July 13, 1919 - January 15, 2019
Rose Mary Lingle, born July 23, 1919 in Wakaw, Sask., passed away peacefully with family and friends by her side January 15, 2019 in Kelowna, B.C., at age 99 1/2 (as she said, the half years became important again at her age!).
She was the daughter of Nick and Mary (Thill) Schmit, and the 7th birth in the family, although only five grew to be adults. She moved with her family from Saskatchewan to the Okanagan Valley in B.C. in 1935 before settling in Kelowna in 1939, where she lived for the rest of her life.
She married Clarence Lingle on April 14, 1941, and they raised two daughters together - Marie and Audrey. Rose worked for the Occidental Packinghouse and K.G.E. from 1944 to 1984, when she retired at age 65.
Rose was famous among family and friends for her sewing (quilts, afghans, and more), baking (pies, cookies, cinnamon buns, baking powder biscuits, and much more), gardening, and her warm home where visitors were always welcome (nearly 60 years at 959 Wilson Ave, and then 14 years in her condo at 1610 Gordon Drive).
In 2018 she finished writing her memoir, "I Remember: A Century of Recollections and Reflections", which was published for family and friends, and told the tales of her life and family - from homesteading on the Canadian prairies in the early 1900's to travels by horse-drawn covered wagon and Model T, the Great Depression and World War II to getting married, raising a family, and growing older.
Rose was strong-willed (you don't get to be 99 1/2 without being at least a little bit stubborn) and maintained her exceptional independence until the end. Throughout her life she was surrounded by loved ones, and will be remembered by us all.
Rose lived longer than any of her siblings or parents. She was preceded in death by her parents Nick and Mary, husband Clarence in 1975, siblings Harry, Augusta, Joseph, and Margaret, and son-in-law Karl Wood.
She is survived by her daughters Marie (Edwin Schroeder) Wood, and Audrey (Lorne) Lindsay, grandsons Robert (David Ross) Wood, and James Wood, and cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends too numerous to list but none forgotten and all treasured.
Special thanks to the staff at Kelowna General Hospital and Hospice House for their wonderful care, and to everyone - friends and family - who visited Rose in hospital and hospice during her final days.
Funeral services will be held Friday, February 8, at 2 pm at First Memorial Funeral Services, 1211 Sutherland Avenue, Kelowna. A Celebration of Life will be held in July in honour of Rose's 100th birthday. Details will be announced. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice House, 2035 Ethel St, Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 2Z5.