Obituary for Jane Vanneste (Ridley)
VANNESTE, Jenny (Ridley)
May 22, 1918 – County Durham, England
February 14, 2019 – Calgary, Alberta
Jenny passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 14, 2019. She is survived by six children, Michael, Paul (Ming He), Larry (Elizabeth Martens), Bobby, Gerry (Lynn) and Karen (Rod Smith); four grandchildren, Christopher (Sofia Tjernstrom), Brenda (Sean Haughian), Jesse (Laura Norman) and Johanna; and her great granddaughter, Sylvie Ann Haughian. Also survived by her sister, Ann (East) and brother, Andrew in England. Jenny was predeceased by her husband, Frank in 1976.
Jenny started life on her parent’s farm in the Beamish area of Northern England. As she grew up there a favorite memory was seeing the drunken ducks wobbling away from the feed trough that had left over fermented mash in it. Another memory was having to round up the geese who were ‘too stupid’ to seek shelter from a hail storm. Later on she joined the RAF and served on the air base at Linton-on-Ouse. She worked diligently packing parachutes for the pilots and here she met Frank and they were subsequently married in Newcastle -on-Tyne in 1944. In 1945 she crossed the Atlantic as a war bride pregnant with Michael. She and a friend were the only pregnant women on board and she happily recounts how they ate their way across the ocean while others were perpetually sea sick. Arriving in Halifax she was then transported via train to Montreal to meet her new family for the first time. Over the years Jenny and Frank had six children; five boys arriving first followed by a long awaited daughter. Mom endured many trying times with her large family. Michael with a button stuck in his nose, Paul who always found a lump in his mashed potatoes (what a horror), Larry the mischievous one who received a bonk on the head with a hair brush (often), Bobby who caught his finger in a closing suitcase, Jerry who managed to put himself into the oven and Karen who had to endure five brothers. On Saturday nights (Hockey night), our friends were always welcome for hamburgers and French fries followed by her legendary chocolate chip cookies. Not being busy enough sewing clothes for her children and managing their antics, Mom also served on the ladies auxiliary for the local scout troop where Dad was scout master.
After Frank passed away, she moved to Calgary in 1979 continuing to celebrate with her ‘war bride’ companions and fliting about Calgary and the Rocky Mountains seeking out new adventures. New adventures included making ‘chores’ into fun for her grandchildren… Polishing brass knickknacks, guarding the kitchen while the Yorkshire puddings were rising, helping to sew the many Halloween costumes, raiding the pig for chocolate chip cookies, shopping at the farmers market (tractor rides!) and setting the table for the best roast beef dinners in town.
Mom always vowed to live to 100 so that she would receive birthday wishes from the Queen. We celebrated her 100th birthday with the entire family, some travelling from London Ontario, Australia and New Brunswick. A special treat for her was to meet and hold her great granddaughter, Sylvie Ann.
Mom was indeed the perfect Mom, always ready to find the best in people she met and looked at life with humour and grace. Although frail in the last four months, she remained mentally alert and continued to engage all of her children at every opportunity.
We are better humans for having her at our sides when we chose to seek her shoulder or counsel.
We will miss her.
Mom was never one to bring attention to herself and as such requested that there be no formal service. Celebrate her life in the memories you hold dear, carry on with humour and grace and she will be thus honoured.
May 22, 1918 – County Durham, England
February 14, 2019 – Calgary, Alberta
Jenny passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 14, 2019. She is survived by six children, Michael, Paul (Ming He), Larry (Elizabeth Martens), Bobby, Gerry (Lynn) and Karen (Rod Smith); four grandchildren, Christopher (Sofia Tjernstrom), Brenda (Sean Haughian), Jesse (Laura Norman) and Johanna; and her great granddaughter, Sylvie Ann Haughian. Also survived by her sister, Ann (East) and brother, Andrew in England. Jenny was predeceased by her husband, Frank in 1976.
Jenny started life on her parent’s farm in the Beamish area of Northern England. As she grew up there a favorite memory was seeing the drunken ducks wobbling away from the feed trough that had left over fermented mash in it. Another memory was having to round up the geese who were ‘too stupid’ to seek shelter from a hail storm. Later on she joined the RAF and served on the air base at Linton-on-Ouse. She worked diligently packing parachutes for the pilots and here she met Frank and they were subsequently married in Newcastle -on-Tyne in 1944. In 1945 she crossed the Atlantic as a war bride pregnant with Michael. She and a friend were the only pregnant women on board and she happily recounts how they ate their way across the ocean while others were perpetually sea sick. Arriving in Halifax she was then transported via train to Montreal to meet her new family for the first time. Over the years Jenny and Frank had six children; five boys arriving first followed by a long awaited daughter. Mom endured many trying times with her large family. Michael with a button stuck in his nose, Paul who always found a lump in his mashed potatoes (what a horror), Larry the mischievous one who received a bonk on the head with a hair brush (often), Bobby who caught his finger in a closing suitcase, Jerry who managed to put himself into the oven and Karen who had to endure five brothers. On Saturday nights (Hockey night), our friends were always welcome for hamburgers and French fries followed by her legendary chocolate chip cookies. Not being busy enough sewing clothes for her children and managing their antics, Mom also served on the ladies auxiliary for the local scout troop where Dad was scout master.
After Frank passed away, she moved to Calgary in 1979 continuing to celebrate with her ‘war bride’ companions and fliting about Calgary and the Rocky Mountains seeking out new adventures. New adventures included making ‘chores’ into fun for her grandchildren… Polishing brass knickknacks, guarding the kitchen while the Yorkshire puddings were rising, helping to sew the many Halloween costumes, raiding the pig for chocolate chip cookies, shopping at the farmers market (tractor rides!) and setting the table for the best roast beef dinners in town.
Mom always vowed to live to 100 so that she would receive birthday wishes from the Queen. We celebrated her 100th birthday with the entire family, some travelling from London Ontario, Australia and New Brunswick. A special treat for her was to meet and hold her great granddaughter, Sylvie Ann.
Mom was indeed the perfect Mom, always ready to find the best in people she met and looked at life with humour and grace. Although frail in the last four months, she remained mentally alert and continued to engage all of her children at every opportunity.
We are better humans for having her at our sides when we chose to seek her shoulder or counsel.
We will miss her.
Mom was never one to bring attention to herself and as such requested that there be no formal service. Celebrate her life in the memories you hold dear, carry on with humour and grace and she will be thus honoured.