Evelyn Grace Moen, 85

EVELYN GRACE MOEN, (nee Shore) from Rainy River, Ontario passed away on Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 at the Rainy River Hospital at the age of 85 years.
Ev was born on June 19, 1923 in Moorefield, Ontario. She became a dental assistant in Toronto and worked in the army during the war in 1942-43 where she met her first husband Edward Oleschuk. They married in July 1945, lived in Toronto until 1957 and then moved to Rainy River. Edward worked as a Northern Police Officer. Together they opened a Dry Cleaning and Laundry Facility, serving the community and local tourist resorts in 1958, at which they worked very hard until his death in 1973. Ev sold the business in 1974. (Pat Berg was one of her employees at the time and recalls working for .50 cents/hour at that time).
She sewed at the Arctic Cat plant in the 1970’s and when the plant closed she worked for a few years in summer camps, cooking and cleaning. Ev got involved in caring for sick people after her husband’s death. She took care of her good friend Pearl Moen, wife of Clarence. Ev and Clarence remained friends and in August of 1980 Clarence and Ev married. Clarence developed cancer of the stomach and died less than a year later in July of 1981. Ev took care of him during that time.
Ev decided to dedicate the rest of her life to seniors in the community. She worked with many people including Jeanette Armstrong. Jeanette recalled Ev calling everyone weekly for the Senior’s Club. During her calls she organized transportation, assessed their health and organized the weekly event and snack. Ev also took time to visit the sick and sat with many of the dying and their families.
During that time she made many friends.
I (Nicole Therrien) met Ev after 2000, having seen her at the clinic. In 2004 she had to be admitted to the LTC facility in Rainy River. She refused to leave Lady, her long time companion dog. Lady was born in 1993 and has been with Ev since. I took her dog into my home so she could move to the nursing home without any worries about Lady.
Bonny Caouette and Verna Barsy were good friends of Ev’s, they helped her with her mail, her groceries and provided regular visits to her house and the nursing home.
Ev had many friends in the community. She was a great person to be around. She always had a joke, a smile and a good word for you. She spent almost every Sunday for the past 4 years at my home visiting her dog Lady who she adored. My husband and myself became very attached to her and we felt guilty each time we needed to cancel her Sunday visit. We knew that Ev was living for that Sunday at the farm with Rose and us. Rose Lalli became a good friend of Ev and us also. Both of them spent many summer Sunday’s under the gazebo feeding the dogs, watching the geese and ducks with their baby’s on the pond, watching our peacock opening his tail in front of them, checking and directing the renovation of the flower bed and garden work. Ev was constantly taking pictures of each event. She had mentioned that as a child, she always liked animals and was rescuing all the injured or abandoned birds, cats and dogs. Her mother never knew what Ev would bring home each day in her baby carriage. She was always looking forward to completing her “Sunday chore”. She would ask at the door “Do I have eggs to put in cartons?” Before she finished the eggs, she was inquiring about what salad to make. She and Rose would cut the vegetables for the salad an Ev would feed “Lady” carrots or cheese and Ev would start eating the mushrooms for the salad.
Unfortunately Lady died on Saturday, January 3, 2009 and was greatly missed by Ev.
Ev was predeceased by her parents Ingrid and John Shore, three brothers Leonard Jim and Donald and sister Kathleen Morris. She was also predeceased by her husband Edward Oleschuk and her second husband Clarence Moen.
She will be sadly missed by her niece Marion Walker of Bobcaygeon, ON and sister-in-law Eunice (nee Ritch) and several nieces, nephews and dear friends.
Ev was a genuine, happy, caring person. Everyone who encountered her loved her.
I, as many of you here today will miss her very much. We all know that she is now reunited with her family, friends and her dog “Lady” in Heaven and earned a great place close to God. She will remain in our hearts and we will never forget her. I would like to thank everyone who helped me organize her funeral and in participating in this last farewell for Ev.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at Knox United Church in Rainy River. Pastor Gordon Armstrong officiated followed by interment in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Rainy River.
The pallbearers were Randy Caouette, Don Beyak, Gerry Marchuk, Bill Szlauko, Frank Books and Tony Sepers.
The Royal Canadian Legion Major Hughes Branch 54 “Color Party” performed their tribute following the service.
In memoriam donations may be made to the charity of your own choice in care of Rainy River Funeral Home, Box 427, Fort Frances, Ontario. P9A 3M8
On-line condolences may be made in care of www.mem.com.