Obituary for Edith Margaret Okell (Sugden)
Edith was born on May 26, 1932 and was the only child to Tom and Ethel Sugden. On June 18, 1952, in Naicam, she married George Okell, from the Raymore district. They had four children: Barbara (May 2, 1953), Brenda (January 10, 1956), Robert (December 25, 1960) and Shelley (February 3, 1963).
Edith and George lived on the Sugden farm (known as the Sugden or Okell hill) from 1952-2016. Land location SE 22-40-18 W2. The Family Farm Heritage Award was awarded in 1980. This parcel of land had been continuously operated by members of Edith’s family since 1905.
George and Edith spent the winters in Saskatoon from 1952-1954. George found work at various businesses, while Edith attended secretarial school. They built a new home north of Naicam in the same yard as Tom and Ethel in the summer of 1955. George and Edith moved into their new home prior to Christmas that same year.
Edith was a very active community member volunteering many hours in several organizations including: Naicam United Church, Naicam Co-op Board , United Church Women, Naicam Golf Club, Naicam Curling Club, Naicam Homecoming Committee and Naicam Seniors.
Edith loved to keep active. After her hip surgery in 2001, she became physically active again enjoying cross-country skiing and many hours of afternoon bowling in Spalding with a group of friends from Naicam. She was always knitting a sweater or crocheting for herself and family or making an afghan. She took up golfing and enjoyed many rounds with her lady friends at the Naicam Golf Course. Edith loved her flowers and spent many hour nurturing these around their home. She was an excellent seamstress, sewing most of our clothes growing up. Edith was employed at the Naicam School for 29 years, retiring in June of 1994.
Each Sunday we kids would look forward to a drive anywhere in the neighbourhood, that included us going along; returning home to a beautiful chicken dinner prepared by Mom was a ritual and special family time.
Our family enjoyed many, many card and board games growing up. Shelley learning to play thirty-one at the age of three. Camping once a year was an exciting time for our family, usually to Banff with Day’s (cousins) or the Felsings. Mom taught us kids at a young age how to cook, clean, garden and be productive wherever we were or whatever we were doing. You were always taught to do your share and help, no matter what the task.
Later in life, George and Edith enjoyed travelling in Canada and the US. They quickly became fans of the bus tours that McConaghy Tours offered, especially with Marven and Arlene Shields as their tour guides. They made so many new friends in their retirement years and loved the opportunity of travel. They were avid fans of the Naicam Curling Club and enjoyed winter months watching curling and great grandkids playing hockey. In the summer months, the love of a good ball game took them to Muenster, Humboldt, Melfort or wherever to watch their great grandchildren play.
George and Edith remained on the farm in the same house until 2016, when Mom’s failing health became a concern.
It was such a difficult time for both George and Edith moving to town, but it was especially difficult for Edith who had been born and raised on the farm. She had lived there for all 84 years of her life. Dementia made life so very, very frustrating, and difficult. She did not understand why she was taken from her beloved home. Losing her licence, her failing health and this move were the hardest things Edith had ever faced. It broke her family’s hearts to witness this.
In April of 2017, Edith’s health deteriorated to the point that she was moved into Parkland Place in Melfort, another massive change for George and Edith. This intervention was by far the most difficult decision made by us three sisters.
George spent daily trips going to Melfort to visit Edith. What a lonely, heartbreaking time for both of them. Those trips took their toll on him.
George moved to Caskey Place, August 22, 2017 which adjoins to Parkland Place through an indoor hallway; this allowed George to walk and visit Edith daily.
Sadly, the family farm was put up for sale and sold in the fall of 2017. The year of 2017 saw the most difficult changes for Edith and George and their families.
Edith resided in Parkland Place in Melfort from April 25, 2017 to January 27, 2022. The staff at Parkland Place have been Mom’s second family and we are so very grateful to those who went the extra mile to treat her with such kindness and respect.
Edith was predeceased by: her loving husband George on March 24, 2018, her loving parents: Tom Sugden May 25, 1988 and Ethel Sugden (nee Sinclair) on October 28, 1990.
Edith leaves to mourn: her daughter: Barbara (Lorne); Michelle (Kirk), Braden and Chelsea, Sherri (Rob), Nick (Brooklyn) and Kayla, Sheldon (Sarah), Jack and Kate; daughter: Brenda (Darrell): Stephanie (Matthew), Janelle (Dakota), Adam (Tina), Shane (Karlee) and Colin (Sonja); son: Robert: Dustin (Jenn), Jaymie and Jayden; daughter: Shelley (Edward): Andrea (Dustin), Grayson and Scarlett, Kyle (Stacey), Nate and Luca and Brittany.
