Ann de Valois

Annigje (Ann) de Valois ( nee van Bree) passed away at Claresholm General Hospital on Monday July 29 2019 following a brief illness at the age of 94 years.

She is survived by her daughter Dr Beverley de Valois (Lee Cotton), her granddaughters Dr Kari McLeod (Chris McKerley) and Carmen McLeod, and granddaughters Tamsen, Roslyn, Jessamine and Skye McKerley and Hayden McLeod, and by her sister Jannie Kooyman van Bree.

She was predeceased by her husband Peter de Valois and her eldest daughter Jeanne Cornelia de Valois.

Ann was born September 6, 1924, the seventh of a family of 14 to Teuntje and Jan van Bree in Oud-Beijerland, the Netherlands. She grew up during the Great Depression and occupied Holland in World War II. Following the war, she married Peter de Valois in 1945 and their first daughter, Jeanne, was born the following year. In 1952 this small family emigrated to Canada where they initially settled in Barons AB, moving around farms in the Barons Carmangay and Claresholm region in the years that followed. In 1956, their second daughter, Beverley was born.

In 1969, Ann began her career outside the home and off the farm, working at the Claresholm Care Centre.  The family moved into the town of Claresholm in 1971 where Ann became an active contributor to the community, both in her professional role and her participation in many organisations including the  Senior Citizens Drop-In Centre, Meals on Wheels, Claresholm United Church, and Porcupine Hills Lodge. She remained socially active until her recent illness and has a wide circle of loyal and enduring friends.

She took especial pride in her career at the Claresholm Care Centre, where she worked until her retirement in 1989.  Ann is a much loved and respected member of the community; she will be greatly missed by her loving family, her many treasured friends, and by all who were blessed with the gift of knowing her.

A Celebration of Life will be held at WILLOW CREEK FUNERAL HOME- 4079 1st Street West on August 2, 2019 at 1:00 P.M. with Pastor Stefan Ulrich officiating.

Memorial donations may be made in Ann's name to Porcupine Hills Lodge and Senior’s Foundation, P.O. Box 790, Claresholm AB TOL OTO.

Arrangements entrusted to Willow Creek Funeral Home, Claresholm. Tel: 403-625-3212.       Condolences   may be forwarded to the family at www.willowcreekfuneralhome.com

Order Of Service.

Memorial Service for Ann de Valois
Willow Creek Funeral Home,  August 2, at 1:00 pm
Kari Mcleod and Bev

Order of Service:

Welcome
Lord's Prayer
Song Amazing Grace
Scripture Reading – Matthew & 1 Corinthians
Song – What a friend we have In Jesus
Memorial Meditation – Stefan
Tributes – Bev, Kari, Lynn
Poem - Colleen
Song Old Rugged Cross
Closing prayer
Announcements

Welcome!
We are here to say good-bye to Ann de Valois I hope you find comfort in this service, as we remember her life. I hope you continue to enjoy your memories of her. May it be a help to deal with our sadness and loss, I trust God will grant you comfort and peace. 

The Lord's Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Song Amazing Grace

Scripture Readings – Matthew 6:26-34 (KJV) Bev will read both!
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
1 Corinthians 13 (KJV)
13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Song – What a friend we have in Jesus

Memorial Mediation: - Rev. Stefan Ulrich
As you all know, Anne was a neat woman. Life was not always easy for her but she did flourish. As you know, Ann was very resourceful and hospitable. She enjoyed growing her food and then canning or freezing it so she could share it with others. She also enjoyed knitting and crocheting, playing cards and Bingo. She loved to socialize and enjoyed coffee with friends. She was generous and kind. Obviously, she will be missed, may we keep our good memories of her alive. 

Jesus speaks about the fact we do not need to worry about life because God takes care of us. This is a good reminder as we go through life, that we do not do it alone but God wants to help us because he loves us. If God can take care of the birds of the air and made the lilies of the field beautiful, then we should be able to trust God to take care of us, to feed and clothes us too. So as we live life may we live for God because he loves us and is helping us live life. As well may we share his love to those around us, so that our world will be a better place, since life can be hard to live sometimes. But with God’s help and love and the love and help of those around us we can live a life that is worth living. So let us be good people, people who love God and our fellow human beings, who help others so that life if better for all.

So in closing, we can cherish Anne’s life by remembering all the good that she has shown us and by practicing them in our own lives too.  May God bless Ann in Eternity and may she enjoy her life in the hereafter... 

Eulogy –  Bev, Kari, Lynn

Poem – Colleen

Song Old Rugged Cross

Benediction: I would like to close with a prayer.
Our Father we thank you for giving us life, for loving us and helping us every day. We at this time commend Ann’s soul to you, may you help her rest in peace, we thank you for giving her life, and us the privilege to have her involved in our lives. Now because she is now no longer with us, may you help us to deal with our grief, may you be the God of comfort to us, help take our sadness away and help us to keep our memories of Ann alive. We ask all this in Jesus' Name, Amen.  

Announcements: Refreshments and opportunity to share memories.

Prayer at the Grave.
Our Father as we scatter Ann’s ashes may you give rest to her soul, may you let her rest in peace. For us left here may you give us comfort and help us to work through our grief. We thank you for letting us have the privilege of having Ann involved in our lives. May you help us to continue to do good things and to remember the good Ann has shown us. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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