Obituary of Greta Prafke

BIOGRAPHY PRAFKE ~ Greta Geraldine Prafke passed away peacefully in the Bonnyville Hospital, Bonnyville, Alberta on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at the age of 77 years. Greta will be sadly missed by her two daughters: Heather and David Werner, Candice and George Chiga; one son Ryan and Lynn Prafke; six grandchildren; six great grandchildren; one sister Laurie Adams; one brother Patrick Ryan as well as numerous other relatives. The celebration of life was conducted from the Lashburn Community Hall, Lashburn, Saskatchewan on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 2:00 P.M. with Carol Mohrbutter officiating. The eulogy was written by Kelly Herndier and read by Kevin and Kyle Werner. The hymns sung were "In The Garden" and "The Old Rugged Cross" accompanied on the organ by Lorna Chappell. The Lashburn Community Choir was in attendance. The honorary pallbearers were Jim and Ann Coolidge, Herb and Yvonne Wilson, Avril Benson, Ronald Prafke, Richard Adams and Shirley Van Metre. The active pallbearers David Werner, George Chiga, Kyle Werner, Kevin Werner, Jason Herndier and Lauren Wiens. The interment was held in the Lashburn Cemetery. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements. CARD OF THANKS The family of Greta Prafke would like to extend our thanks and appreciation for the flowers, cards, donations and kind words received. Thank you to Carol Mohrbutter for leading the celebration. Thank you to the Lashburn Community Choir, organist Lorna Chappell and the U.C.W. for preparing and serving lunch. To Joel and McCaw Funeral Service, thank you for your assistance, caring and professionalism during this time. Heather & David Candice & George Ryan & Lynn & Families We are here today to tell you about our Grandma and celebrate the life she had. Greta Geraldine Ryan was born May 19, 1934 in the Maidstone area to Cornelius and Ercell Ryan and was the fourth of five children. She attended the Halfway School west of Maidstone and after completing her schooling she went to work in Lloyd in retail that included jobs at the dry cleaners and the Co-op. While visiting her mom in the hospital, she met Bunt who was also a patient. Ercell thought he was a "nice young man" and had been sharing her meal trays with him. It was June 21, 1956 when she married Bunt and shortly after they moved to Dawson Creek, BC. There she worked in a grocery store until their first daughter Heather was born on January 11, 1958. Their second daughter, Candice, was born April 7, 1959 and 10 days later, they moved back to the Lashburn area so Grandpa could help out with the farm. July 19, 1962 saw the completion of their family with the arrival of their youngest child, Ryan. Busy with three young children, Grandma never returned to the workforce and remained a full time stay at home mom and farm wife. She helped out with the farming by hauling grain, running for parts and cooking and delivering meals to the field. She was an avid gardener who spent many hours planting, growing and reaping her own fruits and vegetables. Every fall she could be found canning and making jams, jellies and relishes to tide over the family until the next growing season. Throughout the years, Grandma spent many hours baking and cooking. There were always tins of tarts and squares in the cupboard and freezer and she was always prepared when someone stopped in for coffee. Unless, of course, Grandpa had managed to get his fingers into the tins without her knowledge and then the fur would fly! She was also known for the beautiful cakes she spent hours decorating for weddings, birthdays, showers and other special events. I am sure most of you here today have had the pleasure of experiencing one of her works of art. Music was an integral part of her life. She never had a piano or music lesson of any sort and could play any song by ear. Auntie Laurie remembers Grandma leaning forward over the piano keys so she could concentrate and listen to the music before she started to play. Their mom always said that it looked like she was sniffing the keys. Countless hours saw her entertaining everyone from the piano bench while she played and sang song after song. Friends and family could be found dancing and singing along late into the night. She was equally gifted with the accordion and many times she would break it out. When Jim and Ann were over, Jim would hunker down at the piano and the two of them would put on a little concert. She shared her passion and talent for music with others by playing her accordion and piano at Seniors Centres throughout the area and could be found volunteering for the church choir if she was needed. Every once in awhile, Grandpa got it into his head that HE wanted to raise chickens. At least he thought it was a great idea. Grandma didn't really agree. She could be found cursing out the chickens at 6am cuz they had her awake long before she wanted to be. The gleam in her eye when she plucked those chickens screamed payback. It looked like revenge was sweet. Those chickens didn't stand a chance! Both Grandma and Grandpa loved attending the sporting events that the 6 of us grandkids were involved in. They saw many hockey and ball games and were conflicted on who to cheer for when Kristy and Kelly faced off against each other during a ringette game. We always knew when Grandma had arrived and was in the stands cheering us on. Family and friends were just as important to her as music was. She proudly displayed pictures throughout the house and was always so pleased to receive an updated picture. Many kids grew up on her walls and in her frames. Christmas and other family gatherings were special occasions in her life. She loved having all of us home together and cooking a big meal. Many laughs were had around the kitchen table, in the living room and throughout her meticulous yard. Christmas at Grandma's was like Christmas at the North Pole. Her house practically exploded at the seams with all the decorations and they always made sure to have the biggest tree possible in the living room window. The spruce tree and outside of the house were lit up and you could see the lights from about a mile out and you always knew you were close to Grandma and Grandpa's. Grandma, you were one special lady to us all and will be forever missed. Thank you for being such a huge part of our lives. Play your music for all to hear and dance too. Written by: Kelly Herndier Read by: Kevin & Kyle Werner Donations in memory of Greta may be made to the Alzheimers Society or to the charity of the donor's choice.