It is with heartfelt sadness that we say goodbye to Frances Neilson. She passed away peacefully with her daughter Sonja by her side on June 12, 2012. Frances was born in Alberta and came to Duncan in 1937 to visit her sister and soon later met and married her Gunnar. They moved to Lake Cowichan in 1942 and resided in the same house ever since. Gunnar passed in 1979.
Nanny loved life, family, relatives, friends, neighbours, politics, nature, horses, brandy, dancing, flowers, sewing, her Volvo, picking fern and salal, carpentry, renovations, projects mechanics, cooking, baking pies and bread, lipstick, dangly earrings, country music, gardening, round-up, turpentine, chocolate and Mantracker.
She leaves behind her daughter Sonja (Dwight) Wilcox, grandsons Quint, Shane (Robyn) and Brent (Carmen), great-grandchildren Nash, Adam, Rachael and Liam. Many nieces and nephews, greats, great-greats and great-great-greats.
She had a wonderful life and always fondly remembered her family’s trek from Edmonton to the homestead by covered wagon which took nine days. Today it is an hour drive. She always maintained that growing up on the farm was the best of times.
She worked hard all her life, and always said you can do anything you want to do if you put your mind to it. She was an inspiration to all who knew her and even a hero to some. The sun was her God.
We miss you already Mom. There will no service by her request. Thank you Dr. Kerswell for your home visits and caring for Mom. We greatly appreciated everything you did for her.