughed and laughed until Pat was on the floor laughing. And when mom finished, she was, too. When they got to the sink, they looked everywhere for the taps and couldn't find them. Mom was doubled right over laughing and Pat was back on the floor! And there they were -- the sink had foot pedals! That just started them out all over again. Anyone walking into that washroom would have thought they were out of their minds!

We'd like to talk a little about Mom's legacy. We don't know if anyone has any idea how blessed we are to have had Mom in our lives. Maybe you all do.

When we look around at the family, we see that all of us have been blessed with legacies from our Mom, our Gramma and now our Great-Gramma. Mom shared with Ronna long ago that she believed that we live eternally in what people remember of us and in what we pass on to those around us, and that is the way she lived her life. Though we can only speak as immediate family, Mom's extended family and her many lifetime friends hopefully can relate to these thoughts about Mom.

The threads of Mom's legacy are woven through all of us, but some parts of her are more prominent in one than the other. We'd like to share a few of the thoughts that come to mind about the three of us. Hopefully there will be a little food for thought about how these legacies are entwining down through the generations.

Ronna thinks she is especially blessed (and cursed) with Mom's mind. She has given us all a love of literature. She was the one who would read to us every night, interesting books like "Under the Lilacs" and the books of Louisa May Alcott. But Ronna got her love of exploring life and its origins. When Ronna was 19 years old, she spent a lot of time reading about the religions of the world. That curiosity came from Mom. She finished school very young, just got through all of the material a few years earlier than all of those around her.

We think that Jo is especially blessed with Mom's incredible talent and creativity. Jo makes marvellous creations out of nothing. Mom made wonderful outfits for all of us, often from old clothing and fabrics. Our children all had special gifts: from knit baby outfits that our own grandchildren now wear that are still nicer than anyone else's to Cowichan and ski sweaters, costumes for parades and for Halloween, gorgeous Christmas ornaments that adorn each of our Christmas trees, and the quilts that she and her friends made together and that her Grandchildren have used every day.

And our baby sister, Pat. Pat has her huge heart. Maybe that is why she felt that she couldn't do this eulogy, as would Mom. There has always been an open door at Pat's home. Guess where that came from. There is always lots of good food for everyone, and there is always another place at the table. And who always has enough time to do onto others as they would have them do unto them, and always remembers others, especially when they most need to be remembered and loved and cared for? Who does that sound like? Pat or Mom?

We asked Dad what Mom gave to him and these are his words. "She gave me happiness, companionship, and was everything that a good partner could be. She never criticized me for what I was doing. She was so easy to get along with.

We had very little money but this family was so happy. We had harmony in our home all the time. She was popular. She was friendly. She was a good listener. But she would not make a decision for me, on anything to do with business or my career, or buying the house. It was always up to me. Not that I didn't do what she wanted - - I often did. She was fun. She wasn't a worry wart, not until she was sick. We sometimes had disagreements because she protected the children. And I would get disgusted and walk out because I thought they needed a little discipline. She was my life. I like women, but she was my life."

We still haven't talked about the most incredible part of Mom, and to us that was her gentle soul. We're not even sure how to explain that part of Mom. Mom had absolutely no enemies in her lifetime. Each of us who have known her have known that she was totally trustworthy, had no malicious side, totally accepted people as they are, and only became angry or irritated about injustices. She had a wonderful laugh, and an incredible smile, and we're struck by how often we have used the word incredible. She was humble. She never inconvenienced anyone even when she died. And do you know what Mom would have said about her life? Mom would have said that her life was blessed. And she has blessed us with her life.

We know Mom's gone to a better place; we know that she's finally at peace and that she's not afraid and not suffering anymore. Pat got a call from Auntie Fran the other night and her words had such an impact on her. This is what she said: "Pat, I phoned to say how sorry I am that you lost your Mom. I know how hard it is to lose your Mom because I lost mine, too. I've been thinking of your Mom all day long and I just had to phone you. I wonder if you realize how happy your Mom is now. She finally gets to hold her son in her arms again, and she is finally going to get to know her Mom and Dad - - and to see her brother again. They're all there and they've just been waiting for her. They're having a ball!"

And Dad, when the time comes, she'll be waiting there for the rest of us.