Obituary of Clara Roth

ROTH: Clara Chan Roth (nee Medvedev), passed away peacefully at her residence, Fairview Home, on September 10, 2015. Clara was born March 3, 1927 in Kalinin, Russia. She was one of nine children born to Simon and Maria Medvedev. There were three sets of twins in that family and Clara was one of the twins with her sister, Lena. Clara, in fact, had a set of twins herself in 1953. Her family were Russian refugees after WWII. Clara was 12 years old when World War II started. The family managed to escape to Belgium where she worked as a housekeeper for a doctor and his family. After working for five years and learning French, the Medvedevs came to Canada in 1950, by way of a luxury Cunard liner from Brussels, Belgium and settled in South Western Manitoba. Clara's father, Simon, bought a farm in Routledge, Manitoba, (between Virden and Oak Lake). Her three brothers worked on the railway. Clara's twin sister, Lena, married a railway worker in Oak Lake and had three children. Clara worked in Virden, Manitoba as a waitress where she met and married George Chan, owner and operator of the Virden Café, a Canadian-Chinese Food restaurant. Clara and George started a family in the early 1950s with Joyce, twins Stanley and Linda, and then Gladys, all born within three years of each other. Clara also enjoyed volunteering in Virden with community organizations and sports. She curled, joined the Rebekah Lodge, assisted with the Scouts, Guides and Brownies meetings to support her kids. Clara and George were married 22 years. He retired in ill health and they moved to Brandon, where her parents had moved when they retired. After he passed away in 1974, Clara started working as a Health Care Aide in Cornwallis personal care home, formerly on 10th Street. Clara married Herb Roth in 1984 and moved to Calgary. She worked her way up from Housekeeping staff to Housekeeping Manager at the Cross Roads Motor Hotel. The managers were from India, and served Indian food often at their restaurant. Clara loved Indian food. When Herb retired in 1989, they moved to Nanaimo, B.C. where they took up boating, fishing and camper tours of the local scenery. Clara loved the road. They made several trips back to Manitoba. Her grandkids have great memories of the fun they had boating and fishing with Clara and Herb in B.C. But eventually, they had to return permanently to Manitoba when B.C.'s wet climate aggravated their health. Because they wanted to keep up their boating and fishing, Clara and Herb settled in Erickson, Manitoba, close to Riding Mountain National Park, Clear Lake and other fishing spots. Herb suffered a heart attack and passed away in 1994. Shortly after, Clara moved back to Brandon to be with Joyce, Stan and Linda, and by then her grandkids, Joyce's children Brian and Daniel "Sparky" Kent, and Stan's daughter Lesley. She also took several trips to Toronto to visit her youngest daughter, Gladys, riding the bus all the way for 36 hours. She did love the road! Clara lived in Princess Park and Lawson Lodge for seniors' living. Then in 2012, she moved into Fairview Personal Care Home, which incidentally has the best staff in all of Manitoba. Clara has been lucky in her life, but she has also been a survivor through all these times and places. Left to mourn is her brother, Steve Medvedev (Isabelle) of Virden and her children, Joyce Raymond, Stanley Chan (Susin Cadman), Linda Chan and Gladys Chan; her grandchildren Brian Kent (Maria), Daniel "Sparky" Kent (Sheena Ford), and Lesley Simon (Ruben); her great grandkids, Caleb and Noah Kent, and Declan and Teryck Simon. They will all miss her smile, tenacious spirit and love of life. The family would like to thank and express their gratitude for the excellent, understanding care Clara had received these past few years at Fairview Home. The residents Clara met there also treated her well and enjoyed her company. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Unit 3-824-18th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 5B7. From Mystical Rose by Richard Scrimger "It's a matter of faith, isn't it? All right here is my prayer right now...Look after me in the past. Be most careful of my growth, my young womanhood, and my own experience of love and trust. Let Your face be turned towards me as the years run back. Please. Heal my hurts, infuse me with hope, bring me to faith, to love. Bless the girl I was. Keep her in Your care. Watch over me all the days of the life I leave now. Amen."