Mrs. Monica Russell passed away in Castleview Care Centre, Castlegar, BC, on 4 March 2017.
Monica was born to William Cyril and Esther (Ward) Sample, 18 May, 1922 in Melville hospital, Melville, Saskatchewan.
The Sample family farmed in the Goodhope District south of Yorkton, Saskatchewan east of No. 9 Highway.
Monica received her education at Goodhope School and grade 10 by correspondence. She helped her parents on the farm and in 1941 worked on the Bert and Lil Cook farm near Binscarth, Manitoba.
On 29 November 1941 Monica married Frank Russell in Kingston, Ontario who was from the farm community of the Hilltop District south of Yorkton, Saskatchewan.
During the war years they lived in Kingston where Frank was employed by the Canadian Locomotive Company as a lead hand machinist and later the Monarch Battery Company. Two sons were born, John and William. In 1946 Frank and Monica returned to Yorkton with a view to farming. This didn’t work out and they built a Gas and Grocery Service Station on No. 9 Hwy in the Hilltop District south of Yorkton. In 1951 they sold the service station to Mr. Alex Phelps, which became Dad’s G & G, and rented a house east of Yorkton for the winter.
In 1951 Frank and Monica built a house and Gas and Grocery Service Station in the Pebble Lake District 3 miles south of Yorkton on No. 9 Hwy. In 1961 the business was no longer profitable and they found work in Yorkton. Monica was employed by Howie’s Jewellery, Baker’s Drugstore and Preston’s Pharmacy. Frank was employed by Marshall Wells, Kozan-Hood Hardware and Maple Farm Equipment and later worked at several potash mines as a millwright. In 1971, Frank and Monica moved to Victoria, B.C. for their retirement years. Instead, Monica accepted work at McGill & Orme Surgical Supplies until her retirement in 1986 as assistant manager. Frank worked at mills on the Island until retirement in 1976. In 1988 they moved to Salmo, B.C. and in 1991 to Castlegar, B.C. to be closer to their son John and Phyllis Russell of Russell Auction.
We wish to express our appreciation to the Straker family and the Cooper, Beck and Michael families for their friendship through the years with Frank and Monica and Monica’s brother John Victor Sample who farmed in the Goodhope District.
Monica is predeceased by her father(1965) mother (1979) husband (2001) and brother John Sample (2016)
Left to mourn her passing and celebrate her life are sons John (Phyllis) Castlegar, B,C.and William, Robson, B.C. Grandchildren Judy (Jeff) Allen, Victoria B.C., Robin Russell, Castlegar B.C. and Harold Russell, Calgary, Alb, four great grandchildren, Alexander and Amberlee Allen and Dyon and Samantha Russell.
We extend thanks to the staff of the Castle Wood Village where Monica resided and to the nursing staff of Castleview Care Centre for their wonderful care for Monica. Also, to Monica’s doctors, Dr. Megan Taylor and Dr. R. Ankenbauer and her dentist Dr. James Singer. We express gratitude to all friends of our family in Castlegar and surrounding area for many years. Cremation by Castlegar Funeral Home with ashes to be placed in an urn with her husband’s and interred in the Robson Memorial Churchyard, Robson, B.C.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Fund or the Memorial Society of B.C.