Edith's Funeral Service will be livestreamed. To watch the funeral service please click here
Friends so wishing may make memorial contributions to the North Central Health Care Foundation, PO Box 1480, Melfort, SK S0E 1A0, or to the Parkland Place Residents' Council, PO Box 2260, Melfort, SK S0E 1A0.
Edith and George lived on the Sugden farm (known as the Sugden or Okell hill) from 1952-2016. Land location SE 22-40-18 W2. The Family Farm Heritage Award was awarded in 1980. This parcel of land had been continuously operated by members of Edith’s family since 1905.
George and Edith spent the winters in Saskatoon from 1952-1954. George found work at various businesses, while Edith attended secretarial school. They built a new home north of Naicam in the same yard as Tom and Ethel in the summer of 1955. George and Edith moved into their new home prior to Christmas that same year.
Edith was a very active community member volunteering many hours in several organizations including: Naicam United Church, Naicam Co-op Board , United Church Women, Naicam Golf Club, Naicam Curling Club, Naicam Homecoming Committee and Naicam Seniors.
Edith loved to keep active. After her hip surgery in 2001, she became physically active again enjoying cross-country skiing and many hours of afternoon bowling in Spalding with a group of friends from Naicam. She was always knitting a sweater or crocheting for herself and family or making an afghan. She took up golfing and enjoyed many rounds with her lady friends at the Naicam Golf Course. Edith loved her flowers and spent many hour nurturing these around their home. She was an excellent seamstress, sewing most of our clothes growing up. Edith was employed at the Naicam School for 29 years, retiring in June of 1994.
Each Sunday we kids would look forward to a drive anywhere in the neighbourhood, that included us going along; returning home to a beautiful chicken dinner prepared by Mom was a ritual and special family time.
Our family enjoyed many, many card and board games growing up. Shelley learning to play thirty-one at the age of three. Camping once a year was an exciting time for our family, usually to Banff with Day’s (cousins) or the Felsings. Mom taught us kids at a young age how to cook, clean, garden and be productive wherever we were or whatever we were doing. You were always taught to do your share and help, no matter what the task.
Later in life, George and Edith enjoyed travelling in Canada and the US. They quickly became fans of the bus tours that McConaghy Tours offered, especially with Marven and Arlene Shields as their tour guides. They made so many new friends in their retirement years and loved the opportunity of travel. They were avid fans of the Naicam Curling Club and enjoyed winter months watching curling and great grandkids playing hockey. In the summer months, the love of a good ball game took them to Muenster, Humboldt, Melfort or wherever to watch their great grandchildren play.
George and Edith remained on the farm in the same house until 2016, when Mom’s failing health became a concern.
It was such a difficult time for both George and Edith moving to town, but it was especially difficult for Edith who had been born and raised on the farm. She had lived there for all 84 years of her life. Dementia made life so very, very frustrating, and difficult. She did not understand why she was taken from her beloved home. Losing her licence, her failing health and this move were the hardest things Edith had ever faced. It broke her family’s hearts to witness this.
In April of 2017, Edith’s health deteriorated to the point that she was moved into Parkland Place in Melfort, another massive change for George and Edith. This intervention was by far the most difficult decision made by us three sisters.
George spent daily trips going to Melfort to visit Edith. What a lonely, heartbreaking time for both of them. Those trips took their toll on him.
George moved to Caskey Place, August 22, 2017 which adjoins to Parkland Place through an indoor hallway; this allowed George to walk and visit Edith daily.
Sadly, the family farm was put up for sale and sold in the fall of 2017. The year of 2017 saw the most difficult changes for Edith and George and their families.
Edith resided in Parkland Place in Melfort from April 25, 2017 to January 27, 2022. The staff at Parkland Place have been Mom’s second family and we are so very grateful to those who went the extra mile to treat her with such kindness and respect.
Edith was predeceased by: her loving husband George on March 24, 2018, her loving parents: Tom Sugden May 25, 1988 and Ethel Sugden (nee Sinclair) on October 28, 1990.
Edith leaves to mourn: her daughter: Barbara (Lorne); Michelle (Kirk), Braden and Chelsea, Sherri (Rob), Nick (Brooklyn) and Kayla, Sheldon (Sarah), Jack and Kate; daughter: Brenda (Darrell): Stephanie (Matthew), Janelle (Dakota), Adam (Tina), Shane (Karlee) and Colin (Sonja); son: Robert: Dustin (Jenn), Jaymie and Jayden; daughter: Shelley (Edward): Andrea (Dustin), Grayson and Scarlett, Kyle (Stacey), Nate and Luca and Brittany.
Edith's Funeral Service will be livestreamed. To watch the funeral service please click here
Friends so wishing may make memorial contributions to the North Central Health Care Foundation, PO Box 1480, Melfort, SK S0E 1A0, or to the Parkland Place Residents' Council, PO Box 2260, Melfort, SK S0E 1A0.