Obituary of Winnifred Speed

It is with love and sadness that we announce the passing of Winnifred Speed on October 19, 2025, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, following complications due to pancreatic cancer. She was born on November 9, 1952, in Edmonton, Alberta, to Evert Hendrikus and Bernarda Elizabeth Cornelia (Becker) Kranenburg.

Mom’s life was defined by resilience, creativity, and a wicked sense of humour. Having moved forty-five times before the age of twenty-two, she knew how to make a home anywhere. She married young, raised two children, and still managed to go back to school, earning a business diploma from Northern Lights College in Fort St. John . All while surviving one full-blown teenager and a pre-teen. Her determination and humour carried her through every chapter of her life.

Over the years, Winnifred worked in many places, always leaving behind friends and laughter. She was a bookkeeper for the BCGEU in British Columbia, worked for the RM of Gravelbourg, and spent her later years at the local Co-op, where many will remember her bright smile and quick wit. She also worked at the Zeller’s Restaurant in Taylor, BC, and even did a stint at the movie theatre in Gravelbourg. Proof that she could turn her hand to anything.

Winnifred was spiritual but not religious; her peace came from quiet moments under prairie skies, surrounded by the things she loved. Her many hobbies reflected her curious and creative spirit: video games, quilting, sewing, painting, Lego, puzzles, weaving, knitting, and stargazing. She never stopped learning or creating.

After years in British Columbia, Mom decided it was time for a change. She heard about a little hamlet called Palmer from a neighbour and, true to form, set out on a road trip. When she came back, she announced she was buying a house there, and she did. That bold move gave her the peace and stability she had long sought for nearly 20 years. In Palmer, she found lasting friendships, a home that was truly her own, and a view she never tired of, no matter how much we teased her about the prairies.

Winnifred is lovingly remembered by her children, Robert Speed and Alysha Life -Speed; her siblings, Dick, Carolyn, and Lis; and numerous nieces and nephews, both by blood and by choice. She was predeceased by her parents Evert Hendrikus and Bernarda Elizabeth Cornelia (Becker) Kranenburg and her sister Joanne.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to honour Mom’s memory by trying a new hobby, laughing often, and being unapologetically yourself, just as she was.