ELLEN PURVES CORDONIER December 31st, 1917 - March 5th, 2008 Ellen is survived by her six children: Angele (Martin), Peggy (David), Ernest (Aisha), John (Susan), Nancy (Peter) and Paul (Diane), many grandchildren and great grandchildren, and her sister Lavonne. Her death leaves a great gap in our lives. With husband John (deceased 2001); Ellen was an integral part of the Old Barnhartvale community. She came from Victoria to teach in the one-room local school, fell in the love with the handsome Swiss who ran the Community Hall and the General Store where she came to post her letters home, and spent most of the rest of her life with him in their house by the creek. There she reigned, enriching the lives of the children and grandchildren, establishing bonds which now reach out across this land and into the world. A life-long educator, she shared her interest in English literature, reading eighteenth and nineteenth century poetry to her captive audiences, and guiding generations of desperate last-minute students through their essays. She read widely, surprising us and delighting John with her encyclopaedic knowledge. As one her children said, "She loved gossip, as long as it was 200 years old." Ellen had to leave her home after a debilitating stroke in 2004. The family are immeasurably grateful for the care she received first at Ponderosa Lodge and later at Kamloops Seniors Village. Not only did they provide comfort for Ellie, but also gave peace of mind for the family. We rejoice that she is restored and at peace. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Cathedral with The Reverend Father Derrick Cameron celebrant. On-line condolences may be expressed at www.schoenings.com Arrangements are entrusted to Schoening Funeral Service, telephone 374-1454