Eleanor Ann Daverne (Harder)
April 17th, 2020
Ellie passed away peacefully at the Regina Wascana Grace Hospice, Regina, SK on Friday, April 17, 2020 at the age of 89 years. She was strong and resilient throughout her life and through her 15-year battle with cancer. It was only in the last few months that she began to lose that fight and her illness got in the way of the life she wanted to live.
She is survived by her youngest daughter Heather, and her sons Arthur and Oliver; her son Doug, his wife Megan, and their children Lauren, Andrew, Stephen and Michael; and her eldest son Bevan, his wife Lisa, and their daughters Cassandra and Alexandra. Cassandra and her husband Cody have a daughter themselves, Ellie’s great-granddaughter Blake. Ellie is also survived by her sister Evelyn, brother Ray (Chris), sister Lorette (Dave), and brother Oliver (Betty); as well as many nieces and nephews. Ellie was predeceased by her parents Henry and Dinah Harder, and brothers Alvin, Arley and Lornce.
Ellie was born on June 13, 1930 at the family farm near Waldheim, Saskatchewan. The fourth oldest of eight children, Ellie grew up on the family farm alongside her seven siblings (Alvin, Arley, Evelyn, Ray, Lorette, Lornce and Oliver) and spent many hours participating in countless adventures she would later share as entertaining stories for the enjoyment of her own children and grandchildren. As a young woman she attended the Saskatoon Teacher’s College and started her very first job in the career she would excel at and ultimately retire from almost 40 years later. In 1963 she married Richard Daverne (predeceased) and went on to raise their three children. Though life was tumultuous at times, Ellie was a hard worker and her tenacity, creativity and resourcefulness kept the family together as her children grew. She was a talented and prolific seamstress and in addition to many outfits for herself and family, she made the gorgeous gowns worn by her daughter and both daughters-in-law on their wedding days. Every member of the family has at least one item she knit for them and many have spent an evening on the couch snuggled under one of her afghans. Her family was always the focus of Ellie’s life and her relationships with her children and grandchildren along with her own brothers and sisters was most important to her. Ellie never turned down the opportunity to get together for fun and a visit. She loved walking outdoors and made a point to walk at least five kilometers every day. She continued this practice every day even up to her 89th birthday! She enjoyed talking with people even if she was unfamiliar with them and would look forward to seeing and chatting with the many personalities she would meet in life and on those daily walks. She was outgoing and will ever be remembered as a woman of strong faith who loved God and her family.
The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff at Grace Hospice for their compassion and care in Ellie’s final days. As a result of current constraints, a Celebration of Ellie’s Life will be held at a later date.
Messages:
Doug, so sorry to hear of your Mother's passing. My condolences to you and your family.
It was our privilege to get to know Ellie this past year as we picked her up to attend Hillsdale Baptist Church together. She endeared herself to us with her zest for life, even when she was already feeling ill. Sadly, her attendance at Hillsdale was cut short when she became too ill to attend. She had a deep faith and was so confident that she would see her Lord soon. She was an inspiration to us. Our condolences go out to her entire family.
I was so sorry to hear of Ellie's passing, my sincere condolences to your family. I had the honor of meeting Ellie several years ago. I manage a clothing store in the Southland Mall and she would always stop in to say hi and chat with me. We talked about everything under the sun! Ellie talked often of her health and I was so inspired by her strength, fortitude and her positive attitude in how she regarded our journey through life. She was extremely proud of her family and even brought her beautiful granddaughters and her special little great granddaughter in to meet me. She always made me laugh and look on the bright side of life! I will miss her visits very much but I will always remember her beautiful smile and her passion for life.
Hello Heather, I couldn't miss the opportunity to send you my sincere sympathy on the loss of your dear Mom. Reading about her, she sounded a lot like my Mom - active right to the end. She was also 89. I wish you were in Saskatoon and still think of you often. You were the best Dr. and always fun. Your boys must be all grown up by now. I think 3 and 5 when I first met you. Sending you some big hugs, I wish you much peace and comfort in the days ahead. I pray you will feel the presence of the Lord's arms holding you close. Bless you and your family. Lana Kirchgessner
Heather and Doug, my deepest sympathies to you. I will always remember your mother's smiling face and her incredible knitting talents.
Please accept our sincerest condolences. Eleanor was such a strong person - and with that strength she resolved to be here among us for so much longer than many anticipated. It is so hard to take in the fact that there just isn’t the possibility to gather and share recollections, memories, and stories from Eleanor’s and your lives. But this strange time in our history will not last for ever and there will be that opportunity yet. Our prayers and thoughts are with you. Darryl and Linda Brown
Doug and family, our deepest sympathies, Mom’s are always a tough loss, thinking of You!
We are sorry to hear of Eleanor’s passing. We only lately knew Eleanor from the hallways of Wintergreene where we would often see her when visiting our respective mothers. She always had time for a chat - and was always very positive in her view of life. We often had a laugh together and appreciated her lively personality. Several times we saw her at one of the south end malls - out on one of her famous walks. She was a survivor in every sense of the word - and a lovely person. She will be missed.
Heather, Arthur and Oliver. I'm so sorry to hear of your mom's passing. I hope you take comfort in knowing you're in the thoughts of many old friends.