Obituary of Rose HOOK

Rose HOOK, (formerly MAILHOT – nee HUPPÉ), was born on Monday, January 17, 1921, in Courval, Saskatchewan. She peacefully left us on Thursday, November 7, 2013, having lived a loving, joyful, and hard working life, despite her declining health over the past several years. Rose now joins her husband Simon, her second husband Roland, her son Edouard, her parents Mary (Gervais) and Léopold (Paul) Huppé and her siblings: Frank, Obéline, Charlie, Blanche, Albert, Guillaume, Delima and Delphine, as well as many other family members and friends. She leaves behind her children: Georges (Bina Ramani), Claudette (Nelson Boyer), Suzanne (Al Pike), Michelle (René Piché) and her daughter-in-law, Joy; her grandchildren: Eric, Colette, Christine, Marc, Yolande, Michael, Gabrielle, Alex, Carmen, Nicole, Daniel and Robert; her great-grandchildren: Ashley, Joshua, Aubrie, Clare, Rémie, John, Kiersten, Leanne, Stephanie, Isaac, Malcolm, Amaya, Devyn, Justin, Austyn, Gabriel and Vincent; her great-great-grandchildren: Ryder and Rowyn, and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends. Rose had a phenomenal memory. Though she lost her mother when she was only five years old, she fondly recalled seeing her smoke pipes in a rocking chair, with her grandmother. She also vividly recalled kneading bread with her grandfather when she was eight, so it is no wonder she became such a wonderful baker. Another fond memory was sitting on her father’s lap, when she was a little girl. Rose sorely missed their close relationship after he passed away when she was just thirteen. Having lost both parents at a young age, Rose had a special place in her heart for the Colpron family, who opened their arms, their hearts and their home, and made her feel like one of their own. Rose loved the prairie summers, often lying in the sun on "her” rock; a huge flat boulder found nearby. The antics she and her siblings got up to would make them blush now… or maybe not! They were a mischievous lot. She married Simon Mailhot at the age of nineteen, on September 9, 1940. Their honeymoon consisted of a quick breakfast at the local café and then they both went back to work. One of her fondest and most cherished memories was of their neighbour, Mrs. Beauregard, providing them with an armful of gladioli for her bouquet. Together, Rose and Simon raised their five children in Gravelbourg. They worked wherever they could to ensure that their family had what it needed to survive, working long days and weekends, and often starting at 4:00 a.m. At home, dust bunnies and grime didn’t stand a chance against Rose and the family team of cleaners. Outside the home, Rose waitressed, cleaned for others and washed clothes for the boys at Collège Mathieu. She subsequently found employment at the busy Post Office on Main Street; first as a clerk, when Simon was Postmaster, and later as Postmistress herself. Regardless of early mornings or late evenings, she thoroughly enjoyed working with the public and her co-workers. The kindness and generosity Rose experienced in her youth encouraged her to help others, and she often offered her time and energy to those in need. A lover of people, especially those with a quick wit, she always had a ready smile and a funny quip or keen observation to share. It was important to Rose that her children, and her extended family, have a wonderful Christmas, even if it meant charging some gifts at Sears and paying them off later. Gifts were delivered or mailed, sometimes in huge boxes for large families, all carefully wrapped and beribboned. Her legendary Christmas suppers often found thirty or more people sharing the bounty of delicious cooking and superb baking, on tables decorated with her crocheted tablecloths. Rose, a master organizer, was regularly called upon to take charge of events or lead a large team of volunteers for the annual Parish suppers. No one could match her in estimating the amount of food needed for large gatherings of hungry people. Rose was also an active member of the Gravelbourg Hospital/Foyer Auxiliary, acting as president from 1961-1962, and she was made a Life Member in November of 2007. She was also a very active member in the Gravelbourg Roman Catholic Women’s League, and a founding member of the Golden Sheaf Chapter of the Canada Post Heritage Club. Rose loved flowers; she loved planting them, watching them grow, cutting them, arranging them and receiving them. In her world, there was no such thing as too many flowers. She also loved needlework and has left many lovely, excellently crafted pieces, for lucky recipients to remember her by. Rose was devastated when, in July of 1990, she lost Simon to cancer at the age of 76, one month before their fiftieth anniversary. He was the light of her life, and she was the girl for him from the moment he saw her. In his final days, he would tell her that she wasn’t meant to be alone and that she should remarry. Simon certainly was one of a kind. Some sixteen years later, Rose wrote, "The twenty-second of July was the saddest day of my life and unbearable at times.” In time, Rose came to realise that Simon was right and she began to look for companionship. This led her to think of Roland Hook. In her words, "feeling as nervous as a school girl”, she phoned Roland and asked if he would like to have coffee sometime. He said, "How about tonight”? After hanging up the phone she felt foolish because she had forgotten to give Roland her name. She called him right back and said, "It’s Rose”, and he promptly answered, "I know”. They married in a quiet ceremony, on June 1, 1993, to the delight of their respective families and friends. They completely revitalized each other and spent most of their remaining years in a whirl of dancing, travelling, bowling, gardening and even mowing Rolly’s farmyard and ditches. Instead of a large wedding, which had been graciously offered by Rolly, they waited and celebrated their tenth anniversary at the Parish Hall in Gravelbourg, with over one hundred of their family and friends. The banner on the wall read: "There is no greater joy than to love and be loved”. In 2008, they moved to Extendicare in Moose Jaw, where they had a large living-bedroom unit, especially set up for them so that they could be together. In late 2009, Rose’s beloved Rolly passed away, some six years after she had written in her journal, "My eternal gratitude that you came along and have remained and brought some laughter back into my life”. Rose was then transferred to Providence Place where her cheerful attitude and sense of humour was enjoyed by a loving and caring staff. She continued to enjoy life, participate in events, and munch on her favorite snacks. What a wonderful life. On t’aime, Maman. The family would like to thank the following: Ann Brin and the Roman Catholic Women’s League for their Ceremonial Honour Guard and their friendship and support for Rose over the years, Alma Blouvin and the Gravelbourg Social Committee for providing the luncheon following the service, the staff at Providence Place for their kindness and assistance in her final years, and the staff at Piché-Hawkins-Grodin Funeral Chapels for their excellent service. In lieu of flowers, kindly donate to Alzheimer Research.