It was 10 years ago today, September 20, 1999 that my mother graduated from this life and went on to meet her Lord. She was an excellent mother. I think of her often, remember her fondly and miss her dearly.
Mom
December 26, 1996
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One of the treasures I have from my mother, and actually I think it was originally her mother's, is a small framed picture that hung in her dining room and now hangs in my office. The painted glass picture has the following poem inset within it.
Mother
To one who bears the
sweetest name,
And adds a lustre to the same,
Who shares my joys,
who cheers when sad--
The greatest friend I ever had!
Long life to her,
for there's no other
Could take the place
of my dear Mother.
I remember the days preceding her death. We, my sisters and I, had been made aware that she was approaching the end and we were together in her palliative care room in the Radville nursing home. We sat around her bed, together as her family. We laughed, we cried, we reminisced and sang songs. We weren't sure she was completely aware of all of us there until we sang one of her favourite songs "You Are My Sunshine". I remember watching her feet moving to keep time to the rhythm of the song. She loved that song. I still get misty eyed whenever I hear it and am drawn back to that day.
I am proud of my mom. She had a tremendous influence on my life, the lives of my sisters and their families, the lives of my children and the myriad of other children that she taught in her career as a first grade teacher.
I'd like you to know a little bit about my mom. So today I want to include the eulogy that I gave at her funeral on September 25, 1999.
I want to introduce to you, my mom.
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CLARICE HELEN MOONEY
August 15, 1910 - September 20, 1999
It is difficult to encapsulate a life that spanned 89 years 1 month and 5 days in just a few minutes.
This woman, my mother lived through two world wars. She witnessed incredible change throughout her lifetime. She saw the world develope from the horse & buggy to the man on the moon. From the first primitive flight to the Space Shuttle. From the Model T to the Sports Utility Vehicle. From the wood stove to the microwave. From splitting wood to splitting the atom. From the ink well to E-Mail. From the coal oil lamp to electricity. From that cold path in the dark to indoor plumbing.
It’s impossible to cover all of the significant events of her life but I want to share with you some of her history…some of her experience…some of her life.
Birth:
Clarice Helen Mooney was born Clarice Hurlburt at Ramona, South Dakota on August 15, 1910 to parents Frank and Lottie (York) Hurlburt.
Parents:
Frank Hurlburt was the son of Elisha Hurlburt and Eunice (Harroun) Hurlburt of Broadhead, Wisconsin.
Lottie (York) Hurlburt was the daughter of Christopher Columbus York and Arena (Curtis) York of Richland, Missouri.
Siblings:
Clarice was born the third of five children.
Two older brothers:
Alvin Frank: born March 13, 1905 at Ramona, South Dakota
married Lillian Dahl
passed from this life January 19, 1986 at the age of 81 years
Roy Elmer: born January 28, 1908 at Ramona, South Dakota
never married
passed from this life May 20, 1953 at the age of 45 years
One younger brother:
Harold Clifton: born October 7, 1912 at Ramona, South Dakota
married Velva Frymire
passed from this life December 2, 1998 at the age of 86 years
One younger sister:
Ione Muriel: born December 2, 1922 at Radville, Saskatchewan
married Art Thue
residing in Radville, Saskatchewan
Immigration to Canada:
In 1912 the lure of inexpensive homestead land in Canada prompted Frank Hurlburt to sell his land in South Dakota. In the summer of 1912 Frank Hurlburt and Roy Levee came to Canada seeking land to homestead. In the spring of 1913 when mom was just 2 ½ years old, Frank, Allen, Floyd and Ralph Hurlburt along with Roy Levee moved themselves, their families and their possessions by railroad and then horse and wagon to homestead land near Radville, Saskatchewan. The Frank Hurlburt family homesteaded about 12 miles south of Radville in the Soda Lake area.
Education:
Mom started school at Soda Lake School, which was about a mile west of the family homestead. She attended school there until grade 4 when her family moved to Radville to get better schooling for her and her brothers.
