MAEBELLE ELIZABETH “MAY” McCULLOUGH, OF COALDALE, FORMERLY OF VULCAN, PASSED AWAY JANUARY 16, 2001 AT LETHBRIDGE REGIONAL HOSPITAL AT THE AGE OF 60 YEARS.
MAY WAS BORN APRIL 15, 1940 AT YORK, ONTARIO TO GEORGE “BILL” AND MARGARET “EMILY” SKEFFINGTON. AT THE AGE OF EIGHT MONTHS SHE WAS PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, HER LAST FOSTER FAMILY WAS THE PATTERSON’S IN TORONTO, WHERE SHE ATTENDED SCHOOL. WHILE WITH THE PATTERSON’S AT THE AGE OF ELEVEN, MAY WAS STRUCK WITH RHEUMATIC FEVER AND RECOVERED WHILE IN THE SICK CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN TORONTO. MAY MET AND MARRIED JAMES DONALD McCULLOUGH IN MARCH OF 1959 AT AURORA, ONTARIO. THEY MADE THEIR HOME IN NEW MARKET AND MAY WORKED AS A HOUSEKEEPER PART TIME AND DEVOTED THE REMAINDER OF HER TIME TO BEING A HOMEMAKER. IN 1971 JAMES DIED AND MAY MOVED WITH HER CHILDREN TO GODERICH, ONTARIO WHERE THEY RESIDED UNTIL MOVING TO ARROWWOOD IN 1978 FOR A FEW MONTHS AND THEN TO VULCAN LATER THAT YEAR. MAY BEGAN WORKING AT VULCAN EXTENDICARE, THEN MOVED TO CHAMPION AND WORKED AT THE FOUR WAY CAFÉ. SHE RETURNED TO VULCAN AND WORKED AT THE VULCAN DAIRY BAR AND THEN THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION KITCHEN WHERE SHE ALSO PROVIDED MEALS ON WHEELS TO THE COMMUNITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IN 1990 MAY’S HEALTH DETERIORATED AND IN 1993 SHE HAD HEART SURGERY TO REPAIR DAMAGED VALVES. FOLLOWING HER SURGERY SHE WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO WORK. IN 1997 MAY MOVED TO COALDALE TO BE CLOSER TO HER FAMILY WHERE SHE HAS RESIDED SINCE.
MAY LOVED HER FAMILY AND SHARING TIME WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY HER GRANDCHILDREN MAKING CRAFTS, DOING PUZZLES AND SINGING WITH THEM. SHE ALSO ENJOYED BAKING, CROSS STITCH, VISITING WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, LISTENING TO GOSPEL MUSIC, DOLLY PARTON AND KENNY ROGERS. IN 1986 MAY ENJOYED HER TRIP TO EXPO IN VANCOUVER WITH HER FRIEND.
MAY WAS A MEMBER OF THE VULCAN SENIORS CLUB AND THE COALDALE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP.
LOVING MOTHER OF FIVE DAUGHTERS ROSEMARIE(KEITH) DAVEY OF HAY, ONTARIO, JENNY ATKINSON OF COALDALE, TERESA AUDENAERT OF TABER, JULIE McCULLOUGH OF ELKHORN, MANITOBA, PATTY (BRIAN) HOOD ALL OF COALDALE, TWELVE GRANDCHILDREN MICHELE, AMANDA (FIANCÉ GERALD), JASON, MICHEAL, MELISSA, CHANTEL, FREDERICK, BRITTNEY, JONATHAN, JESSICA, JOSHUA AND MATTHEW, A GREAT GRANDSON JORDAN, SISTER ISABELL (ROBERT) IRWIN OF CHAMPION, A BROTHER WILLIAM SKEFFINGTON, NUMEROUS NIECES, NEPHEWS, AND HER FAITHFUL COMPANION P.J.
MAY WAS PREDECEASED BY HER HUSBAND JAMES, TWO SONS PETER, PAUL, A SON-IN-LAW ALAN AUDENAERT AND HER PARENTS.
FUNERAL SERVICE FRIDAY JANUARY 19, 2001 AT VULCAN UNITED CHURCH AT 1:00 P.M. WITH REV. LORRAINE POWELL AND PASTOR FRANK HARMS CO-OFFICIATING.
INTERMENT VULCAN CEMETERY.
CASKET BEARERS BILL D’ANDREA, JOHN SCATTERGOOD, HARRY BOERSMA, MURRAY NEWTON, ED KNELSEN AND ROY HILMAN.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS TRIBUTES IN MAY’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO THE HEART & STROKE FOUNDATION OF ALBERTA 1011- 2 AVE. SOUTH LETHBRIDGE, T1J OC8.
ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME. DIRECTORS. TELEPHONE 1-403-485-2633. E-MAIL CONDOLENCES TO vulcanfuneralhome@hotmail.com.
May was an amazing woman, and a second mom to me for a number of years when I was growing up in Vulcan. I’m sorry that I missed the chance to say farewell at her funeral. Rest in peace, May.