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Gladys Anderson
February 19, 1926 - December 15, 2016
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<div itemprop="description"><br> <br>Gladys Mary Anderson (nee Shaw), loving mother and grandmother, and friend to many, passed away in the early hours of December 15, 2016 in her 91st year, in the embrace of her children. Gladys had carried out a courageous battle with cancer with the bravery and dignity that she carried throughout her life. Until her diagnosis last December, she was blessed with excellent health and had only been in a hospital for the birth of her children. <br> <br>Gladys was predeceased by her husband Frank, her parents, Walter James Shaw, and Maud Shaw, and her sister Helen. She leaves her three children, Lynn Anderson and Janet (Tim) Siemens of Winnipeg, and David Anderson of Ottawa, and her grandchildren Jonathan (Jacinthe), William, Samuel and Alexander, and great-grandchild Tristian, who will all cherish her in their hearts forever. Her grandchildren were the apple of her eye. <br> <br>Gladys was born in the hospital in Duchess, Alberta on February 19, 1926, close to where her father and mother were farming at the time. Her beloved cousin Bill later gave her the nickname “Duchess”. When the Great Depression arrived, the family was forced to abandon the farm and move to Winnipeg, where they reunited with family members. As was the case with many of that generation, work was hard to find in the 1930s. Consequently, the family was often forced to move from place to place in Winnipeg’s downtown area and Gladys had to change schools on a number of occasions. Despite that, Gladys excelled in school and even skipped a grade, graduating from Daniel Mac when she was only sixteen. Gladys received a scholarship to go to university but did not feel that she had the financial resources to attend. At the age of sixteen, she was out working to support her parents. That kind of selfless behaviour was a hallmark of her entire life. <br> <br>Some of her happiest times were spent living on Smith Street where the present police station sits, where the family was lucky enough to find accommodation for a few years with other family members. Large family gatherings were her idea of the ideal time spent, especially at Christmas time. Also living there were her cousins Muriel and Bill, who became lifelong surrogate sister and brother to her. During the summers she often stayed with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Clara on their farm near Sturgeon Creek. Some of her fondest memories were wandering the open prairie with Bill and shooting cans off fence posts with Bill’s 22. <br> <br>Gladys met Frank, the love of her life, at a “church” party organized by Cousin Bill behind her Uncle’s house on Wolseley Avenue on the banks of the Assiniboine. Gladys and Frank were married in 1949 and moved to Cloverdale Crescent in Transcona in 1959 where Frank worked as a machinist at the CN shops, and they raised their three children. On holidays, the family would pack up and head off on cross-Canada camping trips to both coasts and down into the States to see Yellowstone Park. Visits to historic sites, forts and museums, and taking guided nature walks, were a big part of those trips. Summers were spent at the cottage at Hillside Beach. Gladys especially enjoyed heading up to Hillside at Thanksgiving and family photos on “Anderson” rock. <br> <br>After she lost Frank to cancer in 1992, Gladys remained on Cloverdale until 2003, when she moved to live in her condo at Brentwood estates on St. Anne’s Road. She enjoyed going for coffee, card nights and exercise class with her neighbours. And she was close to her great friend Helen McLean, which made easy access for afternoon tea breaks. <br> <br>Gladys had a love of words of all kinds. She was a voracious reader who would go through books at a tremendous pace that no one in the family could match. She loved mysteries and political biographies, especially Winston Churchill. Her favourite time of year may have been pre-Christmas when she was able to read all the Christmas books before they were placed under the tree. Crossword puzzles were a daily part of her life, including the New York Times Sunday Crossword and the Globe and Mail daily crossword. She was very tech savvy and regularly did crosswords via Skype with David. All of these activities of course would be combined with drinking tea, which was an Anderson family ritual that took place several times at day. On the occasion of her 85th birthday, the family had a cake made for her that had a crossword puzzle, a pencil, a book and a cup of tea on top. A more appropriate reflection of her pastimes there could not be. <br> <br>Gladys loved to play cards of all kinds and, much to the chagrin of her grandchildren, won more than her fair share despite their best efforts. One of her favourite things was to join in with family to work on giant jigsaw puzzles at the lake. <br> <br>Gladys was a big fan of Queen Elizabeth because they shared a birth year and she would regularly follow the Queen’s exploits. One of her most memorable moments occurred last spring when she and Lynn were invited to Government House for tea with the Lieutenant Governor in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. She was thrilled when her photo appeared in the Free Press chatting with the Lieutenant Governor. <br> <br>Gladys faced many hardships in her early life and those experiences shaped her into a caring individual who would do anything to help her family and friends in times of need. She spent countless hours driving friends and relatives to medical appointments and gave generously to charity. Growing up with little instilled in her the value of family and friendship and an appreciation for the simple things in life. She faced her challenges with a dry sense of humour that was very much appreciated by her family. She rooted for the underdog and focused her attention on those in the greatest need. She led by example and taught her family the value of education, the importance of being involved in the community and participating in the political process. She passed on her values of care and understanding for all. We could not have asked for a better role model. She will be missed deeply. <br> <br>The family would like to thank the palliative care nurses and home care workers who visited mom at home for their attentive care. A celebration of Gladys’s life will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 21, 2016, at Glen Lawn Funeral Home, 455 Lagimodiere Boulevard. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Cancercare Manitoba. <br> <br></div>