Upon completing high school in Radville mom attended Normal School in Regina in 1929-30. Apparently Normal School was a training school for teachers. I remember mom talking about her days at Normal school on many occasions. I recall wondering as a child how they could call anything to do with teachers “NORMAL”.
Early Life Friendships:
During her early adult years mom developed friendships with some very special people. Mother would tell stories of adventures and names of dear friends would come out. Names of friends like her life long friend Lillian Torkelson. Signa (Jelsing) McLeod, Lavina (Jelsing) Bailey, Cecil Bailey, Wilfred Orr, Manley Jacobs and J.C. Bailey.
Starting a career in education:
Mom acquired her first teaching school in the Buffalo Valley School District near Brooking in 1931. Her salary for her first year teaching was $600.00 per year. Room and board was $20.00 per month. She taught at that school for three years from 1931 to 1934.
Mom next taught one term at Gibson Creek School just west of Brooking. From there she taught two years at Blooming School District midway between Lake Alma and Gladmar. It was the “HUNGRY THIRTIES” and her salary had decreased to $350.00 per year which included doing the janitorial work at the school.
I remember mom telling of rising at 6:00 AM, before sunrise, walking for a mile or more through snow that was knee deep…..uphill…both ways…no matter the weather, to get to school. She would enter the cold dark school…feel her way down into the basement to the furnace and start a coal fire so that the school was warm for the arrival of the students.
During her two years at Blooming my mother never received a pay cheque and when she left teaching at Blooming the school district owed her $580.00.
Meeting a mate:
During her early teaching career, at her first teaching school in Brooking, mom met a young Irishman named John Mooney. John had immigrated to Canada from Ireland with his parents James and Agnes Mooney at the age of 6 months. John lived with his parents in Brooking, SK and worked for the Canadian National Railway.
Courtship:
It was the depression and thoughts of marriage were tempered with economic concerns. John Mooney and Clarice Hurlburt went steady for about six years and were engaged at Christmas 1936
Marriage:
Mom and dad were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at her parents farm south of Radville on June 30, 1937. The fact that the date coincided with the end of the school year may or may not have been significant.
Family Development:
The newlyweds made their home in Brooking for the next six years. They were blessed with their first child, a daughter Marilynn Carole in November, 1938. For those of you who must count…that’s about a year and a half. Old habits die hard for school teachers so they scheduled the arrival of their second daughter Janice Ione for June 29, 1940. Next came daughter number 3, Faye Janelle in October 1942; daughter number 4, Gayle Maridee in August 1943 and daughter number 5 Sheila Lynn in June 1945. That’s an amazing 5 girls in under 7 years. This completed their family…or so they thought. Mom and dad took in a little 9 month old boy, Michael as a foster child in April 1952. Now the family appeared to be complete….but I stand here today as living proof that accidents happen. I was born in March 1953. My parents also took in foster children and cared for five or six children for various lengths of time until they were placed in adoptive homes.
Residence Changes:
During these years the family left Brooking in 1943 to move to Spring Valley and then on to Goodwater in 1945. In October 1953 my dad, John Mooney became the section foreman for the Canadian National Railway at Radville so the family moved from Goodwater to live in the section house in Radville.
Death of Spouse:
In the fall of 1957 there was a worldwide Asian flu pandemic (H2N2). My father contracted the Asian flu. He was unable to obtain leave from his duties with the Canadian National Railway and his flu deteriorated into viral pneumonia. Dad died on October 24, 1957 at the age of 47 years, leaving mom with 6 children and a crisis. Mom was forced to add to her responsibilities of mother and homemaker the new roles of sole parent and breadwinner. She was forced to pack up her family and vacate the section house within weeks of my father’s death. She had no money and nowhere to go. Fortunately she was able to move in with her mother.
