Obituary of Dorothy Spiller

Dorothy Evangeline Berry Spiller was born at the farm in Daysland on February 27, 1924 eldest child of Chester and Maggie Berry. She married Gordon Spiller on November 20, 1945 in a small ceremony at the farm. They welcomed children, Joyce, Donald, David, Denise and Owen. She was kept very busy with farm life. She had a large chicken coop and sold eggs and several days in the summer were spent butchering chickens, which was a family affair, and everyone had a job to do. And then guess what was for supper…fried chicken!!! It was a big job to keep the men fed as there was a lot of physical labor. There was coffee mid-morning, then a big meal at noon, with no time to spare baking a cake and coffee in the afternoon. Then back to the field with supper and if it was going to be a late night, more coffee. She welcomed her nephews every summer and we considered Bob, Darryl, Berry and Stacy to be more like our brothers!!! Sometimes nieces got to stay too!! She loved doing work in the yard and was often seen with her saw, pruning the trees and shrubs. We even caught her up on the roof of the house fixing the cedar shingles!!! Mom became involved with 4-H first as an assistant leader and then taking the reins herself. She absolutely loved it, wanting every child to have the opportunities that 4-H had to offer. All of her children were in the Beef, Clothing and Garden Clubs. She especially made sure everyone learned how to Public Speak whether they wanted to or not! Believe me she had many a battle with her own children as well as others!!! She was a very determined lady!!! Mom was very proud to have received the Premiers Award for all her work in the 4-H from Premier Peter Lougheed in 1984. When she and Dad moved to town she became a correspondent for The Community Press and Camrose Canadian. She was always out and about looking for news!! As her family we were her prime subjects and often found our names in the paper!! She proudly did this until this October when The Community Press honored her at Providence Place for 28 years of service! She loved to sew and tried to make all the kids and grandkids a patchwork quilt, even some of their dollies got a quilt! She loved her grandchildren, Lana, Dallas, Christie, Dane, Derek, Brittany, Erin, Brendon, Allison and Kendra and was very proud of all their accomplishments. She babysat often and they have fond memories of peanut butter and jam sandwiches with a glass of milk at bedtime and miniature pancakes for breakfast. Halloween was fun when Grandma dressed up as a witch to hand out her candies. The girls remember having tea with her on her miniature china tea set. Of course there were always her jumbo raisin cookies!! She also was happy to welcome great-grandchildren Erika, Laken, Arden, Jared, Liam, Kenna, Drake, Easton, Cowen, Lennox, Sailor and Zachrey and Baby Miller due in March. Mom was predeceased by her sons, David in 1969 and Donald in 2004 and husband, Gordon in 2004, also her brothers Leon, Stanley and Maurice. She leaves to mourn Joyce and Wayne, Donna, Lana, Billy, Erika, Laken and Arden Fleming, Denise and Patrick, Christie, Brad, Jared, Liam and Kenna Bendfeld, Dane, Heather and Drake Miller, Derek, Breanne and baby, Brittany, Jeff and Zachrey Erickson, Owen, Betty-Jean, Erin, Ryan, Easton and Cowen Gauthier, Allison and Eric, Lennox and Sailor Lyneborg, Brendon and Kendra, her sisters Anne Spiller and Elsie Thorburn and in-laws Eileen Spiller, Pat and Dick Gillespie, Bob and Shirley Muir as well as many nieces and nephews. Mom we love you and will miss you!!! We know that you had a good Christmas with Dad, Donald and David. Until we meet again! A private internment will take place at the Daysland Cemetery on December 31, 2013. A celebration of Dorothy's Life will take place at 1:00 P.M. in Our Lady of the Prairie Roman Catholic Church with Reverend Brian Hunter officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Daysland Hospital Foundation or a charity of your choice.