Earla Beryl (Scott) Mckellar

In Loving Memory of
Earla Beryl
McKellar
(nee Scott)
age 96
Earla was predeceased by her husbands 
Franklin McKellar, and Hugh Masson.  
She is lovingly remembered by her children Melody, Ross, Scott, Melora, and Tammy, step children Donald, Brenda, Eraine, Eric, Bruce and Calvin, as well as their families. 

Died 
August 12, 2021
Prairie View Lodge
Pilot Mound, Manitoba

A Celebration of Earla’s Life will be 
announced and held at a later date.

 

Graveside Service
Monday, August 16, 2021 
Clearwater Cemetery
Clearwater, Manitoba 
2:00 p.m.

 

Donations in memory of Earla may be made to the Rock Lake United Church Camp, 
Prairie View Lodge, or to the 
Rock Lake Pastoral Charge United Church. 

 

 

 

 

A Mother’s Love        

Our mommas love was sent to all of us from the angels above

They knew we needed another mom, so it came gently... on the wings of a dove.

Through joys and challenges, she’s held our hands and hearts,

Moms lived a good life, now it’s time to depart.

 

Life’s lessons, Mom has taught us well

Kindness, love and caring, in our lives those should dwell.

Keep in touch and look out for one another,

For everyone you meet is like a sister or a brother.

 

Keep your faith and remember to trust in God,

Miracles happen each day and in those you will be awed.

Remember the homeless, the weak, the downtrodden,

Listen to their stories, for your horizons you will broaden.

 

Don’t forget the kitties for they too need some love

A morsel, a pat, never leave them void of.

There’s love to share and go around

Not to worry, you won’t be left aground.

 

I am still with you always and my love holds you tight,

Soon enough we’ll be together and all will be just right.

Until that day, know that I watch over you,

My heart, my love, is true and true.

 

                                                                                                      poem written by Melody McKellar  ©

                                                                                                     March 2, 2021

Earla Beryl McKellar (Scott)
Born September 19, 1924 in Chapleau, Ontario
 
Mom was born in a northern railroad town at Lady Minto Hospital and was named Earla,after her nurse.  She was the daughter of Blanche Scott (Robertson) from Middleville and Alvin Ross Scott from McDonald’s Corners in the Lanark/Perth region in Ontario.  She was predeceased by an infant brother and an older sister Evelyn.  Mom was always proud of her Canadian/Scottish heritage and was always the first to say of herself, “I am too Scotch to throw that out”!
 
When the family moved to Winnipeg for work, economic times were tough.  Mom attended many different schools in the North End of Winnipeg as a child and eventually went to night school so she could workduring the day.  As a young woman, she was employed for 14 years by Paulin’s Biscuit Company where she made many close friends.  Mom became a Food Inspector at Paulin’s and was the first woman to do so in an era where only men held those positions.  
 
She would ride her bicycle or walk to work to save up the cost of streetcar fare so she could afford to pay for tickets to skate at the roller rink or occasionally play a few rounds of golf.   In the winter she spent time on her speed skates on the outdoor rinks often freezing her feet because her skates didn’t fit properly.  She spent volunteer hours visiting patients and folding bandages among many other duties at the Winnipeg General Hospital, now known as HSC.  She volunteered with St. Johns Ambulance and visited women in the correctional facility that was in Winnipeg.  In her spare time she would give hair ‘permanents’ or babysit to earn a little extra spending money.  She was a member of Knox United Church in Winnipeg and spent hours teaching Sunday School and the Explorer program for the children.
 
Mom was always a kind and caring woman and her soft heart made her many good friends wherever she went.  The Second World War brought much grief as numerousclose friends never returned home.   Her faith saw her through many of life’s challenges.
 
During some of her time visiting the ‘Robertson Clan’ in Snowflake, mom would attend the country dances and soon met a young handsome man at the Clearwater Hall, Franklin McKellar.  They were married in 1953 and mom moved to the McKellar farm north of Clearwater.  From a large urban city to a tiny farming community, many learning curves were to be had, especially with no running water.  
 
One day there was a huge thunderstorm and all the lights were out in the big old farmhouse.  Dad had gone to town and when he returned, mom was sitting in the dark.  ‘Why didn’t you light a lantern’, Dad asked?   “I didn’t know how” was moms’ response!  She came to consider the community of Clearwater her true home, and made many lifelong friends.  The farmhouse was very large so there was lots of room to host card parties.
 
After 5 years of marriage, Mom and Dad adopted four children, two years apart.  Mom often talked about having a total of 11 days throughout the years without having clean diapers drying on the clothesline!  Without running water in the house, that was not as simple as it sounds!  
 
