COCKWILL, HELEN MARTHA OF ARROWWOOD, ALBERTA PASSED AWAY AT VULCAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE, VULCAN, ALBERTA ON APRIL 7, I996 AT THE AGE OF 79 YEARS .
HELEN WAS BORN JUNE 28, 1916 ON THE FARM NEAR MOSSLEIGH, ALBERTA. SHE ATTENDED SUNSET VALLEY SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL IN VULCAN AND HER AUNT MARTHA HELPED HER THROUGH NORMAL SCHOOL IN CALGARY IN 1935-6. SHE BEGAN HER TEACHING CAREER TEACHING AT ECKVILLE, UNION JACK, DEWINTON, AND CHESTERMERE LAKE SCHOOLS. SHE MARRIED SYDNEY JOHN “BUCK” COCKWILL IN 1942 AT HIGH RIVER. THEY FARMED AT ARROWWOOD AND BEGAN A FAMILY. SHE RETURNED TO TEACH SCHOOL AT ARROWWOOD IN 1953, WHERE SHE CONTINUED TO TEACH UNTIL RETIRING IN I981 AND RECEIVED HER THIRTY YEAR PIN FROM THE COUNTY OF VULCAN. THROUGH THE YEARS SHE HAS TAUGHT HER SONS, GRANDCHILDREN, NIECES, NEPHEWS AND HAS TOUCHED MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN HER COMMUNITY, FIRST IN THE ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE GRADES ONE TO ELEVEN TO ELEMENTARY GRADES. PEOPLE WERE MOST IMPORTANT TO HER, AND SHE WOULD TAKE THE TIME FOR THE CHILDREN.
SHE WAS A MEMBER OF EASTWAY LADIES SOCIAL CLUB, ARROWWOOD FRIENDSHIP CLUB, NEW BEGINNINGS AND A LIFE MEMBER OF THE UNITED CHURCH. SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT FOR MANY YEARS.
HELEN CONTINUED TO LEARN WHILE TEACHING. SHE WOULD TAKE UNIVERSITY COURSES, THEN AFTER RETIRING SHE CONTINUED WITH ADULT EDUCATION WHERE SHE TOOK A COURSE ON GROWING FLOWERS WHICH SHE ENJOYED DOING, AND PIANO LESIONS. SHE ALSO DECORATED CAKES, WHICH WERE METICULOUSLY DONE. SHE WON PRIZES FOR HER CAKE DECORATIONS AND FLOWERS AT THE MILO FALL FAIR. SHE ALSO TRIED PHOTOGRAPHY AND GOLFING. SHE ALSO PLAYED SCRABBLE AND CRIBBAGE. SHE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO TRY MOST ANYTHING. HELEN ENJOYED TRAVELLING. SOME OF HER MOST MEMORABLE TRIPS WERE TO THE BRITISH ISLES, NUMEROUS CRUISES, AND MYSTERY TOURS ON THE BUS OUT OF VULCAN. HOWEVER THE FOOD HAD TO BE GOOD TO ENJOY THE TRIP, AND SHE ENJOYED THE COMPANY OF THE PEOPLE SHE TRAVELLED WITH.
HELEN HAD A REAL ZEST FOR LIFE AND LIVED EVERY MOMENT TO THE FULLEST. SHE ENJOYED THE SIMPLE THINGS AND WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO EXPERIENCE THEM. IT WAS WITH THIS ATTITUDE THAT SHE BEAT CANCER ONCE IN 1961 AND AGAIN WHEN IT RETURNED LATER, WITH HER POSITIVE, CHEERFUL OUTLOOK ON LIFE AND HER NEVERENDING ENERGY.
SHE WAS A REAL NIGHT HAWK AND FELT THE BEST TIME TO CUT THE GRASS WAS AFTER DARK. ONE OF HER MOST NOTABLE HABITS WAS THE WAY IN WHICH SHE CONDUCTED BANKING AND BUSINESS, STARTING AT FIVE MINUTES TO CLOSING TIME, AS HER TIME WAS JUST AS VALUABLE AS THE CLERK’S.
SHE LOVED HER GRANDCHILDREN AND WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THEIR ACTIVITIES, AND WOULD ALWAYS TAKE TIME TO TAKE IN THEIR ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS. HELEN LOVED HER INDEPENDENCE AND WAS ABLE T O DRIVE HERSELF AROUND UNTIL DECEMBER 1995, THROUGH ALL ROAD TYPES AND CONDITIONS. SHE WAS ALWAYS GOING SOMEWHERE, SELDOM MISSING ANYTHING.
BELOVED MOTHER OF TWO SONS JOHN “BUD” AND HIS WIFE SHARON OF VULCAN AND BOB AND HIS WIFE JANET OF ARROWWOOD, SIX GRANDCHILDREN CHRISTIE, SHANE, LORI, CODY AND HIS WIFE KATHY, CAROL AND KEN, A BROTHER CHARLIE (EVELYN) CHRISTIE OF CALGARY, TWO SISTERS SARA (BILL) FISHER OF CALGARY AND JEANE (WELDON) GRAHAM OF VULCAN, AND NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
HELEN WAS PREDECEASED BY HER HUSBAND SYDNEY “BUCK” IN 1965, TWO BROTHERS GEORGE AND HIS WIFE MARJORIE CHRISTIE AND JOHN AND HIS WIFE DORIS CHRISTIE.
FUNERAL SERVICE WEDNESDAY APRIL 10, 1996 AT 1 P.M. AT THE ARROWWOOD COMMUNITY HALL WITH DON HOLMES, L.M. WITH INTERMENT AT 3:30 PM. AT THE HIGHWOOD CEMETERY, HIGH RIVER.
HONORARY BEARERS ROSEMARY INGRAHAM, MARGARET HOUSE, PAT GRAHAM, GRACE WILLIAMS, ROGER MONTGOMERY AND LEIGH WILLIAMS.
CASKET BEARERS CHRISTIE COCKWILL, SHANE COCKWILL, LORI COCKWILL, CODY COCKWILL, CAROL COCKWILL AND KEN COCKWILL.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, CONTRIBUTIONS MAY BE MADE TO EITHER THE ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION 1331-29 ST. N.W. CALGARY T2N 9Z9 OR VULCAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE BOX 299, VULCAN, T0L 2B0.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME.