Obituary of Dianne Hughes

HUGHES: Dianne Hughes passed away in the ICU Unit of the Brandon Hospital on March 11, 2021, with her husband and her "3 girls" by her side.

Alma Dianne, was born to Ivan and Evelyn Harper in McCreary, Manitoba on December 29th, 1951.

Their first born daughter, she gave them quite the scare because she couldn't swallow her milk and had to spend a few weeks in hospital in Winnipeg. 

 Mom recalled many fond memories of growing up on Granny and Grandad Finnamore’s farm in Norgate, until the family moved into McCreary in 1963, when she was 12 years old. 

Her teen years in McCreary got her into a little hot water here and there. I'm sure her sister Shann and cousin Alma Jean could tell us a story or two about that.

At 18 years old Mom married Edward Janzen and together they began a life of hard work and sacrifice.  They raised 4 kids on the farm, and took on many ventures, including selling pregnant mares’ urine from their PMU barn branded the "Rocking Double J" to Mom and the boys milking cows and selling the cream. 

I'll tell ya, when that cream can man came flying down our lane to pick up the weeks supply of cream, us kids knew to get out of the way, because he would run right over our bikes. 

Mom was the hardest working woman I have ever known, she had 4 kids under the age of 6, and milked cows, slopped pigs, fed the chickens and horses and everyone and anyone else who was hungry.  When us kids got a bit older she took on many foster kids having as many as 6 kids all at once in a tiny 2 bedroom house because she couldn't bear to break up a brother and sister, so she took them both. 

Mom had the most selfless giving heart, always putting everyone else's needs ahead of her own. 

When we were kids, she would make her special Valentine's Day cookies for us all to take to our class writing every kid name in icing on one. 

She put many hours of hard work into a big garden, picking berries and crab apples and canning it all for winter. 

She even canned deer meat and suckers for sandwich meat. 

She had to put a lock on the deep freeze in the milk house, to keep us kids out of the baking and goodies she kept frozen in case company came. Her pizza buns were a favorite, and we were so excited to get company so we could finally eat them. 

There was many a time she would find an empty pickle jar with a fork left in it, since she had to store her canning under us girls bunk beds.

In 1985, Dad took a job promotion in Dauphin and the farm was sold and the Janzen’s were moving on up.

Mom worked many jobs in Dauphin until she started her own Cleaning company. 

Janzen Cleaning was a great success, Mom had many employees and contracts, cleaning the provincial building and several businesses in town.

She was good at being in charge, kind and fair with such a good work ethic.

Her Janzen Cleaning pens were even all the rage in the high school, with all us kids’ friends wanting one.

In 1993, Dad took another job promotion in Swan River, so Mom sold her business and they moved to Minitonas with little Britany in tow. 

In 1995, Mom and Dad divorced and Mom found herself on her own for the first time in her life. She worked home care in Minitonas and enjoyed seeing her co workers and clients every day. 

She was always a care giver at heart.

Mom met Brian Hughes at a dance in Minitonas, and on March 8, 1997 they married.

For their honeymoon Brian took Momma back to his hometown in England to meet his family. What an adventure that was for such a small-town girl, and her first time being on an airplane.

Mom and Brian enjoyed dancing and visiting with their friends and neighbors. 

Brian built Mom some raised garden beds out on his farm in Minitonas and Mom really enjoyed gardening that way. It was another fun new experience for her.

In 1999, they sold the farm in Minitonas MB and moved to BC, so Brian could attend a boat school. 

Mom loved BC, and all the adventures it brought.

She worked a few different jobs in Port Alberni, before they found a house that she fell in love with on Gabriola Island, she loved it there. 

She got a job as the head housekeeper at a resort in Tofino, and then the ultimate job offers came to run the housekeeping department at Sonora, a resort that was only accessible by boat or float plane.

She got to meet the Vancouver Canucks while there and was thrilled to show off their autographs.  She even got to go out salmon fishing from the resort, and she canned the biggest fish she ever caught and brought it back to Manitoba to share with her parents and kids.

On the last day of 2004 Mom and Brian moved back to the valley, and bought a farm out in Sclater, and started their next adventure together.  

Brian built her a brick oven and the Country Cottage Bakery was in business. 

Mom was in her element. Baking bread was her specialty. The rise in gas prices and delivery into Swan River was the demise of all her efforts and hard work. But she sure did excel at her craft, even getting a milk cow and making cheese. 

She got a job working as the park attendant at Blue Lakes, the drive to work was long but she always enjoyed the outdoors. After working at the restaurant in Ethelbert, she got a job running the concession in Minitonas. 

She would stay with us while working and we have so many fond memories of our time together. 

Mom ended up getting a housekeeping position at the hospital in Swan and finished off her working career at the personal care home till she retired in 2017.

She was so excited to retire and have more time to enjoy her gardening and feeding her birds. Her hummingbirds were a favorite of hers having as many as 18 at her feeders.

She enjoyed the company of their neighbors Bert and Joyce and Donna and Dennis. Many suppers together as a group followed by games of cards, sequence, and crokinole.

 Mom loved her visits to Alberta to visits her girls, and grandkids and great grandkids. 

She tried to make it out every June for the Strathmore Poker run, because it mattered to her to be there to honor her son Matthew, who predeceased her in 2002.

We had many more adventures we wished we still had time to enjoy with Momma, but sadly her time got cut short. 

Our Momma will be greatly missed 

And leaves to mourn her passing 

Her husband Brian Hughes

Her parents Ivan and Evelyn Harper 

Her sister Shann (Cam) Gale

 

Her son Clinton (Vicki) Janzen

And his family,

Mitchell Janzen,

Alicia Bruce (John Borsch), Lennox and Alexia

Cassidy Janzen (Ariana Wright), Darius, Declan, Chase, and Ronan.

Hannah (Othniel) Beer, Madeline, and Benjamin

Trinity Janzen

Talia Janzen

Jesse Janzen

 

Her son Matthew Janzen’s family

Koralee Debeuckelaere (Matthew Laming), Klayton, Kaliyah and Kiyzer

Nolan Debeuckelaere

Jesse Windsor

Tristan Bigelow, Ariel

 

Her daughter Sherry Janzen (Randy Fahrenschon)

And her family

Britany Janzen (Cody O’Brien), Titan

Garrett Janzen (Laura Bakker)

Emily Arksey (James Spidell)

Ryan Fahrenschon

 

Her daughter Cathy Janzen (Derek Fahrenschon)

And her family

Konnor Kobelka, Matthew

Kennedy Fahrenschon (Riley Dueck), Everitt and Milo

Hailey Fahrenschon (Chad Wickett), Sofia and Isaac

Carter Fahrenschon

 

Brian’s daughter Jackie (Sean) Phillips, Brayden and Rhiannan

 

Niece Jill (Paul)Smith, Jordyn, and Belle

Nephew Ryan (Megan)Jones, Rhilee, Shayden, Alexia and Benjamin 

Her legacy lives on in her kids and grandkids and great grandkids and continues to grow with 2 more on the way.

Oh, how she would have loved to meet them. 

We love you Momma Hughes.

As per Mom's wishes an interment will take place at the Minitonas cemetery where she be will placed on her son Matt's grave, later and when covid restrictions allow. 

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