Obituary for Ruth Ilean Morrison (Metke)
Ruth (Sis) Ilean Morrison was born January 16, 1926 in Pangman, Saskatchewan, the youngest child born to Paul and Daisy Metke. Mom attended all her schooling in Pangman. Passionate about sports in school, her best-loved sport was fastball. After graduation, she found employment with the Canadian Imperial Bank which later amalgamated with the Bank of Commerce to become the CIBC. In 1946, her high school sweetheart returned from overseas and the romance rekindled. Mom married Dad, Laverne Morrison, on October 10, 1947 in Pangman,
Mom and Dad moved to Saskatoon, where Dad was going to University, and mom started the career for which she was born, raising children. By the time Dad graduated in the spring of 1952, they had three boys, Jim, Brian and Ken, all less than 31/2 years old. The five of us moved to Yellow Grass in the summer of 1952, where we lived for the next 10 years. During that time, three other children were born, Janet, Ron and Terry. Mom was kept occupied, raising us, keeping a busy Dad getting ready for meetings, sports days, curling bonspiels and all the other things that Dads and children were involved in. Mom and Dad were very active in the Royal Canadian Legion in Yellow Grass and it was a time when all the family would go to Legion picnics, dances and rallies. Pangman was an hour away, where both sets of Grandparents still lived, and the kids were often bundled back and forth. We spent most of our summers there as well as all the major holidays with our grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.
In the summer of 1962, our next move was to Melfort. Except for 2 years spent in Wilkie and the last 5 ½ months in St. Brieux, Mom called Melfort home. She continued to raise her brood of six, but when they were all entrenched in school, she rejoined the work force as bookkeeper for Brodie’s Drug Store and then Friar’s Drugs. Soon after settling into her working career, a seventh child, Michelle, miraculously appeared. Even while working, Mom’s focus was always on her children. One day at work a fire truck went by the store. Mom borrowed her boss’s car to go home because her intuition said that one of her children might be involved. She was right. Mom was always our “port in the storm”; the one we went to for love, understanding and good humor. Mom loved us but seldom judged and let us make our own way in life. She had an abundance of love for not only her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren but for her friends and just people in general.
In January of 2013, Mom and Dad moved to Legion Place. After Dad’s passing in 2018, Mom stayed on until September of 2021, when she moved to Nirvana Extended Care Home. After some falls in December of 2021 and January of 2022, she moved to Chateaux Providence in St. Brieux until her passing.
Mom is survived by the following children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren:
Jim (Debby): Scott (Jessica), Brodie and Lachlan; Denise (Chase Lipp), Madison, Wyatt; Jamie (Delco) McEvoy, Finley; Jill (Chris Lane) McAlister, Brooklyn, Charlotte and Clara.
Brian (Linda): Marc (Alex), Parker; Tania (Paul) Dilkes, Isabel, Leigh
Ken
Janet (Vern) Quaroni: Jared (Diane), Makayla, Geoffrey; Jordan (Janet), Ryker, Wesley; Bradley, Eva
Ron (Jean): Carly (Scott) Boyer, Oliver, Ivy; Kelcie; Gaelan
Terry (Cathy Farwell)
Michelle (David Peet): Courtney, Willa; Kennedy
Mom is also survived by sisters-in-law: Betty Metheral, Edna Morrison and Donna Morrison and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Mom is predeceased by parents Paul and Daisy Metke; brothers: Paul (Bud) Metke, Herman Metke, Ford (Cub) Metke; her father and mother-in-law: Hector and Lorelda Morrison; brothers-in-law: Dwight, Clarence and Blaine Morrison, Keith Metheral and Avery McDowell, sisters-in-law: Beryl McDowell, Florence Metke and Evelyn Metke and daughter-in-law Wendy Morrison.
The family would like to thank the staff and residents of Legion Place, Nirvana Extended Care Home, Mefort Hospital and Chateaux Providence, as well as Doctors Levendall and Wingate, for the excellent care and friendship they extended to Mom.
At their request, a family graveside service, for both Mom and Dad, will be held at a later date in Pangman, SK. Donations in memory of Ruth can be made to your charity of choice.
Mom and Dad moved to Saskatoon, where Dad was going to University, and mom started the career for which she was born, raising children. By the time Dad graduated in the spring of 1952, they had three boys, Jim, Brian and Ken, all less than 31/2 years old. The five of us moved to Yellow Grass in the summer of 1952, where we lived for the next 10 years. During that time, three other children were born, Janet, Ron and Terry. Mom was kept occupied, raising us, keeping a busy Dad getting ready for meetings, sports days, curling bonspiels and all the other things that Dads and children were involved in. Mom and Dad were very active in the Royal Canadian Legion in Yellow Grass and it was a time when all the family would go to Legion picnics, dances and rallies. Pangman was an hour away, where both sets of Grandparents still lived, and the kids were often bundled back and forth. We spent most of our summers there as well as all the major holidays with our grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.
In the summer of 1962, our next move was to Melfort. Except for 2 years spent in Wilkie and the last 5 ½ months in St. Brieux, Mom called Melfort home. She continued to raise her brood of six, but when they were all entrenched in school, she rejoined the work force as bookkeeper for Brodie’s Drug Store and then Friar’s Drugs. Soon after settling into her working career, a seventh child, Michelle, miraculously appeared. Even while working, Mom’s focus was always on her children. One day at work a fire truck went by the store. Mom borrowed her boss’s car to go home because her intuition said that one of her children might be involved. She was right. Mom was always our “port in the storm”; the one we went to for love, understanding and good humor. Mom loved us but seldom judged and let us make our own way in life. She had an abundance of love for not only her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren but for her friends and just people in general.
In January of 2013, Mom and Dad moved to Legion Place. After Dad’s passing in 2018, Mom stayed on until September of 2021, when she moved to Nirvana Extended Care Home. After some falls in December of 2021 and January of 2022, she moved to Chateaux Providence in St. Brieux until her passing.
Mom is survived by the following children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren:
Jim (Debby): Scott (Jessica), Brodie and Lachlan; Denise (Chase Lipp), Madison, Wyatt; Jamie (Delco) McEvoy, Finley; Jill (Chris Lane) McAlister, Brooklyn, Charlotte and Clara.
Brian (Linda): Marc (Alex), Parker; Tania (Paul) Dilkes, Isabel, Leigh
Ken
Janet (Vern) Quaroni: Jared (Diane), Makayla, Geoffrey; Jordan (Janet), Ryker, Wesley; Bradley, Eva
Ron (Jean): Carly (Scott) Boyer, Oliver, Ivy; Kelcie; Gaelan
Terry (Cathy Farwell)
Michelle (David Peet): Courtney, Willa; Kennedy
Mom is also survived by sisters-in-law: Betty Metheral, Edna Morrison and Donna Morrison and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Mom is predeceased by parents Paul and Daisy Metke; brothers: Paul (Bud) Metke, Herman Metke, Ford (Cub) Metke; her father and mother-in-law: Hector and Lorelda Morrison; brothers-in-law: Dwight, Clarence and Blaine Morrison, Keith Metheral and Avery McDowell, sisters-in-law: Beryl McDowell, Florence Metke and Evelyn Metke and daughter-in-law Wendy Morrison.
The family would like to thank the staff and residents of Legion Place, Nirvana Extended Care Home, Mefort Hospital and Chateaux Providence, as well as Doctors Levendall and Wingate, for the excellent care and friendship they extended to Mom.
At their request, a family graveside service, for both Mom and Dad, will be held at a later date in Pangman, SK. Donations in memory of Ruth can be made to your charity of choice.