True to moms’ nature, she volunteered as a 4-H leader, and was Secretary of the Rock Lake United Church Camp Board for 23 years.  She sang in the United Church choir, was a UCW member for years, cooked the usual allotment of pies and potato salad for the Sports Day, curled, and oversaw music and swimming lessons.   She and Dad made certain we had opportunities for attending camp, youth groups and music festivals where she spent many nail biting hours encouraging us to do our best in competitions. Mom was the first volunteer driver and first woman to operate the community Handivan.  She was a volunteer visitor at Prairie View Lodge for many years.  She was a school bus driver and plantedvegetable and orchard gardens the size of small football fields to feed a growing family.  Everyone who drove into the yard was welcome at the table at mealtime as she could just add ‘another potato’ to the pot and there was always enough. No one was ever turned away.  
 
The family would often go to the local dances in the community halls or barn dances and six of us would pile into a small tent trailer on the shores of Rock Lake or the UCW Wanacumbac family camp at Clear Lake.  Dad always said we could be assured of rain as it was time to manually set up the tent trailer!
 
Moms care and compassion was also shared with many a stray animal for she could never see any of them go hungry or cold.  She learned how to snip teeth out of baby pigs and grease machinery.  She plucked chickens and milked cows.  She often said that one of the farm neighbors and a good friend, Margaret McDonald, helped her get through those times of inexperience. Not bad for a city girl!   She could just look at a pattern of crochet or knitting and by memory she would be able to ‘take off a pattern’.  Her handiwork was amazing down to every last tiny stitch.
 
In the mid years as we were growing, it was becoming more difficult financially to make a go of the small farm with such high interest rates.  Mom and Dad had a chat with us and it was decided that with our agreement, she would go back to paid employment.  Mom worked at Cohoe’s Drug Store in Pilot Mound as a Pharmacy Assistant for many years and Dad was a cement truck driver, all the while working the farm, gardens and raising a family.  You just did what you had to and you forged ahead.
 
When Dad had a severe and debilitating heart attack at the age of 50, it was an operational mixed farm that mom had to run, as Dad could no longer work from that moment on.   As Ross and I had already left home and were trying to establish our own careers,Scott and Melora in their teen years stepped up to the plate and helped carry that load with Mom.  Ross and I came home to help on our days off and together, we pulled through a very difficult time.  Our parents left the family farm in the 1980’s and moved to Crystal City so they could be closer to the local hospital.
 
Mom and Dad were able to do some travelling across Canada and down into the US.  I know that there was hardly a day where Mom did not have concern over the severity of Dads health, especially when far from home.  They were determined to make the very best of the years they would have together and enjoy the things they wanted to do.
 
One of their favorite spots was Simonhouse Lake north of The Pas.  Mom was so excited whenever she caught a fish that just about everyone could hear her announcement across the huge lake.  Dad would take the fish off the hook for her and she would gladly fry up a whole pan of fresh pickerel!    
 
Mom showed a lot of courage and grace through the years as she faced four bouts with cancer and a couple of heart attacks.   At the age of 80, she purchased a small cottage on the Brokenhead River outside of Beausejour where she spent half the year close to Melody and Ernest.  She made friends through the local legion, St. Paul’s United Church and the Senior Club. 
 
At the age of 91, mom learned of an old beau named Hugh Masson, who had moved back to his home town of Pilot Mound, a mere 5 miles down the road from where mom lived.   They had dated when they were in their 20’s!   Mom at the age of 92, and Hugh who was 90, were married in Crystal City United Church on December 31, 2016.   They had two years and 3 months of marriage together prior to Hugh’s passing.  At their mature age,each and everyday was a gift to them both. She often expressed, “I have been so blessed to have two wonderful husbands in my life”. 
Mom moved into Prairie View Lodge shortly after Hughs death, as she was requiring more daily assistance.
 
 
Mom has said many times, “I have lived a good life and love all of you so very much”.  I asked her one day what she felt her greatest accomplishments were.  With joy in her eyes, ‘Raising all of you children’ was her response.  The life’s lessons she has left her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are a testament to her faith and her beautiful spirit.  This woman of kindness, grace, love, faith and courage will be so missed.  We hold those precious gifts in all of our hearts and it is our responsibility to continue to share that with others.
 
 
Mourning her passing:
 
Children:  Melody McKellar (Ernest Bradshaw), Ross McKellar (Teresa Simpson), Scott McKellar, Melora Side and later in life, Tammy Graham (Craig), Step Children of the Masson family:  Donald, Brenda, Eriane, Eric, Bruce & Calvin & her beloved cat, ‘Missy’
 
Grandchildren: Jennifer (Dwayne), Christopher (Lana), Jeffrey, Andrew (Linsey), Lorne; Erica (Chris); Crista (Kris), Wayne, Rebecca (Travis), Roberta (Madj); Samantha (Charles), Christopher, Lexie (Ben), Amanda

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