Obituary of BEATRICE IDA MARIE RUTTIG

RUTTIG, BEATRICE IDA MARIE (nee Lamoureux)

October 18, 1929 – July 25, 2019

On July 25, God called his Angel – Beatrice – to return home to be with her daughter Arlene, her parents, Ida and Ernie, and her sister Marion, brother in-law Earl, and brother in-law John and many aunts and uncles.  Left to mourn her passing are her children Lynn (Grant), Garth (Barb), Bev (Ken) and Patty (Don), and her grandchildren Jeff and Kevin, sisters Louise (Don), and Lorraine and many, many nieces and nephews.

Beatrice “Bea” was born and raised in Transcona when the town was 3 blocks long. As a devoted Mother Bea spent the majority of her life in Transcona where she raised her four children. She was a member of the Notre Dame de L'Assomption Church for many years until helping establish St. Joseph the Worker parish in 1961.  Tireless hours were spent fund raising and organizing the bingo with her father and mother, which helped support the Church and the School also at St. Joe’s.  Bea spent many years as a member of the Catholic Women’s League.

One of her many joys in life was spending time at the cabin in Lundar, Manitoba.  Weekends were spent by the bonfire toasting marshmallows or hosting a rousing game of Canasta.  Scrabble games were held under the shade of the tree in the front yard so she could watch the activities in the water just a few feet away.   Never a fan of water, Bea was always interested in watching the water activities taking place.

Bea always enjoyed her crafts, which she shared with her children.  She was always interested in learning a new craft, or a new game.  She enjoyed the bustle of the Casino which she used to frequent with her sisters, children and friends. Winning pots were usually shared, but there had to be an arrangement made before entering the Casino!

Bea’s children and grandchildren meant the world to her.  All had taken different paths in life, but she enjoyed supporting and encouraging each individually.  Her two grandsons were her life blood, and she was so proud to see them grow and establish careers and lives for themselves.  I am sure she is now satisfied that her job as a model parent is complete.  From her, we learned that no job was too big and have all inherited the attitude of ‘doing it yourself’.  Many times we would watch Mom sew our clothing, install ceiling tiles, lay down floor tiles, paint and do any other house hold repair that she could tackle.  This is one of the greatest assets and abilities she has left with her children.

The last two years of Bea’s life were spent at St. Joseph’s Residence.  There she participated in various activities including Bingo, group exercises and various craft days.

A service for Bea will be held at Cropo Funeral Chapel at 1442 Main Street in Winnipeg at 10:00 a.m. Friday August 9, 2019.  A luncheon will be provided in the hall immediately following the service.  Burial will follow at Transcona Cemetery.  The family thanks Drs. Babick, nurses and care home staff at St. Joseph’s for their loving care of our mother.  You made Mom’s departure peaceful, comfortable and dignified.  Thank you.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to “Friends of St. Joseph’s Residence”, 1149 Leila Avenue, Winnipeg, MB.  R2P 1S6.