April 10, 1939 – February 5, 2022
Kathleen Anne Vilness went home to her Lord and Saviour on February 5, 2022 after a short battle with complications from a stroke. She was born on April 10, 1939 in Central Butte, SK and lived on her parents’ ranch at Grainland. As the oldest, she was Grandpa’s ranchhand and she looked back on those times fondly.
Mom obtained her education at Aiktow School until high school when she went to Zion Academy in Moose Jaw. She achieved her grade 12 G.E.D. and was proud to receive a letter of congratulations from the Minister of Education for outstanding achievement in scoring in the top one percent of the province’s grade 12 students.
After having her children and moving numerous times following Dad’s career, they settled in Meadow Lake in 1971. They bought out Woodman Travel where she enjoyed being a Travel Agent for many years. When they moved on to Dalmeny area she did bookkeeping for several businesses.
Later when she moved to Saskatoon on her own, she took additional education to teach basic computer classes at the YWCA there and did this for five years. Her last employment was co-managing the YWCA Opportunity Shop until January 2015 when she decided at the age of 76 that maybe it was time to take it easy.
Mom was always looking for ways to help others and had a kind and loving nature. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and later, great-grandchildren.
Music gave her much joy and as a young woman, along with two of her sisters she sang on the radio in Moose Jaw. Even in her final days she was heard humming a tune. Anytime she was able to be outside with the birds, flowers and trees, she was happy.
In her younger days, as she rode her horse to check the fence line at the ranch, she would marvel at God’s wonderland.
Kathy was predeceased by her parents: Tom and Rose Ford; her sister: Bev Oldham; and ex-husband: Glenn Vilness.
Left to cherish her memory are her siblings: June Leib and family, Shirley Emmerson and family, Larry (Natalie) Ford and family; her brother-in-law: Ed Oldham (Margie) and family; her children: Michel (Roxane) Vilness and their children, Jonathan (Shelby Walker) Lee and Alex; Terry (Richard) LaRocque and their children Rochelle (Shane) Schiele (Dietrich, Elianna) and Nicole (Marty) Foth (Norah, Rosalyn, Samuel); Glenda (Sylvin) Cockrum and their children Jason (Lindsay) Cockrum (Hayden, Grace, Alina) and Eryn (Bhupender Singh); Dwayne (Michale) Vilness and their children, Michael, Kaitlyn (Dan Poburan) and (Presley), Darren Gylord (Drake) and Riun Gylord (Peyton and Kinlee); Cheryl (David) Fedirko and their children Tasha (Dave) De Vries (Isaac, Ava), Terra and Tadd.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date in the spring, which was her favourite time of year. If you wish to make a donation in Mom’s memory, please consider the Canadian Diabetes Association or the Arthritis Society.
