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BURROWS


With family by her side, Josephine “Josie” Virginia Burrows of Rimbey, Alberta passed away at the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre on Thursday, June 28, 2018 at the age of 87 years.


Josie was born at home on the Door Key Ranch near Fort Macleod, Alberta on September 20, 1930. She was the fourth child in a family of nine children born to Jim and Mary McNab. Josie always spoke with fondness of her childhood on the ranch; telling stories of cleaning house, cooking for the threshing crews, famous visitors, and riding horseback to school. She met the love of her life, Vern Burrows, while attending high school in Fort Macleod and they were united in marriage on June 1, 1949. To this special union, seven children were born ~ six daughters and one son! It was a household always full of activity, and Josie was kept busy tending to her family. Over the years they lived in various locations, where Josie and Vern were employed in the theatre industry. They settled in Lacombe in 1968, where they resided for 18 years and together operated the Lux Theatre. During that time, Josie obtained her floral design certification and they owned and operated a flower shop as well. In 1986, semi-retirement relocated them to Red Deer where they lived for many years. Vern passed away in 2001, but it wasn’t until a fall broke Josie’s hip that she moved to Rimbey in 2011. She loved the independence of living in her own home, and did so until this past April. Josie loved flowers and her garden, liked to can and pickle, and made great Christmas cakes. She was also an accomplished seamstress, liked to knit, enjoyed crisply ironed white blouses, bingo, and in her later years she was an avid reader - where a compelling book held tremendous appeal! Josie had a good life, living it mostly on her own terms. She had an unending faith, worked hard, and loved harder. Josie’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren filled her life and her heart with the greatest joy.


Josie will be forever remembered and sadly missed by her loving family. They say that ‘Mothers are like buttons...they hold everything together’, so this loss is very much felt by Josie’s 7 children who will miss her always: her son, Greg (Michelle) Burrows of Stettler; and her 6 daughters, Dianna (Bill) Harrison of Calgary; Judy (Henry) Reddecopp of Rimbey; Cindy (Terry) Hays of Olds; Theresa Pletz (Darren Damiani) of Rimbey; Michelle (Laverne) Oberhammer also of Rimbey; and Patti (Axel) Nossack of Red Deer. Her most precious gifts were her 19 grandchildren; 23 great grandchildren, with another on the way; 3 step-great grandchildren; as well as 2 step-great-great grandchildren. Every single one of them will dearly miss their ‘GiGi’. Josie will also be lovingly remembered by 6 sisters, Grace Kennedy of Fort Macleod; Marjorie MacLennan of Calgary; Betty Gregory of High River; Ruby (Eric) Thomsen of Scotch Creek, B.C.; Jean Anderson of Fort Macleod; and Bonnie (Jim) Murphy of Calgary; and her brother-in-law, Don Sterling of Campbell River, B.C.; in addition to numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives, and many dear friends. Josie was predeceased by her parents, Jim and Mary; her beloved husband, Vern; 2 great grandsons, Oak and Connor; her brother, Bob; her sister, Pat Sterling; and many in-laws and other extended family members.


Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, Rimbey on Friday, July 6, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. with the Reverend Father Les Drewicki, Celebrant. Interment followed at 3:00 p.m. in the Alto Reste Cemetery, Red Deer. If friends desire, memorial tributes in Josie’s Memory may be made directly to the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre ~ Acute Care, c/o Rimbey Health Services Donations Program, Box 440, Rimbey, Alberta T0C 2J0 (www.rimbeyhealthdonations.com); or to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, #202, 5913 - 50 Avenue, Red Deer, Alberta T4N 4C4 (www.heartandstroke.ca). Condolences to the Family may also be expressed by email to: special_reflections@telusplanet.net

Service and Burial Arrangements for the Late Josephine “Josie” Virginia Burrows entrusted to the care of

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