Obituary for Elizabeth Ellen Maki (Porter)
Elizabeth Ellen Maki
(née Porter)
It is with great sadness that the family of Elizabeth (Betty) Ellen Maki announces her passing on February 28, 2021.
She was pre-deceased by her husband, Albert; daughters, Patricia and Margaret-Lynn; parents, Sidney and Violet; sisters, Margaret, Edith and Nora and her son-in-law, Kevin.
She leaves to mourn her sons, Bill (Maureen), Roy (Gail), Russell (Amy); daughter Heather (Jerry), and daughter-in-law, Marilyn. Her grandchildren, Blair (Tara), Chris (Candice), Shelby (PK), Rachel (Branson), Jesse (Alyssa), Mathew, Kaitlyn, Johanna, Marley and Axel as well as great-grandchildren, Phoenix, Cason and Calleigh. Also left to mourn is her sister, Joyce (Bert), and many much-loved nieces and nephews.
Betty was born August 6, 1932 in Vancouver, the first of 5 sisters. Her family moved to Rivers, MB when she was 5, then to a farm north-east of Whitewood, SK close to her grandparents on the Ede farm around age 9. She and her sisters loved music, riding horses and life on the farm. She attended Hopehill and Burrows schools, then boarded in Whitewood, SK to complete her high school diploma. She graduated from Moose Jaw Normal School in 1952 with her teacher's certificate.
Her first teaching position was at Logwood School north of Broadview, SK. After two years there, she accepted a position at New Finland, SK where she met Albert, the love of her life. Their whirl-wind courtship involved drag racing the Ford tractor, fast spinning waltzes, hot saunas, baseball games, raucous horseshoe tournaments, Luther League parties and of course, the Juhannus picnic. They were engaged on New Year's Eve of 1954 and wed on July 26, 1955. Their first home was a 2-room log cabin in New Finland, but as more children arrived, Albert built a larger house and continued to expand it until it was big enough for all the children, their nanny, Great Aunty Nora, fun memories, constant humor and love. Both Betty and Albert taught by example, encouraging strong individualism in their children with unfailing love and support.
In between maternity leave, Betty continued teaching at New Finland until its closing then Grove Park, followed by Wapella School until her retirement in 1988. She enjoyed retirement thoroughly, travelling with Albert to Europe, the Caribbean, the southern states, and often to their other home in Fernie, BC while still farming until moving to Esterhazy in 2003. She enjoyed volunteering for St. John's Lutheran Church in New Finland as well as oil painting, gardening, writing poetry, and time with her children and grandchildren.
Following Albert's passing in 2011, Betty moved to a retirement community in Winnipeg in 2014. She leaves to mourn her adopted Barkman family there as well. She remained the loving, inspirational, sharp witted matriarch until the last day of her life. Her brilliant smile and kindness touched so many and already she is dearly missed.
A special thank you to the staff at Misericordia Place who made the last few months of her life more comfortable in a most difficult time in history. A memorial is planned this summer in New Finland. Donations can be made in Betty’s name to St. John’s Lutheran Church, New Finland, PO Box 173, Wapella, Saskatchewan S0G 4Z0.
(née Porter)
It is with great sadness that the family of Elizabeth (Betty) Ellen Maki announces her passing on February 28, 2021.
She was pre-deceased by her husband, Albert; daughters, Patricia and Margaret-Lynn; parents, Sidney and Violet; sisters, Margaret, Edith and Nora and her son-in-law, Kevin.
She leaves to mourn her sons, Bill (Maureen), Roy (Gail), Russell (Amy); daughter Heather (Jerry), and daughter-in-law, Marilyn. Her grandchildren, Blair (Tara), Chris (Candice), Shelby (PK), Rachel (Branson), Jesse (Alyssa), Mathew, Kaitlyn, Johanna, Marley and Axel as well as great-grandchildren, Phoenix, Cason and Calleigh. Also left to mourn is her sister, Joyce (Bert), and many much-loved nieces and nephews.
Betty was born August 6, 1932 in Vancouver, the first of 5 sisters. Her family moved to Rivers, MB when she was 5, then to a farm north-east of Whitewood, SK close to her grandparents on the Ede farm around age 9. She and her sisters loved music, riding horses and life on the farm. She attended Hopehill and Burrows schools, then boarded in Whitewood, SK to complete her high school diploma. She graduated from Moose Jaw Normal School in 1952 with her teacher's certificate.
Her first teaching position was at Logwood School north of Broadview, SK. After two years there, she accepted a position at New Finland, SK where she met Albert, the love of her life. Their whirl-wind courtship involved drag racing the Ford tractor, fast spinning waltzes, hot saunas, baseball games, raucous horseshoe tournaments, Luther League parties and of course, the Juhannus picnic. They were engaged on New Year's Eve of 1954 and wed on July 26, 1955. Their first home was a 2-room log cabin in New Finland, but as more children arrived, Albert built a larger house and continued to expand it until it was big enough for all the children, their nanny, Great Aunty Nora, fun memories, constant humor and love. Both Betty and Albert taught by example, encouraging strong individualism in their children with unfailing love and support.
In between maternity leave, Betty continued teaching at New Finland until its closing then Grove Park, followed by Wapella School until her retirement in 1988. She enjoyed retirement thoroughly, travelling with Albert to Europe, the Caribbean, the southern states, and often to their other home in Fernie, BC while still farming until moving to Esterhazy in 2003. She enjoyed volunteering for St. John's Lutheran Church in New Finland as well as oil painting, gardening, writing poetry, and time with her children and grandchildren.
Following Albert's passing in 2011, Betty moved to a retirement community in Winnipeg in 2014. She leaves to mourn her adopted Barkman family there as well. She remained the loving, inspirational, sharp witted matriarch until the last day of her life. Her brilliant smile and kindness touched so many and already she is dearly missed.
A special thank you to the staff at Misericordia Place who made the last few months of her life more comfortable in a most difficult time in history. A memorial is planned this summer in New Finland. Donations can be made in Betty’s name to St. John’s Lutheran Church, New Finland, PO Box 173, Wapella, Saskatchewan S0G 4Z0.