Saturday, November 9, 2019
We have just heard that our beloved uncle Elmer, has passed away. Our condolences go out to the family. He will be missed, no doubt about that.
Elmer Cole is my uncle by marriage, as his wife Isabel, who passed away some years ago, was the sister of my father W. Harold English of Regina, SK. We are all getting on in years, as I am 85 now. But I remember both Elmer and Isabel well and I loved them both dearly.
It seems like just yesterday that I talked to him on his last birthday, I think he was 98. I had the habit of calling him every year, for a long time now.
My first memories of Elmer was just before he went away to war. Aunt Isabel was then engaged to him to be married. And then we did not hear anything from him for so long, and we all thought he had died in Europe. Aunt Isabel was heartbroken. After about two or three years she even started dating again.But she was still in love with her Elmer.
Then one day, just out of the blue, while Isabel was at our farm near Regina, there was a phone call. It was for Isabel and we all thought it was another one of her would-be suitors.
But all she heard was: "Isabel, its me!". She recognized that voice and she screamed. We had to hold her up, as she was about to faint, even while jumping up and down..
Then Elmer came to visit. Wow!! What a time we had.
After I fell in love myself with my now husband Gary of 61 years, we visited Elmer and Isabel often at their place near Estevan, SK. They had two boys, just little rascals at that time.
But then we all moved further apart. Us to Calgary, and Elmer and Isabel to somewhere in Oak ridge in Manitoba. Never did make it there. But we did get a visit from them once, with Uncle Elmer driving his beloved Chevy, a Bell Air model I think.
After that it was just phone calls. But I will miss him. I have his picture on our shelf, being honored last year by the Air Force.
We will miss him dearly. And not only us, but by my brother Guy and sister Colleen as well.
Shirley Jean Beuker (nee English).