I was fairly young, just 4 years old when this happened. I do, however remember the strength of my mother. I can’t remember ever seeing her cry. I can’t recall ever hearing her whine or feel sorry for herself or ask why this had happened to her. She just looked forward and found a way to succeed.
Second Career:
Mom had been away from teaching in the classroom for over twenty years. Her confidence was low but she new she had a family to provide for so she approached the School Unit and accepted a position teaching at Gladmar in the spring of 1958.
She then took a 6 week refresher course in the summer of 1958 to get her teaching certificate renewed.
In the fall of 1958 Mom went back to her original one room school in Brooking where she taught grades 1 through 8 and a little bit of kindergarten as well as I attended school with her every day as a four year old. At the end of that school year Superintendent of schools, Chester Teal convinced her to accept the position of grade one teacher in the Radville Public School for the fall of 1959. Mom remained in that position until she retired from teaching in June 1974.
I remember those days well. Mom would get up early and get ready for school then leave so she could get to school early, before 8:00 AM to make sure everything was ready for the school day ahead. Mom would then stay long after the last student, teacher or janitor had left the building, preparing for the next school day. I remember well that old three story red brick school in Radville. I can picture the doors and the wide wooden stairway and banisters to the second floor. Mom’s room was just to the left as you came in the front doors. I can still see her big oak desk at the front of the room, the blackboards with the alphabet in large and small letters. The pictures and phonix props hanging around the room, and the sandbox on the table at the back of the room.
I can remember cold winter days when mom would read to her class during the lunch hour about Br’ere Fox and Br’ere Bear. I can remember the silence in the room as she captivated the children with her ability to bring the story to life.
Mom was dedicated to her job and loved to teach first graders. She always made learning interesting and fun. I’m sure she instilled a love of learning in the lives of many young children. I know she earned the respect and praise of her peers and her superintendent Ches Teal. This fact was brought out vividly in a speech filled with praise and admiration given by Ches’ wife, Jo Teal at mom’s 80th birthday party.
Retirement:
Mom retired from teaching in June 1974. She spent the next 20 years of her life involved with the Rebecca’s service club, the Radville Senior Citizens Club and travelling. She took up many crafts and activities and even played in a kazoo band with other members of the senior citizens club. She loved to quilt and spent countless hours at the club quilting. During these years she developed close friendships with a few people but two names in particular kept coming up in our conversations. Amelia Bourassa and Evelyn Crone were two of her closest friends in Radville in her retirement years.
Travel:
Mom traveled extensively with her friend Lillian Torkelson. She visited every province and territory in Canada. She visited Hawaii, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Great Britain and Europe.
Residence Changes:
Mom lived alone in her own house in Radville which her father built and her parents lived in until their deaths, her father Frank on November 25, 1955 and her mother Lottie on August 3, 1977.
Mom moved to an apartment in Imperial Plaza in Weyburn in 1995. She lived alone but was cared for daily by her youngest daughter Sheila and visited regularly by her life long friend Lillian Torkelson.
Over the next 3 years mom’s health progressively deteriorated until she was forced to give up her apartment and take up residence in the Radville Marian Home in August 1998.
Mom appreciated the care she received in the Radville Marian Home. She would always say that they treated her “So Good, she felt like a princess.”
Mom’s short-term memory started to weaken in the last couple years of her life. I remember sitting at her bedside and asking her what was new…and she struggled to remember…. but just mention something from her days as a young adult….one of her experiences with her friends and she would perk up and tell a story that often would start …” Oh yes, Lillian and I “ …. Or maybe “ Oh, that Cecil Bailey, was such a tease.
Ask her a question about dad, or the girls, or her teaching days and you were set with conversation for hours.
Mom passed from this life on Monday September 20, 1999 in the room next to the room her husband had died in 42 years earlier.
And so here we are, gathered today to remember this woman. To honour her for her love and dedication to her family and her service to her community. To wish her a fond farewell and to congratulate her for a job well done and a life well lived.
Farewell mom, til we meet again.
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