On Dec. 4 , 2025, with family by her side, Mom was reunited with her beloved husband Lawrence and cherished son Grant.

Also welcoming her were her parents, Laura and Ed Lavoie, brother Roger, in-laws Betty and Paul Sikora as well as many family, and friends who left this world before her.

Left to cherish Mom's memory is her daughter Lorraine (Marv) Sommerhalder; granddaughter Marsi (Jesse) and great-granddaughters Makenna and Jamesyn Rock; grandson Brenden Sommerhalder; as well as mom’s sister Alice, brother Alfred and since deceased brother Ray (& wife Ellen).

Mom lived her entire life within 5 miles of where she was born in a chicken coop on Landerville Road. She learned to cook and clean while just a child and went out to work when she was a young girl. This was the beginning of her long employment history at various businesses throughout the town and RM of Lac du Bonnet. Mom took much pride in completing hard work throughout her life and her dedication showed in every task she accomplished with perfection.

Mom and dad married in 1957 and shared a special relationship—it is rare to find old pictures that didn’t have Dad’s arm around Mom. They built a life and house together with hard work and perseverance. Both started farming while holding down full-time jobs until starting a family in 1959. In our house back then, the word vacation was spelled FARM but when the grandkids arrived, their vacation WAS the farm, of which they have many fond memories. They watched on as Grandpa provided the jokes and Grandma smirked on knowingly, always seeing the jests coming. She taught the grandkids how to run a farmhouse, the delight of “Grandma Sandwiches,” many dinner feasts and lively card games. When the great-granddaughters arrived, traditions continued and their “Mimi” still displayed the importance of completing puzzle projects. Even as mom's speech became severely impaired, she would always find ways to ask about “the little girls” who surrounded her in pictures each day.

Being a dedicated hard worker and an excellent cook, mom would prepare a feast for many a crowd on holidays and special occasions, effortlessly it seemed, and no one ever left her kitchen wanting more. Though as one meal ended, she began to prepare for the next.

Mom's strongest passion and favourite hobby was to make perogies for friends, family and her community. When mom & dad moved to town in 2002 and we lost dad in 2004, mom's love of perogy making took on a new role. She became very instrumental in starting and leading the perogy making process and fundraisers, and took great pride in organizing the funeral luncheons and other food related functions at her church. She was even dubbed “The Perogy Queen” by her ladies' church group. As mom's health began to decline, so did her level of participation but she always did as much as she could and for as long as she was able.

Sadly, in 2021, we lost Grant and mom never recovered. Trying to cope with her loss, covid and injury landed her in hospital. She was transferred several times before finally arriving at her final home at the LDB PCH.

Mom is greatly missed by all of our family and very good friend Rita. We all take great comfort in knowing that she has been both reunited and welcomed by Dad, Grant and our many loved ones.

As per her wishes, cremation has taken place.

Five years to the day of her injury and of Grant's celebration of life, Mom's funeral service will take place on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at the Notre Dame du Lac Parish in Lac du Bonnet

As mom's favorite color was red, please feel free to display a touch of red in her memory on that day if so desired.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all Mom's good friends for their friendship, assistance and help throughout. Sincere thanks to Dr. Bruneau for his many years of excellent care and to the amazing and excellent nursing and support staff at the Lac du Bonnet PCH who had always gone above and beyond at the place mom had called home for her last three and a half years. Special thanks to Sheri at Carnation Corner for helping to make the special tributes to mom a reality. Further thanks to Sobering Funeral Chapel for their compassion, care, understanding and most valuable assistance during this difficult time.

www.soberingfuneralchapel.com