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BEREZOWSKI, Shirley Evelyn

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BEREZOWSKI, Shirley Evelyn

As some of you already know, our beautiful mom, Shirley, passed away April 28, 2025 at the U of A Hospital in Edmonton. She’d always said she wanted “NO FUNERAL SERVICE!” Although I’m honoring her wishes, I still wanted to share some of her life story in this eulo-bituary.

Shirley was the eldest of four daughters born to Carl & Opal Otto in High River, Alberta on February 8, 1929. After a move to Dapp, where they lived for three years, they moved to the Paxson district in 1935. Thank goodness for that move, as that’s where she met her future husband & our future dad, Nick Berezowski. Little did they realize this would be a jackpot win for their future kids.

Shirley attended school at the one room Silver Fox School in Paxson. Finishing grade 8, she took correspondence courses the next two years to achieve her grades 9 & 10. For grade 11, she moved to Nordegg & lived with her aunt & uncle. When asked last year, at the age of 95, why she went all the way to Nordegg to take her grade 11, with a big smile & chuckle, she said she figured her mom thought things were getting a little too serious between her & Nick!

Her year in Nordegg was a source of very fond memories for her. She made many new friendships & excelled in her studies. She proudly told us, more than once, that she didn’t have to write any final exams that year, as her grades spoke for themselves. We’d dryly say, “Really?” to which she’d respond with an emphatic, “Really!”

She wasn’t only a good student; she was a great teacher for her kids when they were growing up. She wasn’t averse to writing up her own tests when one of her kids wasn’t comprehending fractions at school. Her ‘student’ accomplished the art of solving fractions because of Shirley’s tests. Unfortunately, her ‘student’ also couldn’t read a ruler. Flabbergasted, Shirley passed the ruler over to Nick & said, “Dear, you handle this. I can’t believe it!” (Apparently, there are no guarantees on the back of those birth certificates)!

When Nick & Shirley got married December 17, 1947, they lived in the old house Grandpa Berezowski had built in the 1920’s. A severe blizzard on New Year’s Day in 1958 was all the incentive they needed to build a new house in 1959. Their ‘starter home,’ as they’re called today, was so cold, they had to go to Shirley’s parents’ house to keep warm.

Growing their farm & raising three children, Arlene, Roy, & Cathy, was their life & they put their heart & soul into everything they did. They took great pride in all their accomplishments & taught their kids the meaning of hard work. Their former teacher, Mrs. Jessie Rollings, wrote in 2000 that they were a success story, building a beautiful, successful home & farm.”

Although Shirley had no teaching degree when using her homeschooling techniques, she & Nick were very proud when Arlene received an education degree & teaching became her career.

They were also very proud when Roy helped represent EPCHS on Reach For the Top in 1972. Shirley tried to forever capture this moment by holding her camera up to the TV, taking several photos of a black & white screen. She was successful with one photo, as you can see a faint outline of what looks like Roy!

Over the years, anything Shirley set out to do, she always gave her best & achieved excellent results. Learning how to swim in her mid-fifties, buying a wheel & kiln to make pottery, growing beautiful plants in her greenhouse so she could sell them at the Farmer’s Market, bowling scores that saw her participate in a TSN bowling competition in Red Deer, her seamstress capabilities that had teachers at school admiring her perfect seams & workmanship, while they did a close study of another beautiful garment she’d made for Cathy, her bread making, canning Nick’s all time favorite tomatoes & preserves making, & her home-cooked meals. She used to always say she was a horrible cook, but her family & many others can attest that was not the case. She was a great cook - she just hated doing it!

Sadly, Nick passed away in September 2000. Shirley continued to live by herself on the farm for the next 24 years, save for a couple of roommates along the way named Yoshi & Crystal. Her pets were a Godsend & gave her so much companionship & love.

We were so proud of her & relieved that we still had the family farm to come home to. Moving to town wasn’t an option for her. She was an inspiration to all, maintaining a large home & expansive yard. Mowing acres of grass every year & planting beautiful flowerbeds & pots kept her busy. All her hard work was evident in the beauty that greeted you when driving into the yard. We knew Dad was very proud of her for keeping the Berezowski homestead going. Winter was her ‘down’ time when she could catch up on her reading. She was a voracious reader who would sometimes read an entire pocketbook in one day. This was done in between brooming pathways through the snow so she could get to her birdfeeders, burning barrel & garage.

