Obituary of Nellie Watson

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a long time resident of Dawson Creek and area; our loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Nellie Watson. Nellie passed away on Monday, February 20, 2017 in Rotary Manor, Dawson Creek, B.C. at the age of 92 years. Anastasia Bonderchuk was born in a small village in Poland on May 10, 1924 where she lived until 1931 when she boarded the Alaunia with her mother, brother and sister for their voyage to Canada. They took the train from Montreal to Edmonton to meet her father and settled on a farm near St. Paul. Nellie finished her education and was offered an opportunity to move to Dawson Creek for work. She started working at the Five to a Dollar store in 1943. She was quick to make friends, enjoyed socializing and attending community dances. Dawson Creek was a military staging town making it a temporary home to many handsome soldiers. Nellie met Gordon at a dance and they quickly fell in love and were married in the United Church on August 10, 1945. Gordon was discharged from the RCAF in 1946, in June of that year they returned to the Peace and purchased the Farmington Store. Before selling the store in 1952, they homesteaded land at Mile 14 on the Alaska Highway. The hard work of clearing the land and building a home had begun. Nellie was no stranger to hard work and not afraid to get her hands dirty. In 1955 they started their family with the birth of Loretta. Their family expanded again in May of 1957 when Ronda was born. They raised their two daughters on the farm in Farmington. A second farm in Sunset Prairie was cleared and developed in the 1970's. Gordon and Nellie divided their time between the two farms. In 1975, Loretta and her husband purchased the majority of the land at Farmington. They moved to Heritage Heights in Dawson Creek in 1992 where they spent their winters and continued to spend their summers on the ranch where Nellie enjoyed the wildlife and gardening. Gordon and Nellie made several trips to Quebec to visit his family. Other trips they took together were to Disneyland, Australia, New Zealand and Alaska. Nellie also travelled to Russia with her mother to visit long lost relatives. They also purchased a campervan in their retirement to visit their grandchildren. Nellie will always be remembered for the abundance of delicious food she would prepare for friends and family. She could always be found baking and the cookie jar was always full for her grandchildren. Nellie had a passion for gardening vegetables and flowers, inside and outside of the house. She loved to pick wild berries and knew when they were in season. When Nellie sat down at the end of the day her hands would be busy with knitting needles, crochet hooks or a tatting shuttle. Nellie served as a Director on the Dawson Creek Co-Op Board for many years, which she really enjoyed. She was quick to volunteer and was soon a staple at the weekly Bingo games and potlucks at Heritage Heights. She loved playing cards and enjoyed socializing at community functions. Nellie was predeceased by her husband Gordon, her parents Nick and Anna, her brother Henry, and her in-laws Ruth and Bill. Nellie will be forever remembered by her daughters Loretta (Ken) and Ronda (Elgin), her grandchildren: Laurie (Allan), Dwayne (Amy), Cynthia, Andrea and Norton (Emily), her great grandchildren: Scott, Bradley, James, Dylan, Kobe, Zane, Chance, Jarin, and Cale, as well as her sister Mary and her family, and many close friends and neighbors. A Funeral Service was held on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 11:00 AM at Reynars Funeral Home. Reverend Marilyn Carroll officiated. Interment followed in the Sunrise Valley Mountainview Cemetery. For friends so wishing, donations may be made in memory of Nellie to the South Peace United Church Memorial Fund 1300-104 Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 2J6. Very Respectfully Reynars Funeral Home and Crematorium Funeral Service 11:00 am Wednesday, March 1, 2017 Reynars Funeral Home & Crematorium 1300 102nd Avenue Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada V1G 2C6