TUESDAY, January 3, 2017

KERNER

Victoria Doreen Kerner (nee Lyxzen) passed away in the Bow Island Hospital on December 22, 2016. Doreen was born and raised in the Scapa area of Alberta. She attended Normal School from 1938 till 1941 and became a teacher. She taught in a number of one room schools until 1949, when she moved to Bow Island. There she had a teaching career in Home Ec that lasted until her retirement in 1981. She met her husband John in Bow Island and they were married in Hanna on July 7, 1951. She traveled on the rigs with John until 1955 when they bought a farm east of Bow Island. Their son Brian was born in October of 1953.

Doreen was very active in a large number of organizations (She has five honorary lifetime memberships in some of the groups she was involved in). Doreen taught Brownies, Sunday school for children and adults, and was involved in art club, weavers, pottery, UCW, WI, sang in the church choir, played bells with the United Church Bell Choir, and served as an Elder. She did every other craft she could get her hands on. She loved music and while she was at the Pleasant view Manor she would go out and play the organ for anyone that wanted to come out and listen. One of her great joys was making wedding cakes which she did for family and friends for 25 years. She also loved gardening and until she got a little more frail had a huge garden that she would can and freeze. Even after that every year until 2015 she planted hundreds of flowers. She had planted trees from the time she moved onto the farm including a large number of fruit trees. These trees produced fruit every year and she canned for years, but in later years loved to have people come and help themselves when she was no longer able to do the canning.

After she retired Doreen did a lot of traveling mostly with a childhood friend from Hanna. She continued to travel for a few more trips after her friends passing

Doreen loved keeping in touch with family and friends and even in her final days could remember multiple generations and ask about them by name when talking to someone

John passed away in 1971, just after their 20th wedding anniversary, but Doreen remained on the farm until she moved to the Pleasant View Manor in 2015 at the age of 95. Her health got worse over the next year with a number of hospital stays which necessitated her moving into the Pleasant View Lodge in October of 2016

Unfortunately Ill health put her back into the Bow island Hospital in December where she remained until her passing

She is survived by her son Brian, his wife Diana, and their two sons Wade and Ryan. She was predeceased by her father A. E. (Fred) Lyxzen, her mother Hildur (Hilda) Lyxzen, an older sister Helen Eileen age two weeks, and her husband John Kerner.

A celebration of Doreen’s life will be held at a later date. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to St. Andrew’s United Church, 135 2nd Ave, Bow Island T0K 0G0. To e-mail an expression of sympathy, please direct it to: pattfh@telusplanet.net subject heading: Doreen Kerner, or you may visit http://www.pattisonfuneralhome.com and leave a message of condolence.

Arrangements are by the PATTISON FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORIUM 540 South Railway St. SE, Medicine Hat T1A 2V6. Please call 1-866-526-2214 for further information.