THISTLETHWAITE - Jessie (Justina) 1918 - 2011
Jessie's soul began its journey home the evening of Monday, Sept. 19 at Cypress Regional Hospital. Her daughters were by her side. Jessie was born on Valentine's Day, 1918 to Agatha Neufeld and Peter Abraham Harder in the farming community of Rosenfeld, Man. She moved to Saskatchewan in 1936 to join her sister Anna and brother-in-law John Funk at Beaver Flat. She found work as a house girl nearby and in the Stewart Valley district. Soon Jessie met the love of her life and favorite dancing partner Ashworth Thistlethwaite. They married Dec. 10, 1938 and farmed in the area until they retired. While raising her family, Jessie volunteered for every community cause, from fundraising for a new ice rink to co-founding the Stewart Valley 4-H Homemakers Club with her friend Freida Gray. Jessie held office in many organizations over the years, including the Homemakers, Community Club, Home & School, Figure Skating Club, United Church Women, Horticultural Society and Art Club. She taught Sunday school for 22 years. When the curling rink was built, she became an enthusiastic curler with trophies to prove it. While others in their 50s looked forward to finishing their careers, Jessie began new ones. She spent eight years as the first teacher-aide at Stewart Valley's inaugural kindergarten. She also discovered her talent for oil painting, expressing her love of nature in her art. To her astonishment, people came from all over to commission her to paint on canvas, saw blades and once, on ostrich eggs. Jessie was predeceased by her son Grant (1983), husband Ash (2001), brothers Jacob (Dorothy) and David, sisters Anna (John), Nettie (Harry) and Agatha (Orville) and sisters- and brothers-in-law Anje (Reynard), Lloyd (Dorothy), Ralph (Donnie) and Dot. She is survived by her daughters Carolyn (Calvin) and Sheila, brother-in-law Melbourne and sister-in-law Pat. She leaves behind her grandchildren Bart, Leanne (Walter) and Stacy of Alberta and Erik and Martine (Gabriel) of Vancouver, six great grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren. She is missed by a vast number of extended family members and friends, many of whom attended her funeral Saturday, Sept. 24, 1:00 p.m., at Grace United Church, Swift Current, with Reverend Bonita Chad and Barbara Wiebe officiating. The pallbearers were Sandra Hinks, Larry Pool, and representatives of the Stewart Valley founding families--Ron Thistlethwaite, Bruce Stewart, Barry Campbell and Greg King. Brian Knight gave the eulogy. Music was by Arnold Schroeder, Larry and Lesley Oakman, Alison Rosser and the church choir. The interment service was held at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Donations in Jessie's memory can be made to the Grace United Church building fund and the Dr. Noble Irwin Healthcare Foundation. All funeral arrangements were entrusted to Warren's Funeral Home, 773-8831, www.warrensfuneralhome.com.