EMMA (GRACE) COCKWILL PASSED AWAY AUGUST 27, 1998 AT VULCAN.
GRACE WAS BORN JANUARY 19, 1915, SECOND CHILD OF SYDNEY AND ELLEN COCKWILL. SHE LIVED HER LIFE ON THE HOME FARM IN HER BELOVED BUFFALO HILLS. FOLLOWING HER FATHER’S DEATH, SHE LIVED WITH AND CARED FOR HER MOTHER.
GRACE LOVED ANIMALS BOTH WILD AND DOMESTIC. THROUGH THE YEARS SHE HAD SHEEP, CHICKENS, DUCKS, DOGS, CATS AND HORSES BUT HER MAIN INTEREST WAS HER HERD OF HEREFORD CATTLE. SHE ENJOYED RIDING IN THE HILLS CHECKING HER OWN CATTLE AS WELL AS THOSE OF OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. DURING SOME OF THOSE RIDES SHE VISITED WITH A NEIGHBORING FARMER, CHARLIE STRUM. THUS BEGAN AN ENDURING 40 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP AND COMPANIONSHIP.
HORSES WERE ANOTHER OF GRACE’S INTERESTS. THROUGH THE YEARS HORSE RACES, RODEOS, AND CHUCKWAGON RACES WERE FOLLOWED WITH GREAT INTEREST. SHE KEPT TRACK OF HANK WILLARD AND LLOYD NELSON IN THE EARLY DAYS TO WARD AND JESS TODAY.
GRACE WAS PARTICULARLY GOOD AT HERDING, A BULL WITH HER TRUCK, ALTHOUGH HER TRUCK USUALLY SHOWED THE EFFECTS OF THIS. SHE HELPED TEACH FIVE NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND SOME OF THEIR CHILDREN TO DRIVE IN THE PASTURE. ONE GATE POST IN PARTICULAR HAD THE SCRAPE MARKS TO SHOW THEIR EFFORTS. HER RED TRUCKS WERE TO BE USED, NOT BABIED. SOMETIMES IT SEEMED SHE DROVE FASTER IN THE PASTURE THAN ON THE ROAD. GRACE ENJOYED MOVING CATTLE AND BRANDING. SHE DID NOT WANT TO MISS THESE ACTIVITIES FOR ANY REASON.
SHE WAS FOND OF HER NIECES BETTY AND SANDRA AND NEPHEWS BOB, BUD AND JIM AND HER 15 GREAT NIECES AND NEPHEWS AS WELL AS TWO GREAT GRAND NEPHEWS. THEY SPENT MANY MEMORABLE HOURS PLAYING AT GRACE’S IN THEIR CHILDHOOD DAYS. AS THEY GREW UP AND STARTED THEIR OWN FAMILIES SHE FOLLOWED WITH INTEREST THEIR SPORTING EVENTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES WHEN POSSIBLE. EVERY PICTURE COLORED OR DRAWN WAS HUNG ON THE WALL IN THE KITCHEN AS IF IN A FINE ART GALLERY.
GRACE WAS AN AVID PHOTOGRAPHER WHO HAD MANY PICTURES FROM THE EARLY DAYS TO THE PRESENT. EVERYONE WAS SHOWCASED IN THE FAMILY PICTURE GALLERY. SHE ENJOYED GARDENING, ESPECIALLY FLOWERS AND NEVER MISSED A SCRABBLE GAME AT FAMILY GATHERINGS. GRACE AND CHARLIE ENJOYED MANY SUNDAY DRIVES, PICNICS AND FAMILY EVENTS. SHE WILL BE SADLY MISSED BY CHARLIE AND ALL THE FAMILY.
SHE IS SURVIVED BY HER BEST FRIEND AND COMPANION CHARLIE STRUM, HER BROTHER BILL COCKWILL AND HIS WIFE EUNICE, AND HER FIVE NIECES AND NEPHEWS, BOB (JANET) COCKWILL, BUD (SHARON) COCKWILL, JIM (RUTH) OLDFIELD, BETTY (GARY) JORGENSEN, AND SANDRA (GERALD) BULL AND THEIR FAMILIES. SHE WAS PREDECEASED BY HER BROTHER SYDNEY (BUCK) COCKWILL AND HIS WIFE HELEN, HER SISTER BERTIE OLDFIELD AND HER HUSBAND ARCHIE, AND HER SISTER LILLIAN ONSTAD AND HER HUSBAND RAY, AND HER PARENTS.
AT GRACE’S REQUEST A PRIVATE FAMILY FUNERAL SERVICE WAS HELD AT ST. ALDHELM’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, VULCAN WITH INTERMENT IN THE VULCAN CEMETERY.
CASKET BEARERS WERE GRANT JORGENSEN, CODY COCKWILL, GARTH OLDFIELD, KEN COCKWILL, ROSS OLDFIELD AND SHANE COCKWILL.
IF FRIENDS SO DESIRE TRIBUTES IN GRACE’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO S.T.A.R.S. 1441 AVIATION PARK N.E. BOX 570 CALGARY, T2E 8M7, OR VULCAN FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES “ FOOD BANK” BOX 594, VULCAN TOL 2BO.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME. TELEPHONE 485-2633.