Obituary of Mabel Grace Lomas

To watch the recording of the service

https://video.ibm.com/embed/recorded/130848106

Mabel Grace Lomas (nee Cawkwell) was born to Edwin and Julianna Cawkwell (nee Ryan) on Feb 8, 1921.  She was born on the family farm near Grayson Saskatchewan where all her siblings were born. She was the fifth of eight children. 

The family moved up to Nut Mountain area in 1935.  Mabel attended Nut Grove School, but as many did during the depression, she quit school early to go out to work for various families doing everything from housework, cooking to milking cows, and looking after children.

It was near the area of Raven Lake that Mabel met her husband Charlie Lomas in 1939 and they married on June 29, 1942.  They settled on the farm by Raven Lake and worked hard together to raise and educate their four children: Margaret, Linda, Rick and Bill.  Mabel kept house, cooked, and did many of the outside chores including milking cows and pumping water for the horses.  One of her favourite summer jobs was to rake hay using the bunch rake drawn by horses, until raking the hay became motorized years later. Mabel and Charlie lived on the farm until 1968 when they moved to Kelvington and continued to farm from town. In 1976 they sold the farm and continued to live in Kelvington.

Mabel worked as a waitress and then cook at the Kelvington Hotel about eight years with only Sundays off. When the Kelvindell Lodge opened she acquired the position of head cook and had the distinction of cooking the very first meal there. She worked there for ten years until she retired at 65 years young.  She also worked for many years, casually, as a matron/guard for women prisoners at the Kelvington R.C.M.P. barracks.

After retiring, Mabel remained a prominent member of the Kelvington community.  She was an active member of the Coop Guild, and the Trehearne Quilt Club, where she worked hard with other club members to raise money for community clubs and charities. There were many community suppers, quilting bees, and quilt raffles. Mabel loved curling, golf and bowling and won many trophies and took them with her and displayed them proudly wherever she lived.

Mabel and Charlie enjoyed spending much time with family and friends playing cards and visiting.  Mabel was a wonderful hostess. She loved to cook, bake, and entertain.

After Charlie died in 1997, Mabel remained in Kelvington until 2002 when she moved to Saskatoon. She frequently drove back to Kelvington for many years to see family and friends.

When she first moved to Saskatoon, Mabel lived in a house in the beautiful River Heights neighborhood and had her Granddaughters, Lindsay and Leanne live with her for many years while they attended University. She remained active with gardening and cooking and baking for her “roommates” and any friends or family members who would come for a visit. She would still sew, quilt, golf or bowl occasionally.

In 2004 she purchased her own newly built condo in the University Heights area of Saskatoon. When she first moved to the condo, the area had everything she needed: a Coop grocery store, credit union, dollar store and liquor store. The area continued to be built up around her until there was a high school, many restaurants, banks and shops and a salon for manicures and pedicures. At Christmas time Mabel enjoyed that she could see parts of the light displays at the Enchanted Forest at the Forestry farm from her living room window. She made many friends here and was always keen to help her neighbors to host community gatherings in the amenities room. She became friends with other card players and often had people over late at her place or got home late from a neighbors after cards and wine.

In the summer of 2010, when Mabel was returning home from a visit to Kelvington she took a tumble and broke her hip and her arm. Fortunately, the talented orthopedic surgeons at Royal University Hospital were able to fix her up with some “bionic” parts and after a month of dedicated effort at City Hospital rehab, and the support of her family, she was able to move back to her beloved condo.

In 2015 Mabel moved to an assisted living apartment; the “home of the underage senior”: The Parkville Manor, overlooking the river and downtown and boasting some of the best food in town. It was hard to give up her condo and say goodbye to many friends there, but she ended up fitting in well at the Parkville manor and making new friends to play Kaiser with almost every night of the week. She was one of the most active and popular residents right up until she had to move to a personal care home in January of 2021, still in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Fortunately, Mabel was still able to attend her 100^th Birthday Celebration at the Parkville Manor on February 8 and play Kaiser with her friends one last time. Of course, we had to remember to not let her blow out the candles on the whole cake: I think Covid-19 may have drove this birthday tradition to extinction.

Sadly, Mabel ended up in Hospital on June 17 and remained there until passing away peacefully at the age of 100 on July 7, 2021 , surrounded by family.

Mabel was predeceased by her parents:  Edwin and Juliana Cawkwell, Husband :  Charlie Lomas

Daughter:  Linda (Allan) Wilson, Grandson:  Stephen Ziegler, Son-in-laws: Leo Ziegler

Siblings:  Bernard (Helen), Bill (Bertha), Clarence and Clifford,  Alice (Hank)

Weisenberger,  and Frances (Sandy) George,  Brother-in-law:  Lloyd Donaldson

Nieces :  Sheila Cawkwell, Ellen Newton, and Nephew Ted Cawkwell

Father-in-law and Mother-in-law:  Dick and Jessie Lomas

Sisters-in-laws:  Martha (Vic) Gottinger, and Ethel (Bill) Van Essan

Mabel leaves to cherish her memory one sister:  Myrt Donaldson, Two sisters-in-law: Gladys Cawkwell and Naomi Cawkwell

Children:  Marg Ziegler, Rick Lomas,  Bill (Gayle) Lomas. Three Grandchildren:  Keith (Lori) Wilson, Leanne (Shaun) Harley, Lindsay (Howard) Hemingson. Four Great Grandchildren:  Morgan Ziegler, Karisa Wilson, Blake Harley and Brett Harley, and many nieces and nephews .