Today we are here to remember Shirley, and to share what she meant to all of us. 

To the Shaunovan community that she loved,  she was involved in varied activities from chuck-wagons and  to ice skating and in all those things, she was resourceful and dedicated. 

But it was when you got to know Shirley personally that you experienced how much fun she was to be around, She had this cheerful way about her along with a lively sense of humor. Her laugh came easily, and when she laughed, you couldn't help but join in.

If you ever spent time in Shirley's home, you know what it felt like. There was always something going on - people coming and going, laughter in the background, and the sense that you were exactly where you were supposed to be. She had a way of making people feel welcome without any fuss. You just belonged.

Her kitchen was really the heart of it all. There were always buns in the oven, jars of pickles tucked away, something sweet cooling on the counter, and somehow a full meal coming together at the same time. She cooked because that was how she cared for people and so out of her large compendium of cookbooks and  hand - written recipe cards, she created delicious feasts for all occasions.

Family meant everything to Shirley. She loved her grandchildren so deeply, and she paid attention to all the little and big moments in their lives - birthdays, graduations and  milestones of every kind. She made each one matter. Sometimes she and Morris would travel long distances into Alberta to attend ceremonies for her grandchildren.

As her family, we're so thankful for everything she gave - for the work she put into the farm,  preparing and delivering meals for those working in the fields,  for her involvment in our lives for the way she showed up for every important moment, and for the countless small, everyday acts of love that added up to so much.

When her painful season of illness came, she carried herself with the fierce  courage we all knew so well. She endured the struggle by holding onto her fighting spirit.

It brings comfort to think of her now at peace, reunited with her mom and dad and her  loved ones who went before her. 

We miss her deeply as we have for the times she struggled to remember names and faces  But she gave us all a wonderful example of love that  we can carry forward, in the hospitality we share and in the way we show up for  our loved ones.

Speaking for myself, Shirley was the best mother-in-law I could have asked for. She warmly welcomed me into her family  from the very beginning, with kindness and love, and I'll always be grateful to her for that.

 I like to think that one day we'll see her again, and she'll be there with that welcoming smile, knowing she did her part to make the world a better place.

So Shirley, thank you for everything you were to us all. Farewell.