Obituary of Helen Goldstrand

Helen passed away, thankful for 94 years of life that was filled with a loving husband, two daughters, family and many close friends, community participation on many levels, 48 years of rewarding employment, and true enjoyment as a sports fan and team player. Helen loved to smile and tell you that she was “Made in Scotland and born in Canada”. Four months after her parents, George and Margaret Souter, immigrated to Canada she was born on the family farm outside Roblin, MB. She was the second oldest of 12 children, 6 girls and 6 boys. Her brother Lawrence Souter is now her only remaining sibling. As one of the eldest children in the 1930’s, she proudly shared stories of how she and her brothers and sisters worked hard on the farm and also had a lot of fun doing it. As a teenager she moved into Roblin, working as a housekeeper and sending money home to assist her family, while completing high school. After graduation she began a career with the Manitoba Telephone System as a Telephone Operator and Chief Operator in Swan River, Benito and The Pas. She found the technological changes she experienced over 30 years in this field were amazing. In The Pas she met Roland “Goldie” Goldstrand and they were married in 1953. She was a great mother to two daughters, Kelly and Lori. She ensured we were exposed to every kind of experience available through membership in every community organization and sports group in town. She actively worked in every one of them herself, often sewing our clothes, skating outfits and costumes in the middle of the night, and hauling us off to the rink at 6AM. Curling was something Helen loved throughout her life. She treasured her “Curling Girls” in both The Pas and later in Winnipeg. Many of her close friendships also came from her membership with Westminster United Church in The Pas and Crescent Fort Rouge in Winnipeg. Everyone knows that to be a friend of Helen’s you needed to be a Winnipeg Jets and Bomber Fan. Helen’s most favourite spot on earth was Clearwater Lake. She spent 69 summers there, helping her In-laws Andrew and Mabel develop the treasured cottage that we continue to enjoy now, just as she did. Her yearly highlight was her time back at the lake every summer with her true-blue friends and family. Helen’s second career was running the library at Scott Bateman Junior High. It was here she met some of her “best buddies” who she kept in contact with as they grew up. She would tell you how she just loved those Junior High kids! And some of the staff, especially her “adopted son” Mark Miles became a beloved part of our family. When Goldie passed away in 1983 she carried on, creating a new life on her own for the next 40 years. In 1994 she retired and moved to Winnipeg. Moving to the city was a big change and she embraced it whole heartedly, living in Osborne Village and then Concordia Village Assisted Living. Thank you to Christina and all of the Health Care Aides at Poseidon Care Centre who provided Helen with tender care over the past few months. She was a strong, determined and independent woman. If you knew Helen, you know that negativity was not an option, and at some point you will have been told to “Think Positive”. It is on that note that we will continue to embrace life in the spirit that she taught us. She will be missed by her daughters, Lori and Kelly and son-in-law Brian, her brother Lawrence, nieces and nephews and their families, and many close friends, but she will always be present in our hearts. “When we lose someone we love we must learn not to live without them; but live with the love they left behind.” If you wish to honour Helen’s life with a donation, please consider the True North Youth Foundation. www.truenorthyouthfoundation.com. This organization embodies her favourite passions – youth development and education together with fun and the Winnipeg Jets. True to Helen’s character, she instructed us that there should be no formal service. To quote her, “When you live as long as I have I don’t want a somber farewell, I just want my friends to think about me when they do something that reminds them of the fun times we shared”.