TONE: Helen Tone (nee: Olianna Yarema). Helen was a farm girl, born and raised in Manitoba, the second oldest of eight children, including herself, one sister and six brothers. She participated at an early age in the work of the farm and helping her Mom with housework and raising a large family. She met her future husband, Alvin Tone, through her brother Patrick who had married his sister Evelyn. It must have been love at first site, because it was not to long before Helen left Manitoba to be with Alvin in Saskatchewan. Alvin was working with several other veterans back from WW ll establishing the Matador Co-op Farm near Kyle. All the men were bachelors and they needed someone to look after their domestic needs. She readily accepted Alvin invitation to accept the position, and her industry and organization kept all 17 of them well cared for during 1947. After fall work was done, Helen and Alvin did not want to wait a moment longer to "tie the knot", so on October 31 of that year they drove to Swift Current where they got married in the Sacred Heart Church. Helen had a positive and thankful outlook on life. She worked hard and her "can do" attitude led her to apply her mind to every problem and her hands to every task with courage, determination and a will to accomplish whatever she set out to do. She knew herself and was her own person. She believed in God and she believed in herself. To her husband she was a pillar of strength, a fount of wisdom and a boundless reservoir of energy. She never ceased to find contentment and happiness in being a homemaker busy with cooking, gardening, sewing, quilting, and making sure every need of her family, which must have seemed endless, was looked after and she made it look easy. She was neat and organized in everything she did, and she liked to keep herself looking good for her husband. Helen had an even temperament, and was never given to rashness or rude behavior, but she was never shy about calling a spade a spade. She was an avid reader, loved learning and doing crosswords to challenge her mind and keep it active. She was interested right to the last in the world around her and discovering new things. Yet she could have been the poster girl for a campaign on the virtues of practicality and simplicity. Alvin was never a huggy-emotionally demonstrative person, but she loved deeply. She loved her mom and dad and the family she left. She was always ready to provide support to them whenever needed, and was fond of saying, "what's a family for, if not to help each other". Every Christmas the family would drive to Winnipeg to spend two weeks with mother and father and all her siblings and extended family and friends. She loved her new life and her new family and friends in Saskatchewan too, and enjoyed visiting with them and getting together for dances, fowl suppers and other community events. But Helen only had one true love; her husband, and she would not even consider the possibility of marrying another after her husband passed away in December of 1971. She spent the last 40 years missing him and looking forward to the day when she could be with him again. Even so, she carried on. She kept doing the things she always did, made sure I was going in the right direction, and helped out whenever she could. She was pleased when her only son Richard was married to Francine and delighted beyond words when she got two granddaughters, Julie (23) and Allyssa (21). On April 21, 2007, Allyssa gave her one great granddaughter, Emma, whom she only got to see once, but never ceased to inquire after. Even when, at the age of 79, late onset diabetes reduced Helen from a robust, take charge woman, to a semi-invalid, she never complained, but remained thankful for what she still had and maintained her independence and dignity as best she could right to the last. At the end, she was ready to go, and many times expressed her wish for God to take her. Her family are thankful that she now has her peace, and I like to imagine Jesus saying to her, "Well done", for indeed, she lived her life well and honorably. Thank you to all her family, friends and others who loved her and visited her and thanks also to the staff of the Palliser Care Centre and the Cypress Regional Hospital who cared for her over the last four years and her last days in the hospital where she quietly passed away just after midnight on February 16, 2011. The Funeral Service was held Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. from the Chapel of Warren's Funeral Home with Father James Owolagba officiating. The interment service will take place at Memory Gardens Cemetery, Swift Current, Sk. Warren's Funeral Home, Swift Current, SK were entrusted with the arrangements. For further information please call 773-8831 or visit our website at www.warrensfuneralhome.com and express your sympathy to the family in our book of condolence.