Gayleen Mae Gronvold  

March 1, 1933 - August 26, 2018
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Gayleen Mae (nee Murray), late of Birch Hills, SK, formerly of Weldon, SK, on August 26, 2018 at the age of 85 years. Gayleen was born and raised in Yellow Grass, SK on the farm of her parents George and Irma Murray. She had many fond memories of the Murray and Fitzsimmons family get togethers, Rough Bark Camp, Pine Lake Christian Camp, Portage la Prairie and Haavre, Montana where she dedicated her life to Christ. She made it a point that her daughters went to camp. Gayleen played the organ at church, taught Sunday school, and attended Alberta Bible College, Calgary, AB, graduating with a Bachelor of Theology in 1953.  Upon graduating, she became a youth director at Rosscarrock Church of Christ, followed by the Calgary Police in administration. It was in Calgary that she met her husband to be Vern. She often told the story of how they met while skating, and that she was brave enough to accept his invitation for a milk shake and hamburger that was shared, as the order was incorrect.  Gayleen and Vern were married and settled on the Goa homestead, three miles west of Weldon in 1961. Gayleen worked part-time at Burnham’s Store and made many friends in the community, young and old. Vern and Gayleen were snowbirds in Mesa, AZ, and developed close knit friendships there. Once Vern retired from farming, he returned to trucking and Gayleen went along for the ride, and together they saw many parts of Canada and the US. In 2013 they sold the farm and purchased a condo in Birch Hills. Gayleen went on to be a resident at the Weldon Care Home in 2015, followed by the Birchview Nursing Home in 2018. Even though life had its restrictions, church, community, friends, and sharing her faith were still very important to Gayleen. She was a faithful friend far and wide, and became friends with strangers, if only for a moment. She gave sage advice to everyone, often, made sure each child and grandchild had an afghan and a quilt, wrote letters, and sent painstakingly made hand-stitched cards to family and friends. Gayleen was the loving wife of Vern, a doting mother of Marles Grant and Jody Elliott of Calgary, AB. She will be dearly missed by her grandchildren that meant the world to her, Andrew and Alissa (Marles) and Andrea and Erica (Jody). She will be lovingly remembered by her cousins Murray and Fitzsimmons, brother’s in-law Rollice of Tisdale and Howard (Shirley) of Melfort and Donna Johnson (Ed) of Toronto and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Vern on May 19, 2018, parents George and Irma, brother Allen, and sister-in-law Glennis. If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made directly to the Weldon Care Home or Alberta Bible College 635 Northmount Drive NW Calgary, AB T2K 3J6. A Visitation will be held Wednesday, August 29, 2018 - 7:00 pm at Lake Park Baptist Church, Birch Hills, SK. A Funeral Service will be held Thursday August 30, 2018 – 2:00 pm at Lake Park Baptist Church, Birch Hills, SK. Interment in Weldon Lutheran Cemetery. Arrangements in care of MacKenzie Chapel & Crematorium – Shellbrook Funeral Home. Brian and Bev Stobbs, Funeral Directors. www.MacKenzieChapel.ca 306.763.8488