It did not go unnoticed by Shirley that her good friends & neighbors also made it possible for her to remain on the farm for as long as she did. Their good deeds & acts of kindness will forever be appreciated by her & us.

In 2023, at the age of 94, Shirley made the very difficult decision to sell the farm. She’d mentioned the previous year that she couldn’t do another winter there. Although our family homestead held so many wonderful memories for all of us, it had become too much to manage anymore for this ‘young’ 94 year old. Shirley also decided she wasn’t going to move to town. She wanted to move to Edmonton. As she put it, “so she could be closer to her family.” We were thrilled with her decision!

Although selling the farm was probably one of the hardest decisions Shirley ever made, she was relieved when Jason & Laura, a wonderful couple who already owned property not far from her, became the new owners. We felt Nick would be very happy the Berezowski homestead would still be in good hands.

The respect & care they’ve already shown was evident when we took Shirley home to the farm a year after she moved. Jason talks about Nick like he knows him. We think he does.

In September 2023, she & her kitty, Crystal, moved into a lovely one-bedroom suite at Whitemud Lifestyle Options (LSO). Shirley was now taking an elevator to get to all her activities. At first, this was a daunting experience for someone who’d only lived on two levels. She was now sitting down to full-service dining for her lunch & supper. She had an in-house hairdresser scheduling her for hair appointments on a regular basis. She could have been busy from morning to night, had she wanted to do all the activities that LSO offered. She was part of the Bridge group (one of its members was 104 years old) & regularly attended Wednesday bingo. It took her a while to accept she was playing for an Oh Henry! chocolate bar & not the money prizes she was accustomed to at Amber Valley bingos!

In March, she bowled at Bonnie Doon Bowling Lanes after not bowling for over 20 years. This was a pastime she & Nick enjoyed doing together. Shooting pool on the 4th floor at LSO with her son-in-law Bruce, was something she enjoyed very much, as she & Nick played many games on their regulation size pool table. She & Bruce played two games on her 96th birthday. She jokingly told him he wouldn’t let her win a game, even on her birthday!

Shirley thrived at LSO & her pleasant personality & kind ways were a magnet for forming many new friendships. One of the first residents Shirley made friends with was a lady named Doris. Since there were so many residents’ & staff names to remember, they decided Doris would be Doris Day & Shirley would be Shirley Temple. Another lady on Shirley’s floor said she would be Phyllis Diller. They never forgot each other’s names.

Shirley will never be forgotten. She will forever be remembered & dearly missed by her daughter Arlene, son Roy (Angie), & daughter Cathy (Bruce). She is also survived by her granddaughter Nicole (Brent), great-granddaughter Ruby, her sister Judy Litke (Dennis), sister-in-law Joyce Halverson, as well as cousins, nieces & nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband, Nick Berezowski, her parents Carl & Opal Otto, her sisters Inez Mellott & Carrie Laporte, & other family members.

We would like to thank all our family & friends who lifted us in prayer & showed their love & support when Mom passed away. We’re forever grateful & thankful for your cards & donations to S.C.A.R.S. Athabasca & the Canadian Wildlife Foundation, two charities near & dear to Mom’s heart. The residents & staff at LSO who welcomed Mom, & her family, from the first day she arrived & who always showed her, & us, nothing but love & kindness, you’re so loved & appreciated. Many thanks to Dr. Zurek & the nurses & doctors at the U of A who did all they could to help Mom.

We take great comfort in knowing Mom & Dad are together again. It’s not “Goodbye.” We’ll just say “See you later.” What a great family reunion that will be! In the meantime, we’ll honor you & always have an attitude of gratitude. We’re so blessed to have hit the all-time jackpot for parents. We love you.

Love,
From your ‘student’, Cathy

A few years ago, I asked Mom if she felt she’d had a good life. She responded, “Yes, I’ve had a good life.”

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