Elizabeth Watson Ross
Elizabeth was born on the family farm at Oxbow, SK on February 21, 1928, the third of seven children.
Her parents, Bill and Pearl, fostered a love of knowledge, as well as an expectation for higher education. The prairie values they taught and lived, influenced Elizabeth all her life.
She began nurses training in February of 1947 at City Hospital in Saskatoon. Her time and experience as a student would mold her into a nurse, which she not only saw as a profession, but as a life-long blessing of service to others.
Her experiences were eye opening, demanding, exhausting, and intellectually taxing, but as her 3 years of training came to a completion, her confidence had grown and she was ready to take on the world.
Her first position was at the Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Saskatoon. Then she and her fellow classmate were offered positions as Public Health Nurses in the town of Assiniboia. She was on the front lines when the miracle of administering penicillin cured infections that otherwise would have caused death. She was in the first group of nurses to receive the Tuberculosis vaccine and to administer it to children. As a twenty-two year old nurse, she drove the Government issued manual transmission car down unpaved, sometimes muddy, sometimes snow blocked gravel roads to towns like Rockglen, Fife Lake, Willow Bunch, and others that’s no longer exist. She went to many rural farm homes, with only a piece of paper with directions on it, because they didn’t exist on a map. She loved her work and had great responsible pride in it.
Shortly after arriving in town, a handsome returned sailor knocked on her door with a telegram. He had just talked his friend, who ran telegraph office, into letting him deliver it. The delivery man was Marlow Ross, who would become her husband and companion for 48 years. They married on March 24, 1951. They raised their family and remained in Assiniboia their entire married life.
Because of the nature of Marlow’s business, Elizabeth was often called to assist a patient in the ambulance, on calls in the middle of the night. They would go out into the dark of night together to the injured and infirmed and bring them to the hospital.
Early on, she taught Marlow how to properly prepare the stretcher so the blankets were more comfortable.
Elizabeth continued to work casually while she raised her family. In 1973, she was honoured to serve on a Saskatchewan
Commission that toured the Province and gathered information on the needs of Nursing homes. She travelled with the other commissioners and visited Nursing homes and Seniors homes, and together filed an official document with the Ministry of Health on the condition of these facilities.
In 1974, she returned to work full-time at the Assiniboia Union Hospital where she remained till 1993.
Throughout their life, Liz and Marlow loved to travel and had many adventures. They bravely packed the five kids in the station wagon and attended Expo ’67 in Montreal, then toured Quebec and Eastern Canada. In 1969, they took the family to London for Christmas and toured the city, towns, and country side for 10 days. With Ross and Kay Jack, they went to Cuba, and Mexico and other warm destinations. When Darryl and Christine lived overseas, they had great trips to England, Spain and North Africa. In later years, they travelled to be with grandchildren and enjoy adventures with them.
Elizabeth was able, along with her sisters, to accompany their parents to England and Scotland.
Summer gatherings at the family cabin at White Bear Lake were the source of many extended family memories, and strong cousin- relationships were formed that exist to this day.
In later years, Elizabeth and her four sisters created their own series of adventures including travelling together to the Maritimes in a motorhome, driving to Memphis, para sailing in Mexico, and many wonderful winters in Hawaii.
Elizabeth’s love and willingness to travel, cultivated a great knowledge and interest in the world we live in. It also gave her great pride in her Saskatchewan roots and her love of Assiniboia and its thriving community. These last few years, the TV was tuned to CBC news, and she wanted to discuss her views of the politics of Canada and the world. She became quite adept on her iPad and kept up with all the news of family and friends despite some unintentional late night calls to unexpecting Facebook friends in various international time zones. (You know who you are!)
Anyone who was touched by the light and love of Elizabeth, recognize that she had a life-force that was unique. She had a steal-vault- memory for people’s names and dates of important family events.
This gift allowed her to connect with people in many different situations. Many were often surprised at her familiarity and ability to know the name of their grandmother or the town they came from.
Her sense of humour, her infectious laugh, and her ability to tell a tale in great detail, were enchanting.
As our family matriarch, she ruled with a sense of pride and great expectation for each of us. Her 17 grandchildren and 43 great grandchildren really think she is Queen Elizabeth. Her knitting, ginger snaps, Christmas cake, generous birthday cards are cherished. Her homemade mustard plasters for a chest cold, making a bread poultice to remove a sliver, and placing a heated pop bottle over a boil to pop it, and the dreaded annual de-worming ritual after a summer at the lake-are some of her home remedies that kept us alive, along with a spoonful of cod liver oil each winter morning. Her loving arms wrapped around you in a warm hug with the essence of Estée Lauder
YouthDew perfume in the air, or offering sage words of advice, were part of her everyday expressions. If she loved you - you knew it!
Elizabeth is predeceased by her husband Marlow, son Darryl, her parents Bill and Pearl Watson; sisters: Phyliss and Charlotte; brothers: David and Billy. She is survived by her sisters Violet (Gary) Rees, Joy (Paul) Deering; her children: Janet (Hugh) Harding, Liz-Ann (Dan) Payant, Robbie (Rhonda McLean), Patricia (Bob) Hamilton; 17 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The Ross Family is indebted to Alyssa Willis and the healthcare angels at Assiniboia Home Care for the support and love Mom has received from each and every worker. Your diligence, professional care, and friendship allowed Mom to live life on her terms, and remain in her beloved home on 6th West. Also, Faye Hanstock Bishop, Sandi Kimball, Jade Loucks, Marsha Warken, Dr Carulei, and the staff at Assiniboia Hospital. We are so very grateful to each and every one of you.
A Celebration of Liz’s life will be held at a later date. Donations in memory of Liz may be made to South Country Health Care Foundation for Home Care, Box 1750, Assiniboia. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Ross family may be shared at www.rossfuneralservice.com. Arrangements entrusted to Ross Funeral Service, Assiniboia, SK 306-642-3373.
